This week’s WWE RAW marked the second week that Lio Rush did not appear. Bobby Lashley was not on the show last week, but did appear for the dark main event, without Rush. Lashley appeared on this week’s broadcast, but Rush was nowhere to be seen.
We noted last week that Rush reportedly has heat within the company. Rush has reportedly made it very clear that he should be the top guy on the RAW brand, and he’s not shy about sharing these thoughts. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter added that Rush is a very confident man and that can sometimes rub people the wrong way, even though it’s what it takes to be a star in the business.
In an update, PWInsider reports that there has been a lot of talk about Rush’s future within WWE. Rush was backstage for last night’s RAW, but not used. There have been internal rumors of Rush being moved back to WWE NXT in the near future.
Rush’s issues date back before 2018, but PWInsider notes that he 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.
There’s no word yet on when we will see Rush back on WWE TV, but we will keep you updated.
As noted last week when the original report on his backstage heat came out, Rush took to Twitter and issued a statement. For those who missed it, you can see that statement below:
“The fact of the matter is no matter what you do you do in life, no matter what route you take, you’ll always have people out t here that’ll try to tear you down. Tell you that you can’t be or do something. Try to stomp on your name and hault your success. The fact of the matter is that i love what i do and have been in love with the dreams of being in the current position that I’m in now since i was 5 years old . The fact of the matter is that i am a young, hungry, and humble husband and father of two boys who believes in himself more than anybody will ever believe in me. The fact of the matter is that i am a passionate African American male in America who takes my passion seriously and will do whatever it takes to change me and my family’s situation.
https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/1121447619996344320
