Lio Rush announces he may never wrestle again after coronavirus-related axe

Lio Rush was one of the most promising prospects on the WWE roster but he was released into a situation that may end his wrestling career.

A few weeks ago, WWE released several wrestlers and behind the scenes talent. The actions were met with widespread disdain as it pointed toward a move for the organization to remain profitable as an earnings call neared. Lio Rush was one of the individuals released by the organization and is facing a time in which wrestling is non-existent during a global pandemic. He took to social media to say his career may be over and if that is true the industry would lose one of the best talents of this generation.

At 25-years of age, there are very few professional wrestlers that have shown the talent that Rush brings to the ring, especially at such a young age. His talent has been recognized across the industry and when he joined the WWE in 2017, he was expected to rise to the top of whatever opportunity was granted to him. Unfortunately, that would not be the case as multiple backstage incidents seemed to shutter any momentum he would build. Still, he became a cruiserweight champion for 63 days in what was the highlight of his WWE run. But like many others, that tenure was cut short when the releases impacted employees at multiple levels of the organization.

Nearly all the wrestling industry is at a standstill as the world continues to battle with the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Organizations such as Impact Wrestling or AEW are figuring out ways to do both live and taped editions of their shows, but the independent scene has grinded to a halt. All the wrestlers released by the WWE are jettisoned into that space without any real idea of when they will be able to build their way back. Rush put out a one line statement on both Instagram and Twitter that pushed the idea his career may be over.

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/1257385079824953345?s=20

“I legitimately might not ever wrestle again,” the former champion posted.

There is no telling if this is a lead into a work to keep the fans guessing about his next moves. But it would be sad if Rush’s February match against Tony Nese on 205 Live is the last time he steps between the ropes. Rush was often compared to Rey Mysterio, a name who has continued to compete at a high level even though he is surpassed 30 years of professional wrestling activity. If Rush’s abilities were to lead him down a similar path, it is heartbreaking to know that his time may be over as a professional wrestler. Fans took to his social media channels to express their hope that it is not true, but the current industry climate of pro wrestling makes things impossible to predict.

It would be heartbreaking if Rush or any of the other men and women released from the WWE would be forced out of the industry. Rush is one of those who had a passion for professional wrestling that led him from MCW Pro Wrestling to the WWE. Hopefully, the call for his talent will see him back in the ring in the future.