Rusev Reveals How He Got His Name And “Machka” Catchphrase

Rusev was recently interviewed by TV+ while he was in Bulgaria. During the interview, he revealed where he got the name ‘Rusev’ from and where he got his “Rusev Machka” catchphrase. Below are some highlights (h/t to Wrestling INC):

Rusev on where he got his name from:

“I had a friend named Vasil Rusev in my rowing classes. I’ve always liked that name. When I first started in WWE, I had the opportunity to choose a name and I choose Rusev. The ‘Alexander’ name just sounded like a good Bulgarian name, but the Rusev part I got from my friend Vasil.”

On where his “Rusev Machka” catchphrase came from:

“The plan was before my entrance music hit to have something said in Bulgarian, but I had no idea what would that be. The idea for ‘Rusev udria, Rusev machka‘ came from me and Lana watching Rocky 4. There was something along the lines of ‘What Drago hits, he destroys,” which I liked a lot and I wanted to do something similar to it. I got the mic and it came naturally, ‘Rusev udria, Rusev machka.’ They asked me what that meant and after I explained they liked it.”

Speaking of Rusev, here is the awful gimmick that he almost got stuck with in WWE.