CJ Perry and Rusev are preparing to welcome a new addition to their family.
Perry and Rusev, whose real name is Miro Barnyashev, have announced that they are expecting their first child together. The couple revealed they are having a baby boy, who is due on April 28, 2027. They have also shared the name they plan to give their son: Bear Petrov Barnyashev.
The news marks a major and deeply personal milestone for two performers whose relationship has been known to wrestling audiences for years, both on television and away from the ring. Perry spoke candidly about the joy of reaching this point after the challenges involved in their journey to parenthood.
“It was the best feeling ever! After everything we’d been through, being able to share this news felt so special,” Perry said. “The first time we heard his heartbeat, I couldn’t stop giggling. I was so full of gratitude and joy. We’ve been blessed with such a miracle.”
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An Emotional IVF Journey
Perry and Barnyashev are going through the IVF process, an experience Perry described as emotional and filled with uncertainty at each stage. She outlined the difficult waiting periods that can accompany treatment, from monitoring embryo development to receiving genetic testing results.
“You start with so much hope. As you wait to see how many embryos continue developing through day three and then day five, the numbers can get smaller,” Perry recalled. “Then comes the wait for the genetic testing results. Every stage feels like another hurdle.”
Their first embryo to receive normal genetic testing results was a boy, and that was the embryo the couple chose to transfer. Perry explained that she wanted to know the baby’s sex as soon as it was possible, particularly after experiencing the many unknowns that come with IVF.
“Our first embryo to come back with normal genetic testing results was a boy, and he was the one we transferred. When they gave me the option to find out the sex, I wanted to know immediately! There’s so much uncertainty during I.V.F. that I wanted as much information as possible.”
By sharing those details, Perry has put a spotlight on an aspect of family planning that is often intensely private. IVF can involve hope, disappointment, medical decisions and long stretches of waiting, making the couple’s announcement especially meaningful. Their openness presents the arrival of Bear not simply as a happy reveal, but as the culmination of a process they have navigated together.
A Long-Running Relationship in the Wrestling Spotlight
Perry and Barnyashev have been familiar figures to wrestling fans throughout a relationship that has unfolded alongside highly visible careers. The pair became widely recognized during their WWE years, where Perry performed as Lana and Barnyashev rose to prominence as Rusev.
Rusev was presented as a powerful international threat during his early WWE run, quickly establishing himself through dominant performances and an entrance built around his “Rusev Day” identity in later years. His in-ring power, athleticism and ability to connect with the audience made him a distinctive personality across multiple periods of WWE programming.
Perry became an integral part of his act during several memorable WWE storylines. While she initially appeared in a managerial role, she developed into a prominent television character in her own right. Their real-life relationship gave their on-screen pairing a natural chemistry, even as wrestling storylines frequently moved them through changing alliances, conflicts and character directions.
That shared history means the couple’s personal news will resonate with an audience that has watched them work together in one of the entertainment industry’s most demanding environments. Professional wrestling schedules can require constant travel, extended time away from home and a significant physical and emotional commitment. The expectation of their first child represents a major new chapter beyond the bright lights of weekly wrestling television.
Rusev’s Career and a New Personal Milestone
Barnyashev’s career has taken him through several notable stages, including a successful run outside WWE under the name Miro. His work has consistently emphasized the intensity and presence that made Rusev a recognizable name among wrestling fans. Regardless of the promotion or name attached to his presentation, he has remained closely associated with a hard-hitting style and a personality capable of shifting between serious menace and charismatic humor.
For Perry, the announcement also arrives after years of building a public profile that extends beyond any one wrestling role. Her time as Lana made her one of the most recognizable women attached to WWE programming in her era, and she has remained a familiar figure to fans through her continued public presence and professional projects.
Yet the focus of this announcement is not a match, a storyline or a contract development. It is a family milestone. The couple’s decision to reveal both their son’s due date and planned name gives fans a clear picture of the excitement surrounding the months ahead.
Bear Petrov Barnyashev is due in late April 2027, giving Perry and Barnyashev time to prepare for the transition into parenthood. While they have shared the central details of their news, the journey remains personal, particularly given the emotional reality of IVF that Perry described.
Why Their Openness Matters
Wrestling personalities often live in a unique space between public figures and deeply private individuals. Fans may feel a connection to performers after seeing them on television for years, but moments involving health, family and fertility remain entirely their own to share on their terms.
Perry’s comments provide an honest perspective on why receiving positive genetic testing results and hearing a baby’s heartbeat carried such extraordinary weight. Her description of feeling gratitude and joy reflects the relief that can follow periods of uncertainty, while her explanation of the IVF stages recognizes the emotional stakes faced by many families going through similar experiences.
There is also an unmistakably hopeful quality to the way the couple has approached the announcement. They have shared the sex of their baby, a due date and the name Bear Petrov Barnyashev, allowing the news to be celebrated as a specific, long-awaited family moment rather than a vague statement.
The wrestling world has long celebrated the personal accomplishments of its performers alongside their in-ring success. Championships and headline matches may define a professional legacy, but life-changing news away from the ring often brings the industry’s community together in a different way. Perry and Barnyashev’s announcement is one of those occasions.
Looking Ahead to April 2027
With their son expected on April 28, 2027, CJ Perry and Rusev now look ahead to their first experience as parents. Their message makes clear how much the pregnancy means after the IVF process and the uncertainty that came with it.
For the couple, the first heartbeat and the confirmation that their transferred embryo was developing into their son became memories they will carry with them long before his arrival. For fans who have followed Perry and Barnyashev through their wrestling careers, the news offers an opportunity to celebrate a joyful development in their lives beyond the ring.
Congratulations to CJ Perry and Miro “Rusev” Barnyashev as they await the arrival of Bear Petrov Barnyashev in April 2027.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.