Shit, they've been unintentionally booking Rusev like a babyface for years. He had that feud where either Big Show or Mark Henry was disrespecting Russia, so he was wrestling one of them, and the other one interfered and be basically defeated them in a handicap match and then raised his flag in victory at the end.
Hero overcomes two much bigger competitors that were disrespecting his country and triumphantly waves his flag at the end.....that's fucking Hogan booking 101