SummerSlam 2016: Rusev v Roman Reigns

The battle lines have been drawn, and Roman Reigns will be the latest Superstar to step to U.S. Champion Rusev in a fight for the star-spangled championship at SummerSlam, live Sunday, Aug. 21, only on the award-winning WWE Network.

Since regaining the United States Championship, Rusev has resumed his one-man reign of terror as though it never stopped. The Super Athlete has demolished all comers in both championship matches and otherwise, and left a trail of destruction in his wake that has claimed Superstars both big (Mark Henry) and small (Kalisto). Such a run has left the WWE Universe questioning whether anyone can thwart The Bulgarian Brute’s dominance and bring the U.S. Championship back to its homeland.

Reigns, on the other hand, is in win-now mode after a series of unfortunate twists knocked him off his post-WrestleMania perch and landed the WWE World Championship on Dean Ambrose’s SmackDown Live and not Reigns’ own Raw roster. Targeting the self-dubbed “unbeatable” Super Athlete isn’t just a way to get the ex-champion back to his winning ways; it’s a chance to once again establish himself among the Team Red elite. Winning one for America probably doesn’t hurt, either, and Reigns already obtained a mental edge over the champion by humiliating Rusev and his new bride, Lana, during their wedding toast on Raw.

Will Rusev’s U.S. Title honeymoon continue on to the fall? Or will the Samoan Superman play the role of Captain America and strip The Super Athlete of his championship gold?