Released WWE Star Says He May Never Wrestle Again

An early retirement could be on the cards for this former champ.

Lio Rush
WWE.com

Professional wrestling fans may have seen the last of Lio Rush - at least in this line of work.

The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion tweeted the following on Monday evening:-

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Rush was let go from WWE as part of the promotion's mass releases on Black Wednesday (15 April), having been omitted from a tournament designed to crown an interim Cruiserweight Champion in the absence of Jordan Devlin (who is currently stranded in Europe) just days before. He had been with the promotion since summer 2017.

Last year saw 'The Man of the Hour' embark upon a brief but awesome reign with the 205-pound strap, peaking when he tangled with Angel Garza in one of the best TV matches of the year. This was a comeback run following a months-long absence after the dissolution of his entertaining partnership with Bobby Lashley, as Rush was dogged by talk of backstage heat, diving into the topic himself in a revelatory interview with Fightful.

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The past year has seen Lio put increasing amounts of energy into producing music, potentially signposting his next career move. Still, it'd be a big, big shame to see a wrestler of his calibre step away from the squared circle.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.