Summary

Rusev said he voted in Bulgaria's parliamentary election just hours before his WrestleMania 42 match, then carried the Bulgarian flag for his entrance later that day.

While speaking with NYC Demon Diva, Rusev said bringing the flag was not part of some larger plan at first. He said he packed it, waited to see how he felt, then decided to use it after making time to cast his vote.

Rusev has used national symbolism at WrestleMania before, most notably during his WrestleMania 31 entrance. This time, he said the moment was about representing the country of his birth on one of WWE's biggest stages.

Quote from Rusev

"I really didn't... It was not even a big plan. I put it in my bag. I was like, you know what, I'm going to feel it, and the day, you know, a few hours before WrestleMania, we had a parliamentary elections for Bulgaria. So I had to find a local place, went in, casting my vote right because it's so important, it's so important to represent your country your heritage and just to be part of the whole process so thank you, I was really proud of representing my country as always."

What Rusev's WrestleMania 42 Entrance Meant

Rusev tying his WrestleMania 42 entrance to a real-life vote gave the presentation a more personal edge than a standard visual callback. On a weekend when WWE had heavy attention around the show, including strong audience numbers for WrestleMania 42 preview programming, the entrance gave Rusev a simple way to reinforce his identity in front of a massive audience.

It also framed the Bulgarian flag as something rooted in personal pride rather than pure character theatrics. That distinction matters for a wrestler whose biggest WrestleMania entrance moments have often been remembered as much as the match itself.

Sources

Rusev while speaking with NYC Demon Diva