Lio Rush debuted for All Elite Wrestling in 2021, and would remain an active part of the company’s roster until his exit in February the next year. Now the ‘Man of the Hour’ is back under contract, and his return may lead to the debut of a man Rush knows very well.
In a segment filmed at AEW WrestleDream, Rush confirmed to Alicia Atout that he is once again under an AEW contract. The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion was then confronted by MVP and Shelton Benjamin. As tensions mounted between the two sides, MVP asked if Rush is free on Wednesday, teasing something for Rush for this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
Rush may not have much of a history with MVP or Benjamin, but he does have history with a man that both are familiar with: Bobby Lashley. Rush managed Lashley in WWE before MVP took on the All Mighty in 2020 as part of The Hurt Business. It’s been reported that Lashley is set to join MVP and Benjamin soon in AEW, with some speculating ahead of WrestleDream that his debut would come at the pay-per-view.
Time will tell if the All Mighty’s AEW debut will come this Wednesday, but for now, Lio Rush is preparing for something with the Hurt Syndicate on Dynamite. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from Lio Rush and all the signing news out of All Elite Wrestling.
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!
CM Punk is full of ideas, but not all of those inspirations will see the light of day. It seems that the Second City Savior had a very interesting idea for Lio Rush while he was in AEW, one that would have seen a familiar face manage the former Cruiserweight Champion.
CM Punk’s Big Idea For Lio Rush In AEW
In an interview with MuscleManMalcolm, Lio Rush shared a CM Punk-related pitch that would have delighted many fans of Danielle Fishel and pro wrestling.
This idea would have seen the Boy Meets World star managing Lio Rush. Sadly, that idea never came to fruition.
“I’ve got a story with CM Punk; I definitely have a story with CM Punk. I remember me and CM Punk doing like the beginning of the show when we first all came in the building. And I remember seeing him sitting in the bleachers, and I just walked over and introduced myself to him. Told him how much I looked up to him as, you know, as a kid. I didn’t want to make him feel old, but I told him that I looked up to him. That I appreciate his work and his time in WWE.”
“A couple of months later, probably about a month or two later, he ended up coming to me with an idea. I don’t even know if I should say this, but I’m just gonna say it anyway. I remember he came up with an idea where he wanted Danielle Fishel to come into AEW to be my manager because we had that mutual friend in Danielle. So, yeah, that was an idea that came up that he wanted to talk to me about that never really came to fruition. But yeah, that’s my CM Punk story. I’ve got a couple of more, but maybe I’ll save it for a book one day.”
Topanga did not make her AEW managerial debut alongside Lio Rush, but it was a good idea at the time. CM Punk and Lio Rush are both no longer with AEW, as they departed for their own controversial reasons.
Danielle Fishel is known for her pro wrestling fandom. She’s been spotted at plenty of pro wrestling events, and has also recently hung out with Trish Stratus and Mick Foley at a public appearance. Even though Tony Khan didn’t give Fishel her manager license that time around, we have to wonder if she’d be up to take on the challenge down the line.
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.
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.”
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.
Posted December 16th, 2023 in News. Tagged: Lio Rush.
New Japan Pro Wrestling continued its second round of the New Japan Cup on March 13 at the Item Ehime in Ehime, Japan.
The main event had Will Ospreay take on his United Empire faction member Mark Davis in the second round of the New Japan Cup. In the co-main event, EVIL competed against Jeff Cobb. The winner of Ospreay vs. Davis and EVIL vs. Cobb will face each other in the next round of the New Japan Cup on March 17.
NJPW streamed their event live on NJPW World at 6:00 AM ET/3:00 AM PT. However, to watch the New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
＼🌸春の最強戦士決定トーナメント🌸／
🏆NEW JAPAN CUP 2023🏆 本日3/13(月)ごご7️⃣時〜 #新日本プロレスワールド でLIVE配信📡
New Japan Pro Wrestling continued its second round of the New Japan Cup on March 12 at the Shiga Pref. Cultural Industry Community House Event Hall in Shimotara Maibara, Shiga, Japan. SEScoops has the results from the event down below!
The main event had Hirooki Goto take on Kyle Fletcher in the tournament’s second round. Fletcher defeated Goto’s tag team partner Yoshi-Hashi to advance in the New Japan Cup on March 10. Goto wanted revenge for his partner as both aimed to move to the next round. The co-main event featured another New Japan Cup second-round match between Never Openweight Champion Tama Tonga and Aaron Henare.
The event went live on NJPW World at 4:00 AM ET/1:00 AM PT. However, to watch the New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
【本日開催！】 3月12日(日)17時～滋賀県立文化産業交流会館大会
『NEW JAPAN CUP』2回戦！ ・メインは、後藤洋央紀vsカイル・フレッチャー！ ・セミは、タマ・トンガvsアーロン・ヘナーレ！ ・EVILとコブが前哨タッグ戦！
New Japan Pro Wrestling had its second day of the New Japan Cup tournament on March 6 at the Ota Ward General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. March 6 marks the 51st anniversary of the first NJPW event.
The main event had IWGP Tag Team Champions Yoshi-Hashi, and Hirooki Goto defend their titles against Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. The event also had two New Japan Cup tournament matches, with David Finlay taking on Tomohiro Ishii and Shota Uno facing Yujiro Takahashi.
The event went live on NJPW World for free at 4:30 AM ET/1:30 AM PT. However, to watch more of NJPW’s New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
Lio Rush had an interesting run with AEW that started with his debut at the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in 2021, which marked the first show to feature a full crowd at a wrestling event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His tenure with the promotion didn’t last long, as he became a free agent after his contract with AEW expired in February 2022.
His contract expiring came after Rush spoke out on Twitter regarding a controversial tweet from AEW President Tony Khan on New Year’s Eve in 2021.
While speaking on the Say Less podcast, Rush was asked if he thought AEW knew what to do with him as a talent when the company employed him.
Lio Rush on his AEW Run
(via NJPW)
“Of course not. When I say things, I don’t wanna sound like it was breaking news because I feel like these things are so blatantly obvious. It’s like, yanno, he made it pretty clear to me, verbally, that when he was a fan of me, it was when I was in WWE and I was doing the manager stuff with Bobby [Lashley]. If that’s how he saw me, that’s the only light he sees me in… [then] that’s [probably what] he’s gonna shift me to be in that kind of role. Which I’m not, yanno… I’m so grateful for that time period [in WWE] because it taught me how to talk, it taught me how to present myself and build others up. No, I don’t think that [they] exactly knew what to do with me. That’s always a frustrating thing, but like you said when [I] say stuff it just gets f*cking blown up.”
Since he departed from AEW, Rush has dealt with various injuries. He returned to in-ring action in October and has since competed for promotions such as GCW, PWG, and MLW. Rush was recently announced for NJPW’s upcoming Super Junior Tag League.
Lio Rush is back and he’s ready to take the NJPW junior heavyweight division by storm.
Just before the co-main event of NJPW Capital Collision in Washington, Rush made his way to the ring in a surprise appearance.
Rush addressed the crowd in DC and admitted he is not medically cleared to compete. With that said, he made it clear that he’ll eventually be good to go.
When he does return, he’ll compete in the junior heavyweight division.
Lio Rush stuck around and did commentary for the tag team match between Kazuchika Okada and Rocky Romero vs. Jay White and Hikuleo.
Lio Rush is returning to Major League Wrestling. The promotion announced recently that he will return at Kings of the Coliseum held on May 13th from Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena.
Rush is a former World Middleweight Champion in the promotion. He won the title from Myron Reed in January of 2021. He then dropped it back to Reed in May of the same year.
Rush officially became a free agent earlier this week on February 14th after his AEW deal expired.
Coming Up In MLW
The next card for Major League Wrestling takes place February 26th, 2022 from Charlotte, NC in the Grady Cole Center. The following matches have been announced for the show.
MLW World Heavyweight Championship Alexander Hammerstone (c) vs Davey Richards
Stairway to Hell Match Mads Krugger vs Jacob Fatu
Killer Kross Returns
The Von Erichs vs Ricky & Kerry Morton
Ricky Steamboat serves as match-maker.
nZo vs KC Navarro
National Openweight Championship Alex Kane vs Calvin Tankman vs Matt Cross vs ACH
Gino Medina, Mini Abismo Negro, & Ares vs Puma King, Octagon Jr. & TBA
MLW will then be in Gilley’s in Dallas, Texas on March 31st and April 1st, with the latter being an Azteca Underground show.
Lio Rush had to be taken to the ER following a match at PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles event last night. Rush had defeated Buddy Matthews via disqualification when Matthews kept up the attack after the match and delivered a curb stomp to Rush. Later in the show, it was revealed to the live crowd that Rush was injured and would be replaced in the semi-finals.
“Just being honest with you guys here. I’m not good. But i will be good. And when I’m back, I’ll be dangerous,” Rush wrote on Twitter.
It is believed the injury occurred during the Curb Stomp. Some on social media have suggested that fans throwing drinks into the ring may have led to the injury.
The injury point was when Buddy hit the Rollins' style Curb Stomp. Not sure if he hit a sensitive spot or if he came down harder than expected. Given Excalibur's reprimand, my hypothesis is Buddy might've slipped slightly on a spot wetted by a thrown drink (just a guess).
The injury comes at a time when Rush is expected to become a free agent next month. His AEW contract expires on February 14th and he’ll be a free agent after that.
Update: Lio Rush has provided an update on his condition. Rush says he suffered “clean dislocation” to his left shoulder. He’ll be undergoing an MRI in 2-3 weeks and is hoping doctors don’t find a tear or any severe ligament damage.
Posted January 31st, 2022 in News. Tagged: Lio Rush.
Lio Rush is continuing to find success in the music world as he announced on Twitter that he has signed with Universal Music Group, Thump Records, and Virgin Music.
Rush released his debut single, “Scenic Lullaby,” in 2019, and his second single, “I Wonder”, was released soon thereafter. This past September, his second EP, “Not Found” was released.
Rush was released by WWE in 2020 along with several other wrestlers due to budget cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic. He continued his career by working for MLW and NJPW before making his promotional debut for AEW by being the mystery entrant in the Casino Battle Royale at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event in 2021.
Rush previously announced his retirement from wrestling last August but continued wrestling. He later returned to AEW and last wrestled on AEW programming during the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal on the December 8th, 2021 episode of Dynamite.
GCW is currently presenting The Wrld on GCW tonight live from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, New York.
One of the more anticipated matches on the night would’ve seen Jonathan Gresham defend his Ring of Honor Championship against Blake Christian.
Unfortunately, Gresham was unable to appear on the night, and soon to be released AEW star Lio Rush took his place.
Lio Rush at The Wrld on GCW
Blake Christian confirmed before the match that Jonathan Gresham was unable to make it to the arena, but there was no further information given beyond that.
Fightful Select confirmed just before the show went live that Gresham would not be appearing.
They wrote: “Jonathan Gresham is not at tonight’s show. We’re told that Lio Rush was expected to replace him as of this weekend, which is why G-Raver took Lio’s spot in the ladder match.”
GCW World Championship Match – Jon Moxley (c) vs. Homicide
Ring of Honor World Championship Match – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Blake Christian
Last night on AEW Dynamite, Dante Martin surprised everyone by officially signing a contract with Team Taz. This move seemed to surprise Lio Rush, who had been managing and teaming with the Top Flight Member as of late. It also seemed to surprise his brother, Darius.
Both Darius and Lio Rush have commented on this development recently on social media.
Dante Martin took to Twitter and simply posted the following:
Brian Cage and Ricky Starks were announced as the first members of Team Taz on July 23rd, 2020. The faction would then spend several weeks recruiting Will “Powerhouse” Hobbs and were eventually successful that fall. Brian Cage would then leave the stable earlier this summer, and Ricky Starks defeated him for the FTW title. Taz’s son Hook would officially join the stable as well in December of 2020.
Storylines involving Team Taz are often focussed on the FTW title. Brian Cage held the title for a year, defending it against Brian Pillman Jr., Brandon Cutler, and Will Hobbs before dropping it to Ricky Starks. Starks has defended the title once against Brian Cage and then twice on the Jericho Cruise against Sonny Kiss and Chuck Taylor.
All Elite Wrestling talent Lio Rush has shared that his relationship with Mark Henry has improved.
In an interview with Oral Sessions’ Renee Paquette, Rush revealed that he and Henry had resolved issues. While they might disagree on certain things in pro wrestling, Rush says he has a cordial relationship with Henry.
“…Me and Mark Henry relationship is super cordial now,” said Rush. He praised the working environment at AEW and thought it would be foolish for them to continue to have issues with each other. He continued, “I think it came down to two very strong personalities and two very different eras of wrestling, and I think we just kind of like agree to disagree, and we are about to be working together now.”
The problems between Rush and Henry began during Rush’s career in WWE. In 2019, Rush was unhappy with how the company was treating him. He felt WWE didn’t financially compensate him for his work. At the time, he was working with Bobby Lashley as a manager and wanted more money.
“My issue is the fact that I haven’t been on meet & greets with Bobby, haven’t been getting paid for merchandise for us that has my catchphrases on them,” said Rush. He also shared that he struggled to pay for his hotel and travel because he wasn’t making enough money.
On May 2, 2019, Henry criticized Rush for spending too much money. “If you can’t pay for a rental car, you can’t pay for a hotel with the money that you’re making every week; then 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 said. He also said, “Back in my day, they would’ve told him, ‘Lio, Bobby shouldn’t have to drive. He shouldn’t have to carry his bag.’ Yokozuna was my responsibility.”
Henry’s comments led to differences between the two that’s lasted for a year. On May 14, 2020, Rush reflected on what Henry said the previous year. He also claimed that Henry’s actions exemplify African Americans tearing down other African Americans from succeeding. Henry took exception to Rush’s comments and threatened legal action.
From Rush’s comments on the Oral Sessions’, he and Henry are on better terms. In AEW, both men look to have a fresh start and forget about past issues.
All Elite Wrestling talent Lio Rush is opening up about what led to him announce his retirement from pro wrestling earlier this year.
Rush appeared on Excuse Me: The Vickie Guerrero Show to discuss his road from WWE’s NXT brand to AEW. During their discussion, Rush shared that AEW President Tony Khan offered him a contract after his debut at AEW Double or Nothing on May 9th. Unfortunately, he sustained separated AC joint that night. The injury, coupled with personal and financial issues, led him to consider leaving pro wrestling entirely.
“… I was doing a lot of stuff with New Japan. I just finished up with MLW and Triple-A. It was a lot,” Rush admitted. “I was also going through a lot of personal things during that time too. Part of that was financial because of the huge hit that me and my family took with being released from WWE and trying to find consistent work without being under contract.”
The WWE released Rush in April of 2020. After being released by WWE, Rush also contemplated retiring from pro wrestling. However, he wrestled for independent promotions and focused on his music career for the remainder of 2020. Rush caught the attention of MLW this year and made his debut on January 6th.
Rush defeated Myron Reed for the MLW Middleweight Championship in his MLW debut. The following month, he defeated Laredo Kid to win the AAA Cruiserweight Championship. He also made appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling during this time. His work in MLW and NJPW helped Rush gain the attention of wrestling fans and AEW.
Lio Rush (@TheLionelGreen) has hit it big in business and now he's after a wealth of success in #AEWpic.twitter.com/sbE4ScPHSE
Rush made his debut as the Joker in the Casino Battle Royal at Double or Nothing. His performance at Double or Nothing earned Rush a contract offer. However, he abruptly announced his retirement after thinking about how his career was affecting his family life.
The time-off from wrestling helped Rush focus on his music career to help with his family finances. It also helped Rush spend more time with his family.
“…For me, I never really got that opportunity to be the dad that I’ve always wanted to be because I kind of got pushed in the wrestling world, like pretty quickly,” said Rush. He continued, “That was around the time I had my first son, and then when I had my second son, I was with the WWE. So I definitely wasn’t at home as I wanted to be. Again, with being released from WWE and having to work during the pandemic, now I have to work twice as hard, twice as much to try to make up for the money that I need to make for me and my family.” He planned to retire after finishing the remaining dates with NJPW once he recovered from his injury.
Rush was able to avoid surgery with stem cell treatment. On August 2nd, Rush announced that he could compete again. He made his return to NJPW at NJPW Resurgence on August 15th. Since NJPW Resurgence, Rush has made appearances on several NJPW events.
On September 29th, Rush made his return to AEW on AEW Dynamite. The following week, he appeared on AEW Dynamite, offering advice to Dante Martin. It’s unclear when Rush signed a contract with AEW. However, Rush seems to be giving his pro wrestling career another chance.
Lio Rush was the “Joker” in the Casino Battle Royale at Double or Nothing back in May. Rush was injured in the match, however, and would eventually announce his retirement in June. He did note that he would fulfill his obligations to New Japan, however.
Rush was back wrestling with New Japan this summer and performed on the Resurgence PPV on August 14th. Tony Khan took to Twitter this afternoon to say he’s been speaking a lot with Lio Rush lately and said he feels like Rush could be back with the company in the near future.
I see a lot of tweets talking about Lio Rush today. Coincidentally, I’ve been talking to @TheLionelGreen a lot recently about returning to @AEW, and it feels like something that could happen in the near future.
Earlier today, reports surfaced that WWE had pitched having Adam Cole serve as a manager for Keith Lee similar to the role Lio Rush performed with Bobby Lashley. Khan may have been referencing these reports when he posted the Tweet.
Khan spoke about Rush during the Double or Nothing post-event media scrum back in May.
“I don’t have a pen to paper [deal], but Lio and I have a handshake [deal] that he can work here and do New Japan both,” Khan said. “I think we have something good on a handshake, and I think he’s doing that on a handshake with New Japan too, and that’s kind of what we’ve been doing and it’s been pretty good.”
Shortly after Rush announced his retirement in June, Khan released a statement.
“Lio Rush reached out to me today, and he shared that he’d planned to announce his retirement from pro wrestling tonight. While this news was unexpected, I’m glad that he’s made a choice that he’s confident will make him and his family happy,” Khan’s statement read. “Lio is a great talent, and I enjoyed briefly working with him, and I absolutely wish him the best.”
Former WWE Superstar Lio Rush will be challenging Tom Lawler for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship. This was confirmed by NJPW for the upcoming NJPW STRONG tapings.
August 16 will see New Japan film Fighting Spirit Unleashed, the first show to have live fans in attendance for the US based STRONG brand. That show will see Lio Rush take on the MMA fighter for the Openweight belt.
NJPW sent out the following press release confirming the match:
Filthy Tom Lawlor’s fourth defence of the STRONG Openweight Championship will take place in Thunder Studios, at Fighting Spirit Unleashed and NJPW STRONG’s first matches in front of a live crowd.
Lio Rush vs Tom Lawler
After Tom Lawlor recently logged his third successful defence of the STRONG Openweight Championship against Satoshi Kojima; he was confronted backstage by Lio Rush. The Man of the Hour declared that he was not going to wait for any more championship opportunities to come his way; and that he would be calling his shot. Lawlor laughed off Rush, but this week on STRONG, Rush and Karl Fredericks scored a convincing victory against Lawlor and his Team Filthy partner Danny Limelight.
Can Rush be the Man of the Hour and claim his first NJPW Championship? Fighting Spirit Unleashed tapings are SOLD OUT August 16; but get set to watch the championship action in the coming weeks on NJPW STRONG!
You can watch NJPW STRONG every Friday on the NJPWWorld.com streaming service.
Rush took to Twitter to announce that he’s been cleared after three months of rehab. He’s been sidelined since suffering an AC injury in the Casino Battle Royale at AEW Double or Nothing. This marked his AEW debut as he was the surprise entrant in the match.
He wrote,“Every single day for the past 3 months I’ve been in rehab working harder than I ever have before. Happy to announce that today….I’ve been cleared.”
Back in June, Rush announced his plans to retire because he felt fulfilled with his professional wrestling career and was happy to be moving on to be a better father and husband.
Rush was released from WWE last year along with several other wrestlers due to budget cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic. He continued his career by working for MLW and NJPW.
Although he wants out of the wrestling business, he plans to continue his contractual agreements with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Rush is advertised for upcoming NJPW events including Resurgence on August 14 and Fighting Spirit Unleashed on August 16.
Lio Rush recently announced his retirement from professional wrestling. He had been wrestling with NJPW and MLW before making his AEW debut in the Casino Battle Royale at Double or Nothing. According to an update from Wrestling Observer Radio, NJPW had given Rush permission to sign with AEW as well.
“New Japan gave AEW the okay to sign him, I mean New Japan would have priority on the dates but originally the nature of the New Japan contract was that he could work for AEW, he could work for MLW, he could do indies but New Japan would have the first priority and New Japan would also have the right to turn things down,” said Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer would continue to say that NJPW granting Rush the okay to sign with AEW is indicative of the current relationship between the two companies.
“In fact, they gave him permission to sign an American contract with AEW. Which also I think is very important politically because the fact that New Japan would give someone who they have under contract the okay to sign with AEW tells me that New Japan at this point today believes that they are going to be in business with AEW and not WWE.”
Rush did say in his retirement announcement that he would be finishing up his New Japan commitments when he returns from his shoulder injury.
Lio Rush dropped the surprising news of his retirement from pro wrestling on Tuesday night.
The former WWE star issued the following statement on his Instagram account to explain his decision:
“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…
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 me and my family. It became more and more frustrating everyday 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…
Now here comes the part that kept me up every night since #DoubleOrNothing Knowing that I just made my surprise debut in one of the most exciting times in my career. That part sucked. But I’m grateful. Grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had this past year after my WWE release. So cool of #AEW still wanting to sign me despite separating my AC in the Casino Battle Royal. Which would have lead to me being the first person in history to be signed to two major wrestling organizations simultaneously. This is an unexpected turn down a road I would have and could have never saw coming…
But I’m looking at this as a blessing in disguise. Since the injury, it’s given me some time to think. Think about what I want in life. What I want for my wife and my kids, and what’s going to make me happy as far as my mental health is concerned. The timing of this injury has forced me to stop and re-evaluate and ultimately it’s resulted in making the decision to retire from professional wrestling…
Thank you to the fans who have fought it out with me for the past 7 years and the people in my corner. Thank you to all the promoters and friends that I’ve met along the way who believe in me and my vision. This has been a great ride, but it’s time to get off and do what truly makes me happy. Due to contractual obligations with NJPW, I will be making final appearances once I am healed. But for now, thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I’ll see you all soon.
For future business inquiries email -RushLioRush@gmail.com.”
Rush was released from WWE last year along with several other wrestlers due to budget cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic. He continued his career by working for MLW and had been wrestling for NJPW.
Rush made his promotional debut for AEW by being the mystery entrant in the Casino Battle Royale at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event. Because NJPW has a working relationship with AEW, New Japan Pro Wrestling allowed Rush to work for All Elite Wrestling.
Rush also retweeted this graphic to promote his match on Friday’s NJPW Strong.
AEW President Tony Khan talked to media after their successful Double Or Nothing event this Sunday. During the talk, he confirmed Lio Rush’s contractual status with his company.
The former WWE star made his AEW debut during the company’s latest PPV where he was revealed as the wild card entry in the casino battle royal.
Talking about the kind of deal they have, Khan revealed that Lio hasn’t signed any papers and the two parties are working on a handshake deal:
“I don’t have a pen to paper [deal], but Lio and I have a handshake [deal] that he can work here and do New Japan both, I think we have something good on a handshake, and I think he’s doing that on a handshake with New Japan too.”
Tony Khan then talked about the high flying star’s future with the company and said that he think Rush will come back. Though he revealed that Lio Rush has other commitments in the near future:
“I think he’s gonna come back. We’ll get to it, I’d like for Lio to come back. He’s also doing some stuff for New Japan, so he’s got some dates booked right now.
He was free for this, and I’m going to respect the calendar, so I’m not gonna go out and ask him to cancel indie dates to do stuff for us. And he’s got a pretty solid calendar, but he was free for this, and I wanted him to come.”
Apart from this, Tony Khan also revealed that he wanted to bring Lio Rush in for battle royal at All Out last year but the former NXT star was not free at the time.
Lio Rush was the surprise entrant into AEW’s Casino Battle Royale last night at Double or Nothing. Rush’s contract status was addressed after the event on an episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.
“Lio Rush actually has signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling,” said Dave Meltzer on the show. He continued to talk about if we will see more of Rush in AEW.
“He would be in Japan a lot except he can’t go but I didn’t know that,” Meltzer continued. “New Japan obviously have allowed him to do the show, so essentially he’s a New Japan guy. He may work more shows with AEW but he’s not like signed by AEW nor will he be signed by AEW, he’s a New Japan guy.”
Rush recently made it to the semi-finals of a tournament on New Japan Strong to determine the first-ever New Japan Strong Openweight Champion. He was defeated by Brodie King who would eventually be eliminated in the finals by champion, Tom Lawlor.
Rush has also been competing in MLW as of late as well. He won and then lost the MLW World Middleweight Championship to Myron Reed of the Injustice faction in recent months.
The 26-year-old spent from 2017 to 2020 with WWE. He’s a former 1x NXT Cruiserweight Champion in the promotion.
Lio Rush and nZo (FKA Enzo Amore) will kick off WrestleMania week this year by facing off against each other in a match to air on YouTube. Rush took to Twitter recently to announce the match between the two former WWE Cruiserweight Champions will take place on April 5th.
Rush has been wrestling for NJPW and MLW since being released from WWE last spring at the onset of the pandemic. He is currently both the AAA World Cruiserweight Champion and the MLW World Middleweight Champion. Rush has been performing on episodes of New Japan Strong from NJPW’s Los Angeles dojo as of late as well.
nZo hasn’t kept as active a wrestling schedule in recent years. He was in attendance for Big Cass (CazXL) making his return to pro wrestling recently, however.
Rush will also be at The Collective over Mania week. He released the following promo for the event:
GCW will be running shows on April 8th, 9th, and 10th in Florida during Mania week.
The 6th edition of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport will take place the night of the 8th. Joey Janela’s Spring Break Spring Break 5 will take place the following night, as will Allie Kat’s “Real Hot Girl S**t” show. Social distancing measures will be in effect, masks will be mandatory, and all events will take place outside.
NOTE: Masks are required for ALL events and social distancing will be in effect and strictly enforced.
ALL in-ring action will be held OUTDOORS in The Cuban Club Courtyard.
MLW Fusion 2/10 featured a title vs title match between MLW World Middleweight Champion Lio Rush and AAA Cruiserweight Champion, Laredo Kid. The full show is available in the player below.
MLW Fusion 2/10 Quick Results:
ACH defeated Brian Pillman Jr.
Calvin Tankman defeated Zenshi
Daivari & Simon Gotch vs Jordan Oliver & Myron Reed – No Contest
ACH came into his match against Brian Pillman Jr. with taped ribs due to the recent attack by Team Filthy and his title match against Contra Unit’s Jacob Fatu. Not long after the match began, Team Filthy sauntered out to get a closer view. The finish of the match came when ACH kicked Pillman in the face as he was on the top turnbuckle and followed that up with a brainbuster for the win.
Team Filthy attacked after the match but ACH was saved by The Von Erich brothers. ACH then played up the Texas roots of him and the Von Erichs as a reason for their alliance. ACH & The Von Erichs versus Team Filthy could be in the works.
Savio Vega Will Not Sell IWA, Will Face Mil Muertes In Aztec Jungle Fight
Last week, Salina de la Renta offered to purchase a controlling interest in Savio Vega’s IWA promotion in Puerto Rico. Vega said this week that the promotion is not for sale. Later in the show, Salina says turning down Promociones Dorado was not an option. Next week, Vega will be made a sacrifice to the new temple, Salina continued, when he faces Mil Muertes in an Aztec Jungle Fight!
Calvin Tankman is moving up the rankings in MLW fast and he helped his cause this week with a win over Zenshi. This was the second time the two have fought, and while Zenshi got in some offense, it was Tankman who came out with the W once again after delivering a Tankman Driver for the win.
MLW Top-10 Rankings via Pro Wrestling Illustrated
MLW announced updated top-10 rankings this week as well.
MLW World Champion: Jacob Fatu (Contra Unit)
Alexander Hammerstone (National Openweight Champion) (Dynasty)
We were supposed to get a tag-team match between Simon Gotch & Daivari versus Injustice this week but the match was thrown out. As Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed were making their way to the ring, they were both attacked from behind by Jacob Fatu. This allowed Contra Unit a 3-on-2 advantage. Despite this, Injustice got the advantage after Myron Reed dove on top of the faction and Injustice then delivered a double team cutter move on Fatu. Jordan Oliver has been saying he’s coming for the MLW World Championship and he might get his wish soon.
Next week on Fusion, MLW heads to Filthy Island. This “Fyre Festival” type situation may have seen all its sponsors pull out, but this week several matches were confirmed for the event.
It was clear early in this match that Lio Rush was going to wrestle a heavy heel style. Laredo Kid had to chase after him as he continuously bailed to the outside.
Near the end of the match, Laredo Kid looked as though he had injured Lio’s knee. He had him in a modified figure four by Rush was able to get to the ropes. The finish of the match came shortly after when Laredo Kid missed a senton and Lio Rush followed that up with a springboard stunner followed by the Final Hour frog splash for the win.
The show came to a close as Lio Rush celebrated with both his championships in the ring.
Posted February 11th, 2021 in News. Tagged: Lio Rush.
