Back in September, Lio Rush was in Japan competing on NJPW’s “Road to Destruction” shows. It was to culminate at Destruction in Ryogoku on October 9. He was scheduled to face “Speedball” Mike Bailey and Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Unfortunately for Rush, he got extremely sick a few days prior. He shared on social media that he had been dealing with a high fever for several days. A couple weeks later, he shared that his illness came at a very crucial time in his career and was unsure how to handle it.
2 weeks ago I got really sick during a crucial time in my career, changing the path that I was on.Im not entirely sure how to handle it other than to be home with family while I process the changes that this event has caused. I don’t know what’s next other than to heal and I’m hoping that this time away will help me do just that. I’ll be releasing an album, titled No time to heal, on my birthday, Nov 11th, that I hope will tell my story.
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:CyYz_G1tKdK
Nine weeks later, Rush shared more about his situation. He was planning to move his family to Japan because he couldn’t “fully support my family back at home the way that I needed to.” The plan was for his family to move to Japan on the second half of the tour.
The “Man of the Hour” was so sick that he felt like he was dying. He detailed his illness by saying “with my temperature continuously boiling over 105 for days, I lost 15 lbs due to constant sweating and throwing up, developing a hernia in the process.” Due to his illness, he could no longer compete. He was sent back to the U.S. before his family could join him, “leaving me without a title opportunity, homeless, and without a deal that would solidify my stay in Japan. This is the month where I lost it all.”
September was the month that I lost it all. #LioRush #FreeAgent #NoTimeToHeal ?
??LioRushNow@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/RWvLdtBEVI
— ? Lio Rush (@IamLioRush) December 16, 2023
Several hours later, Rush tweeted out the names of many wrestlers he hopes to face in 2024. Some of those talents are Adam Copeland, Kazuchika Okada, Bobby Lashley, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Jack Cartwheel, and MK Ultra.
In early 2024, Rush will return to GCW and VxS. He is a free agent and taking bookings.
