Tag: Lio Rush

Lio Rush Returns To AEW, Debuts New Gimmick

Former WWE Superstar Lio Rush appeared on an AEW show for the first time since June and brought a new money man gimmick with him.

Lio Rush returned to AEW following a four-month absence via a pretaped vignette that aired on this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite.

In the video, Rush informed viewers that he was a businessman who makes a lot of money for himself and the companies to whom he lends guidance. Footage of yachts, fancy cars, and expensive jewelry was spliced into the video.

AEW later confirmed that Rush had signed a contract with the company and was officially All Elite.

https://twitter.com/AllElitePod/status/1443384773511163904

As you might recall, Lio Rush made his AEW debut during the Casino Battle Royale at Double Or Nothing on May 30th. Rush was under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but AEW president Tony Khan claimed there was a “handshake deal” in place between all parties prior to the event. In a stroke of terrible luck, Rush sustained a shoulder injury in the Casino Battle Royale and subsequently announced that he would be stepping away from the world of professional wrestling. Rush’s intended hiatus never actually came to fruition, and the 26-year-old returned to New Japan just a few weeks after Double Or Nothing.

Rush began wrestling in 2014 and made a name for himself as an exciting high flyer. After a stint on the independent scene, Rush signed for WWE in August of 2017. He initially reported for duty at NXT but was soon moved to the Cruiserweight division where he competed on 205 Live. Rush was then moved to the main roster and was used predominantly as the mouthpiece of Bobby Lashley. He moved back to NXT and had a run as Cruiserweight champion, but in April of 2020, Rush was released from his WWE contract as part of budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rush also appeared briefly in MLW.

On its surface, Rush’s new gimmick doesn’t appear particularly original, but we’ve seen how good he can be on the mic, so there’s a good chance that he’ll be able to make it work.

Source: The Sportster

Lio Rush Announces His Retirement From Wrestling

Former WWE Superstar Lio Rush has announced that he is retiring from professional wrestling at just 26 years of age.

Rush took to social media to inform fans that he had decided to retire as a result of a shoulder injury he sustained during his AEW debut in the Casino Battle Royale at Double Or Nothing. Rush shared the news of his retirement on Instagram.

“I have written and erased this post so many times purely out of not being able to wrap my head around this. The moment I went home in a sling, I kept saying to myself “this was like any other time I got a little bruise or strain, and I will shrug it off and continue on my new journey”. Once the pain subsided and I started to feel just how uncomfortable it was to feel my arm hanging from my body, I sunk into an immediate and rapidly growing depression because I knew something was wrong,” Rush wrote. Got the news that I’d be taking some time off due to this injury. Me thinking it would only affect my wrestling obligations, I still tried to go on about my days as I knew them. I realized just how much this would affect my everyday life. For anyone who knows me, you know that I work endlessly for myself and my family. It became more and more frustrating every day finding little things that I could no longer do. Like simply putting on a shirt and a much harder fact to deal with, not being able to pick up my newborn son,” he continued.

Rush then said that he was grateful to AEW for wanting to sign him even after they found out that he had been injured, and signed off on an optimistic note, saying he sees the situation as a blessing in disguise.

Lio Rush made his AEW debut during the Casino Battle Royale at Double Or Nothing on May 30th. Rush was under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but AEW president Tony Khan claimed there was “handshake deal” in place between all parties prior to the event.

After a highly-rated stint on the independent scene, Lio Rush signed for WWE in August of 2017. He initially reported for duty at NXT, but was soon moved to the Cruiserweight division where he competed on 205 Live. Rush was then moved to the main roster and was used predominantly as the mouthpiece of Bobby Lashley. He moved back to NXT and had a run as Cruiserweight champion, but in April of 2020, Rush was released from his WWE contract as part of budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rush also recently wrestled for MLW.

Source: The Sportster

MLW Officially Announces Lio Rush’s Debut For The Restart

Major League Wrestling has officially announced Lio Rush for The Restart.

It was announced today that the former WWE Superstar, billed as a Middleweight and Influencer, will make his MLW debut for “#TheRestart” on Wednesday, November 18.

MLW CEO Court Bauer called Rush the top free agent in pro wrestling right now.

“It’s not very often someone as special as Lio Rush ends up on the open market,” said Bauer in a press release sent to us today. “Lio is hands down the top top free agent in the sport and I look forward to some of the dream matches on the horizon for fans… and for the record, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give Wale the assist on this. He had a lot to do with facilitating this relationship and we’re all grateful for it.”

MLW previously announced ACH, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Laredo Kid for the Restart

Below is the full announcement from MLW on Lio Rush:

Lio Rush is coming to MLW for The Restart

•Stream on fubo Sports Network & YouTube – Wednesdays 7pm

•Watch nationwide on cable & satellite on beIN Sports – Saturdays 10pm

NEW YORK – Major League Wrestling today announced the arrival of Lio Rush when MLW restarts on November 18th with the return of the league’s flagship series FUSION.

“It’s not very often someone as special as Lio Rush ends up on the open market,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “Lio is hands down the top top free agent in the sport and I look forward to some of the dream matches on the horizon for fans… and for the record, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give Wale the assist on this. He had a lot to do with facilitating this relationship and we’re all grateful for it.

Fighting athlete. Musician. Artist. Influencer. Lio Rush is a new wave renaissance man. A force unlike any other in the sport, Rush is a human GIF generator, awing fans and overwhelming opponents with his innovative arsenal.

A wrestling prodigy, Rush emerged in the sport in his teenage years, rapidly ascending to the international stage by his early 20s. Now in his mid 20s, Rush has transcended into pop culture.

When not in the ring, Rush can be found recording in Maybach Music Group’s studios or working on projects with his close friend, Grammy nominated artist Wale.

Rush looks to move the world with his words and life experiences and continue to move up the ranks in the entertainment and sports world.

The next step in the evolution of Lio Rush: going major league at #TheRestart.

MLW returns Wednesday night November 18 at 7pm ET with the premiere of FUSION on Fubo Sports and YouTube.

Fans can also watch nationwide on cable and dish via beIN SPORTS on Saturday nights at 10pm ET.

Watch FUSION anytime, anywhere on DAZN.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Lio Rush Reportedly Turns Down New WWE Offer But Says He’s “Broke”, Mark Henry Responds

Lio Rush continued to respond this week to some of the reports on his backstage heat and issues with WWE.

Rush said in an interview with Fightful that his issues are not with Bobby Lashley or working with him, but with not being paid for merchandise that uses his catchphrase, and not being paid what he feels he’s worth.

“My issue has never been with Bobby Lashley. Being with Bobby has helped the both of us out tremendously,” Rush said. “It’s given me speaking confidence I didn’t know i had. I never was a promo guy on the indies. But being with Bobby made me a promo guy. My issue isn’t with my on screen role. My issue is the fact that I haven’t been on meet and greets with Bobby, haven’t been getting paid for merchandise for us that has my catchphrases on them. (I) have been sent to live shows and TVs and forced to pay for my own rental for 5 days as well as hotel while not making enough money to do so. Walking around broke in the biggest sports entertainment industry that there is while having two kids and a wife to support.”

Rush also said he believes someone in WWE is leaking false information to get him released.

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry appeared on Busted Open Radio earlier today and spoke on the Rush situation. Henry noted that he started with WWE in 1996 and helping WWE Hall of Famer Yokozuna was one of his responsibilities.

“It’s not a race issue, it’s an ego issue,” Henry said. “Who are you? Nobody is exempt from being respectful to the business and paying homage to the guys drawing money. We all have done it. Steve Austin did it, The Rock did it. You’re better than The Rock? Get the hell out of here.”

Henry also said he recently approached Rush to ask him about some of the issues. He said, “I pulled him aside the last time I saw him and told him, ‘I’m hearing stuff in the locker room, what’s wrong?’ He said nothing’s wrong, but it was a blatant lie to my face. I let him know that if he has a question, right now is the time to do that.”

Regarding Rush’s issues on pay, Henry said he needs to change the way he spends. Henry said, “If you can’t pay for a rental car and you can’t pay for a hotel with the money that you’re making every week, you need to change the way you’re spending. You can’t blame that on the office. If you spent everything before you got it, that’s your problem.”

Henry is said to be a huge supporter of Rush behind-the-scenes, according to PWInsider. PWInsider also reported on the issues, noting that there has been a lot of talk about Rush’s future within WWE, and there were rumors of Rush being moved back to WWE NXT in the near future.

PWInsider also reported that Rush has been a polarizing figure backstage for some time among the other wrestlers, going back to the November 2018 tour where he blew off what has been considered standard backstage etiquette for junior members of the roster on overseas tours, including being at the Gorilla position backstage to provide water to talents as they returned after their matches, and carrying coolers and drinks into the hotels where talents were staying, to set up a common area where everyone could privately socialize together. These tasks are often done to show respect to the locker room and the business as a whole. Several veterans reportedly tried to explain to Rush that he was making a mistake then, but he blew off the advice and complained to WWE officials, which didn’t do him any favors. Things with Rush have calmed down in recent months, but there have been other issues. Rush allegedly has brought his friends and relatives backstage without the proper credentials, and there have been other moments where he has blown off counsel from senior members of the RAW roster.

As we’ve noted, Rush has been off WWE TV for a few weeks now due to the heat he has. Rush previously addressed the reports on Twitter after it was reported that he has heat due to how he makes it very clear that he should be the top guy on the RAW brand, and he’s not shy about sharing these thoughts, as seen below:

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/1123364413145255941

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/1123364496054079490

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/1123365537336254465

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/1123369337342103553

In an update, PWInsider reports that there were multiple complaints made about Rush bringing his wife backstage and allowing her to change clothes in the women’s locker room, dating back to the 2018 European tour. There was another incident where Rush brought a group of people backstage at a 2018 TV taping. The group allegedly were stopped for not all having proper credentials and they loudly began yelling at a female member of WWE’s security crew, which obviously didn’t sit well with others backstage. A veteran talent, not Balor, reportedly tried to talk to Rush about the issues but he was told by Rush that he “works for Vince, not you.” WWE officials later approached that veteran talent as Rush complained about getting spoke to by the talent, because he was not an executive in the company and was “Rush’s equal, not his boss.” Word of this made the rounds and that led to Rush being removed from the locker room for a period of time after the tour and that’s when his issues became less of a regular occurrence backstage. That has changed in recent weeks.

Despite the problems, Rush was reportedly recently offered a new five-year contract, said to be in the range of $300,000. Rush reportedly turned that offer down and asked for double the pay. His current contract expires in 2020 some time. Regarding the rumors of sending Rush back to NXT, the idea would be to build him a new character and present him as something more than just a mouthpiece. Rush reportedly suggested, at least once, that WWE should release him so he can “show them” what he can accomplish outside of the company. There’s no word yet on when Rush will return to WWE TV, but he has reportedly been pulled from the upcoming European tour, a decision made a week ago. Rush has been backstage for RAW, but obviously not used.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Why WWE Turned Bobby Lashley Heel, Vince McMahon Feeds Lines To Lio Rush

Image result for Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush heel turn on RAW

Regarding the angle on Monday’s WWE RAW with Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush, the idea for them was a heel turn.

WWE officials had just decided on the heel turn earlier that day, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. There was a long discussion over whether Lashley would be better off as a heel or a babyface right now, especially with the roster losing another top heel in Kevin Owens, who is out of action with a knee injury. Owens is expected to be out of action for around 4 months if he needs just a minor operation but it could be 8 months if the surgery is major.

The decision was made at RAW to turn Lashley, with the idea that if he’s better off as a heel and if the roster needs heels, they should do the turn right away. The turn made even more sense as they needed Lashley to injure Owens to write him off TV anyway.

It’s interesting to note that Rush was plugged-in to the back with an ear piece on Monday night. Vince McMahon was in Rush’s ear and was personally feeding him lines to deliver during the match.

Source: WrestlingINC

Lio Rush Set To Join Main Roster On 205 Live (VIDEO)

lio rush 205 live debut promo video vignette

23-year-old NXT phenom Lio Rush will be making his main roster debut as part of 205 Live.

A promo for Rush was shown during last night’s cruiserweight showcase on WWE Network. Rush has been part of the WWE development system since the middle of 2017.

Most recently, Rush has been working NXT events alongside the much larger Babatunde — who appeared as part of the Greatest Royal Rumble event.

Rush has been used sparingly on NXT TV since tweeting a joke about Emma‘s release in October 2017. While officials may have held him back for a little bit, it’s clear they believe he has a bright future.

Watch the promo hyping Rush’s debut below.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Speculation On Lio Rush Departing From WWE NXT

Image result for Lio Rush NXT

There’s been speculation on WWE NXT Superstar Lio Rush being gone from the company but PWInsider reports that he’s still under contract as of this morning. Fans started speculating on his status after he apparently removed all WWE references from his Twitter account some time this week and changed his location from Orlando back to Washington, DC.

Rush has been out of the ring since late October after the tweet he made poking fun at Emma’s WWE release. Rush received Twitter heat from various WWE talents and it was noted that there was immediate talk of firing Rush but his quick apology posted to Twitter saved him. It was also noted that Rush would have to put in serious work before the heat was off him.

Rush has made a few tweets in the past few days that are fueling the speculation on his status. One tweet simply says “REFLECTION” and the other is the hourglass emoji. It should be noted that he often tweets references to time and clocks so the hourglass may not be anything cryptic. You can see some of his recent tweets below:

Source: WrestlingINC

Lio Rush Debuts At NXT TV Tapings

lio rush nxt debut photos

“The Man of the Hour” Lio Rush made his first appearance in NXT at the brand’s TV tapings on Thursday night and faced-off against an opponent he’s got history with.

The debuting wrestler was initially supposed to wrestle Aleister Black in his initial match, but Lio was attacked by Velveteen Dream on his way to the ring. Dream then wrestled Rush later in the evening.

For those unaware, Lio and Velveteen Dream — aka Patrick Clark — knew each other in high school and started training at the same wrestling school simultaneously. They also formed a team afterward.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Confirms Lio Rush Has Signed A Deal, Began Training At The Performance Center

lio rush signs wwe contract deal performance center

WWE announced the signing of top independent wrestler Lio Rush, who officially joined the WWE Performance Center yesterday.

Here is the full statement:

WWE signs Lio RushWWE has announced a blockbuster signing in the form of 22-year-old prodigy Lio Rush.

Internationally recognized as one of the ring’s top high-flyers, Rush officially joined the WWE Performance Center today in Orlando, Fla.

Born Lionel Gerard Green, of Lanham, Md., Rush wrestled in high school, becoming a two-time All-American and three-time state qualifier. He began training for sports-entertainment in 2014 and, in less than three years, has competed in 43 states, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland. In 2016, he won Ring of Honor’s Top Prospect Tournament, and earlier this year, he held the Combat Zone Wrestling Heavyweight Championship.

The 160-pounder quickly became a fan favorite on the independent scene for his daredevil creativity and unbelievable resiliency, as well as his “Dragon’s Call” finisher, a devastating frog splash that recalls D’Lo Brown’s split-leg variation. In joining the WWE PC, Rush reunites with a former tag team partner, current NXT Superstar The Velveteen Dream, with whom Rush co-held the Maryland Championship Wrestling Tag Team Titles in 2015.

WWE apparently has plans for Rush to join NXT in the near future as the announcement was filed under the NXT section on WWE.com.