AEW has a packed roster full of talent, but Tony Khan has never announced a hiring freeze. It’s anyone’s guess who TK may bring back next to insert some extra energy into the situation. Lio Rush seems open to the idea of having another run in the Land of All Elite.
Lio Rush, although his AEW exit was sudden and a bit controversial, will not say “no” to the idea of returning to Tony Khan’s company. Things just didn’t pan out the last time around.
Lio Rush in AEW
Lio Rush’s time with the promotion was brief, as he became a free agent following the expiration of his contract with AEW in February 2022. This took place shortly after he voiced his opposition to Tony Khan’s controversial tweet regarding Big Swole.
Rush garnered attention amid AEW’s controversy involving Big Swole. The latter criticized the company’s treatment of Black talent at the forefront and expressed disappointment in the lack of representation of individuals who resemble her among top executives behind the scenes.
He later made it very clear on Twitter/X that his contract was up on February 14, 2022, and he was off to his next venture.
Lio Rush Speaks On Possible AEW Return
While speaking to WrestlingNews.co, Lio Rush clarified that his tenure in AEW ended prematurely because it simply didn’t pan out. Regardless of the specific reasons, he acknowledged that sometimes in life, circumstances don’t align for various individuals and situations.
“It was cut short because it was cut short. I mean, it just didn’t work out. I say this quite often every time that it is brought up. Yeah, it just didn’t work out and it, but regardless of what those reasons are, things just don’t work out. You know, it’s like that in life for many things and for many people. If it was a different time period, if it was a different situation, if it was, yeah, all of these what ifs, but they weren’t what ifs. It was what was going on in the present time and in that time, things just didn’t work out.”
Lio Rush went on to say, “So you know, not to say that you’ll never see me there again or not to say that the relationship is bad or anything like that. I think it was just a period in time that it just didn’t work out for both parties, and we had to split ways.”
What’s Next For Lio Rush
Lio is still working on music, and he’s not retired from the ring either. He continues to impress whenever he’s booked. Hopefully, he can get back on a major television company again someday, because at 29-years-old, he still has plenty of time.
We will have to see if AEW brings Lio Rush back to the company. Tony Khan has a loaded locker room already at this point, but you never know what can happen in pro wrestling.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and many more, as additional updates are available. We also invite you to check out our Daily Drop for all the biggest headlines, tidbits, and other exclusive notes throughout the pro wrestling world!
Speaking to Steve Fall from NBC Sports Boston, Big Swole opened up about her feelings on a controversial tweet from Tony Khan.
Big Swole was asked if its too late for an apology.
“I don’t think it’s never too late to forgive someone and to you know say speak your piece and speak you’re wrong and stuff like that like it’s never too late for that. I don’t ever want to close the door on something like that because that affects my healing that affects my heart you know as much as it could affect someone else so if you were to call me like a year from now and apologize hey you know whenever you know it’s set on his heart to do so then so be it, but if it’s not then that’s okay as well I’m literally like Pontius Pilate I wash my hands of it because I know my truth and I’m standing in it.”
Following her departure from AEW, Big Swole recently commented about AEW having a lack of diversity. This led to AEW President Tony Khan responding on social media and writing “I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough.”
The top 2 @AEW execs are brown (me & Megha)!! Jade, Bowens, Caster, Dante, Nyla, Isiah & Marq Quen all won on tv this month. The TBS Title Tournament has been very diverse. I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough. #AEWRampage Street Fight TONIGHT! https://t.co/NprF6I7D6G
Swole returned to her Call In Show recently and spoke about her reaction to seeing Tony Khan’s Tweet.
“When I read the TK tweet, it was, not necessarily sent to me, but I got a text message saying, ‘Do not respond to him, it’s not worth it.’ At that time, I was already a little zooted because it was about to be New Year’s. I looked at it and I was like, ‘Wow, this is a lot,”” Swole said.
“Overall, I’m very disappointed. A person with that pedigree should know how to respond in a way that doesn’t come off in the most negative way possible,” she continued.
“I was very disappointed. Embarrassed, even. Embarrassed for the people that are there. I really couldn’t believe it. Did he even listen to the podcast? Obviously not because it went completely off the rails. You went completely to counting brown people. If was truly about counting brown people, I would be naming certain demographics.”
Mark Henry recently spoke about this matter on Busted Open Radio. According to Henry, Tony Khan got a raw deal in this discussion on diversity.
“I feel like Tony got a really raw deal by what was said by Swole but also what was said about all these people jumping on the bandwagon and they didn’t know what the hell happened.”
“You talk about a diverse workplace, man that place has got everything and I feel like the people in power, the highest-ranking officers are Tony and Megha [Parekh] and then you have people like myself and Shawn Dean who are both African-American people, people of color, that are working in the office,” Henry continued.
“So, you mean to tell me that those people don’t count as being diverse?”
Mark Henry believes Tony Khan was the victim of people going overboard on the issue of diversity on social media.
Big Swole, a former AEW wrestler, got people talking when she expressed her belief that her peace was being disrupted in the company. Specifically, Swole had gripes with what she feels to be AEW’s lack of diversity and black representation.
Things spiraled when Khan made a post saying Big Swole wasn’t offered a new contract with AEW because he felt she wasn’t good enough in the ring. Many criticized Khan as they felt he brushed off Swole’s criticism in favor of hurling shots.
Mark Henry Speaks Out
Mark Henry believes that social media dwellers overreacted to Khan’s post and took a side without looking at the facts. Taking to Busted Open Radio, Henry praised AEW for its diversity both on TV and behind the scenes.
“I feel like Tony got a really raw deal by what was said by Swole but also what was said about all these people jumping on the bandwagon and they didn’t know what the hell happened.
“They just took a side because somebody said something about diversity, which they implied it being race. Let’s break it down real quick as far as diversity.
“You start talking about diversity in the work sector at AEW, Tony Khan is a man of color and so is — and when I say a man of color he’s not black.
“Black is a person of color, you have Asian, you have Pan, you have the Indian influence, you have the Middle Eastern influence, the Spanish influence in the company.
“You talk about a diverse workplace, man that place has got everything and I feel like the people in power, the highest-ranking officers are Tony and Megha [Parekh] and then you have people like myself and Shawn Dean who are both African-American people, people of color, that are working in the office.
“So, you mean to tell me that those people don’t count as being diverse?”
As far as Khan’s dig at Swole’s wrestling ability, Henry said he sees it as an eye for an eye situation. He believes Tony did what he felt he needed to do to stick up for the company.
Khan says he’s got something cooked up in 2022 as far as diverse representation goes. The AEW boss says this plan has been brewing long before Swole’s public rant.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
Big Swole is speaking out after days of online harassment from wrestling fans on social media.
The controversy began on December 31st, when Swole addressed her AEW departure on her show, Swole World. She spoke about her AEW career and revealed some things that really bothered her during her time with the company.
Swole criticized the AEW for lacking diversity and black representation. Her comments have ignited a passionate debate.
Disclaimer This article contains some offensive/racist language, via DM’s shared by Big Swole
The lack of opportunities for women pushed Swole not to re-sign. However, she also cited a lack of structure and, more importantly, diversity and representation issues.
“… There are a lot of things with that company that need to change, and I know that fans of the company don’t take criticism well sometimes, like certain ones. But know this, that this is somebody just from the inside that the structure is a little off, said Swole. Swole explained, “… It’s fine to be loose, but I like to have a little bit more structure. I felt like the women shouldn’t have gone through everything they went through just to get on TV. Just to get time. You’re signed to this big company you want time. All these men are getting time, but the women weren’t getting anything. Or you’re not putting people on TV because ‘Oh, more people have come in.’ Okay, there is more people coming in, but you don’t have enough product for all these people.”
More on Big Swole’s Comments
The lack of attention to the women’s division is an issue that Swole detailed on her show. She shared that other female talents were frustrated with the lack of direction and opportunity to perform on TV, compared to the males. She also revealed that Khan asked her to help with the women’s division as the locker room leader.
Swole would communicate that the talent was unhappy with the lack of opportunities and help to improve in-ring. While this is one of her criticism of AEW, fans and wrestlers were more concerned with her comments on diversity.
Swole believes that AEW should give more people from the black community a voice in higher positions in the company. She mentioned that her daughter watched AEW on TV and noticed nobody looked like her or Swole. Swole also said that her daughter started to watch WWE because wrestlers like Bianca Belair and Big E were on TV.
“I do not like to beat around the bush when it comes to diversity,” said Swole. “When it comes to my people, there is no representation truly, and when it is representation, it does not come across in the black community as genuine at all.”
She continued, “…What happens is, you have this wonderful company that treats people like family, but there is nobody that looks like me that is represented at the top. They’re not in the room with them. They are not helping to not necessarily influence decisions but also be there to explain. You know, why certain slang, why this certain word shouldn’t be said. Why this that and the third. There’s no one else who can explain our culture except for us. Who can explain our experience except for us.”
While Swole shared her criticisms, she credited AEW for making some progress. However, she still wants to see the company do more. She doesn’t just want more representation in AEW, but other wrestling companies with TV deals in the United States like the WWE. She also wants more representation from different races and ethnic backgrounds like dark-skinned Latinas and Latinos, Asians, and Indians on TV.
Swole ended her episode wishing success for AEW and WWE while noting that she has no bad blood towards AEW.
The top 2 @AEW execs are brown (me & Megha)!! Jade, Bowens, Caster, Dante, Nyla, Isiah & Marq Quen all won on tv this month. The TBS Title Tournament has been very diverse. I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough. #AEWRampage Street Fight TONIGHT! https://t.co/NprF6I7D6G
Swole’s criticism prompted a response from Khan on Twitter. In his response, he shared that AEW doesn’t have a problem with diversity. He pointed out that he’s Pakistani American and that seven wrestlers from different ethnic backgrounds won matches in December. Khan also said that he let Swole contract expire because “…her wrestling wasn’t good enough.” Fans may also remember that Swole worked with Crohn’s Disease during her AEW career.
Khan’s comments sparked criticism for how he handled Swole’s remarks. AEW talent Lio Rush demanded that Khan apologizes on Twitter. However, other talents defended Khan, like Tayconti and Powerhouse Hobbs. Rush shared on January 1, he had a private conversation with Khan and that AEW is seeking input from an African American perspective.
Khan’s response to Swole added to the hostile reactions towards her. It not only made fans questions Swole wrestling ability but also invited fans to harass her. Swole posted a picture of a direct message from a fan on Twitter that racially attacked her. Another fan wished death on Swole. Recently, Swole tweeted that fans are now involving her daughter in their harassment. Khan hasn’t said anything else regarding Swole since his response on Twitter.
Khan Big Plans for Diversity in 2022
The AEW President appeared on Barstool Rasslin with Brandon F. Walker to share his big plans for diversity and representation in AEW. He also mentioned signing new talent Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas recently as part of the plan to be more diverse. While Khan says he has plans for diversity and representation, he didn’t reveal what they were.
“…I have some huge plans for 2022 that have been a long time in the making, and then I have some huge plans in 2022 to build a stronger, more diverse representation across the board, and nobody knows what it is yet, but I have a couple really exciting things that are going to be coming up in the next month, six weeks,” said Khan.
It’s unclear if Khan’s plans include signing new talent or hiring new employees from different ethnic backgrounds for higher positions in AEW. He also didn’t mention what he plans to do with talent already signed to AEW like Sonny Kiss, Jay Lethal, or Emi Sakura. It also contradicts his point that there isn’t a diversity or representation issue if he has to build a stronger and more diverse representation in AEW.
Regardless, Khan plans to make progress this year, and fans will have to wait to see what those plans are.
Former AEW talent Big Swole has announced that she has left All Elite Wrestling. AEW signed her to the company on December 9, 2019.
She shared on Twitter that she and AEW had decided not to renew her contract. Big Swole thanked AEW President Tony Khan and the company for her time with them. She ends her AEW career with a record of 33-13.
Big Swole made her AEW debut at AEW All Out on August 31, 2019. She competed in the Women’s Casino Battle Royal in a losing effort. Throughout her career in AEW, she mainly appeared time on AEW Dark. Big Swole’s most notable rivalry was with current AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker last year. The feud also had memorable moments like Big Swole kidnapping Baker. The rivalry culminated at AEW All Out on September 5, 2020, where she defeated Baker in a Tooth and Nail match.
Despite her success in AEW, Big Swole faced issues in her personal life. She battled pneumonia in 2020, which also resulted in a flare-up of her Crohn’s Disease. Big Swole wrestled on January 22, defeating Alex Garcia at AEW Dark before taking a brief time off. She shared that she couldn’t take medicine because it could’ve resulted in death because of COVID-19.
Big Swole made her return to AEW on March 15 at AEW Dark Elevation defeating Skyler Moore. In her last match for the company, she defeated Allie Katch at AEW Dark on September 21. She also ends had a record of 16-4 this year in AEW.
Big Swole has not shared what her plans are now that she didn’t re-sign to AEW. However, based on her announcement, it seems Big Swole wrestling career isn’t over.
AEW’s Big Swole lives with Crohn’s disease, an illness characterized by inflammation of the digestive tract. In an Instagram post on 4/20, Swole mentioned how medical cannabis has helped her manager her condition.
“I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I managed my Crohn’s Disease while wrestling,” Swole wrote. “My Crohn’s is very aggressive so I was referred by my physician to try medical cannabis.”
“For me, this decision was best for my recovery. I honestly believe I wouldn’t have been able to get through this past year w/o it. My pain has nearly subsided, my appetite is revived and my overall happiness has increased. It may not be for you but it’s worth a look!”
Big Swole On Crohn’s Disease and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Swole released a statement last month about how the pandemic has impacted her Crohn’s treatment.
“After my bout with pneumonia early last year, I was informed that resuming medicine for Crohn’s would result in death given the COVID-19 circumstances. Seeing as how the biologic I was on shuts down my immune system and acts as such, resuming my medicine was not an option.”
Big Swole has been out of action since early January due to flare-ups of her Crohn’s Disease. AEW’s Tony Khan recently addressed Swole’s absence. During the Revolution post-event media scrum, Khan stated that they hope to have her back soon. Swole recently released a statement through social media as well.
“This past year has been filled with ups and a lot of downs. After my bout with pneumonia early last year, I was informed that resuming medicine for Crohn’s would result in death given the COVID-19 circumstances. Seeing as how the biologic I was on shuts down my immune system and acts as such, resuming my medicine was not an option.”
“I was doing alright self-managing until the flare ups started in the fall. As some of you may not know Crohn’s attacks the body as a whole so on top of my intestines issues different body parts would lock up and become incapable of bending at the joints. Some days I could barely walk and that took a toll on me emotionally and mentally.”
“Living with this disease may seem like a thorn and it is but it also shows me that His grace is sufficient and no matter what happens, I will smile because I am more than a conqueror. I am Swole and that mentality/faith will carry me through it all. I ask that you bare with me, I’m getting the treatments that I need and my journey to complete healing is underway.”
“Thank you for your love and thoughtful messages, I appreciate them and you! Much love to everyone, be safe! #Chronies”
Big Swole has only wrestled once in 2021. She defeated Alex Gracia on an episode of AEW Dark on January 7th. Prior to that, it seemed as though Swole was becoming one of the top names in the division. Tony Khan recently addressed Swole’s in-ring absence at the AEW Revolution post-event media scrum.
“I really like Swole. In 2021, she has not really been active because she’s been sick. She’s had Crohn’s Disease keeping her out.”
Swole has been open about her struggles with the condition. It is estimated that 1.3% of the population will be diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis at some point in their life.
“She hasn’t really wrestled a lot in 2021, so for the eliminator-tournament, she was actually out when we started the eliminator-tournament with a flare-up of her Crohn’s.”
“She is getting healthy and hopefully we can consistently get her available and have her in action on a regular basis. She’s a great asset to us,” he continued.
Swole spoke about being an inspiration to people with Crohn’s in an interview with Bell to Belles last year.
“I’ve been having a lot of fans reaching out saying I’m an inspiration or they’re proud of me for the Crohn’s disease or for I guess taking RISE to another level or/and the SHINE tag team titles. It’s just been overwhelmingly great to see all the responses and hear people just have my back, you know? So, it felt good.”
As reported before, AEW President & CEO Tony Khan hosted a conference call earlier today with members of the pro wrestling media to promote Saturday’s All Out pay-per-view.
You can click here for Khan’s earlier comments on the Brock Lesnar/AEW rumors, which AEW PPV did better than WrestleMania 36, and more. Below are more highlights from the call:
* Khan revealed that there will be a live crowd at Britt Baker’s dentist office for the “Tooth & Nail” match against Big Swole on the All Out pre-show. The cinematic-style match was originally planned for the main card earlier this summer, but Baker hasn’t wrestled much in recent months and the change was made. He sees it as a big opportunity for both Swole and Baker, who we will see a lot more from in the next few months. He said while this will be a cinematic match, the actual pay-per-view will be wrestling-heavy and not storyline-heavy. Khan said the “Tooth & Nail” match will be great and it will be fun, and it will be free for everyone to enjoy.
* Khan said he would love to have Serena Deeb back after her match with NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa on Dynamite this week, adding that they both hit a home run. Deeb received rave reviews backstage, and he was proud of them for putting on a strong performance in the second hour position that the company trusted them with. He’s very excited about Rosa facing AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida at All Out on Saturday.
* There is not a working relationship between AEW and the NWA, past the good personal relationship he has with NWA Owner Billy Corgan. They have had a strong relationship for years, before Khan got into wrestling. Khan revealed that he was introduced to Corgan by another good friend – former WWE star Chris Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He talked more about Nowinski and how he respects his work, and had Nowinski come to speak to the AEW roster. He sees AEW and NWA as two different companies, but he wished Corgan the best with everything he’s doing. Regarding Rosa vs. Shida, he thinks this will be one of the best matches on the card and he thought the match maked sense for both promotions when it was pitched. He believes Rosa is the perfect contender for Shida at All Out, but it was Kenny Omega who first recommended Rosa for the match. Khan agreed, called Corgan and they made it happen.
* Khan said he, and everyone else in the company, are really missing PAC, who is still in the UK due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. He believes PAC’s absence has been a great opportunity for Eddie Kingston, who he sees as a good mouthpiece for The Lucha Bros, but also one who can fit well in other roles. While it’s unfortunate that PAC can’t be here right now, it means other wrestlers are able to step up, and they have been stepping up.
For the first time in 2 years, Tessa Blanchard is a free agent. There have been reports that WWE is interested in her and others have suggested she could end up in AEW where her father Tully is.
Last September, Big Swole and Tessa Blanchard met in single’s action at an independent show in Orlando. They’ve also wrestled in a multi-person match for Warrior Wrestling in February. According to comments Swole made on Twitter recently, she thinks Blanchard’s best choice is to sign with AEW.
Swole was asked on Twitter about the possibility of Tessa ending up in AEW:
Both wrestlers were trained by George South Jr. before starting their careers. Cedric Alexander, Swole’s real-life husband, is also said to have had a hand in training Blanchard.
The match between Big Swole and Tessa Blanchard from last September can be viewed in the player below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGv91ZGy4rQ
Big Swole In AEW
At the moment, Big Swole sits outside AEW’s top-5 rankings. She seems more focussed on making life miserable for Dr. Britt Baker DMD. In recent weeks, she has dumped Baker in a dumpster and taken her “Role’s Royce” for a ride. Swole is sporting a 4-3 record in 2020 and a career 5-7 record in AEW.
