pro: it will make rusev a star
Sometimes, all a superstar needs is that one big win, and they are solidified as a top player. They become made men. We see it all the time. From Batista and Cena’s historic wins at Wrestlemania 21, and more recently, when AJ Styles beat Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship. More often than not, winning the big one ensures that you remain one of the upper guys even after you lose the title. There are some exceptions to this rule (Jinder Mahal, Bray Wyatt), but generally speaking, former WWE Champions are treated well.
A win over Styles would cement Rusev as one of the top guys on Smackdown. He succeeded where many others, such as Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, and Shinsuke Nakamura failed. That is how championships should work.
Again, there is a risk to this. Say Rusev doesn’t connect with the fans for whatever reason or his reign just generally falls flat. That’s still okay. At least something new was tried.
