Rush thinks he’ll cross paths with AEW again but if it doesn’t happen, he’s fine with that.
In February 2022, Lio Rush’s time in AEW formally came to an end. The month prior, he publicly announced that his contract with the company was expiring after signing a deal the previous September.
His last match for AEW took place on the 12/8 edition of Dynamite. Later that month, Rush spoke out about company President Tony Khan’s tweet about Big Swole and the announcement of his pending departure was made several weeks later.
Generation Of Wrestling welcomed Rush onto their podcast and asked him if he believes that chapter is closed. He feels that nothing is ever 100 percent closed in wrestling and adds that with what New Japan and AEW are doing, he thinks he’ll cross paths with his former company again and if it doesn’t happen, Rush is okay with that as well.
I don’t think anything is ever closed [Rush responded when asked if he thinks the door to return to AEW is closed]. Nothing is ever closed, nothing. You know, I feel like I’ve made the best of the opportunity that was presented while staying true to myself and that’s honestly what’s most important to me. That’s what’s most important to me, you know? I can’t hop on a plane and go all over the country and not be myself. I can’t live this kind of double personality lifestyle. I don’t have the energy for it anymore, you know what I mean? There’s things in my life that mean a little more to me that’s closer to the surface than, you know, doing something that I don’t feel comfortable with for a paycheck. That’s one bag out of a million, you feel me? I’m not tripping over it but, I do think one day it’ll be inevitable. I think it’s inevitable for me to cross paths with Tony [Khan] again. I mean, look at what New Japan is doing with AEW right now, and even with my departure, there was no bad blood. I mean, the situation was what it was and we parted ways. But I don’t think that-that door is closed, at least from what I know. I don’t know how they feel on the other end and I’m not worried about how they feel on the other end. I’m doing me and when that time comes, it comes and if it doesn’t come, it’s not meant to be.
After competing in PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament, Rush discovered that he tore three muscles in his shoulder. He appeared at NJPW’s Capital Collision show in May and stated that while he is not cleared to compete, he will be back.
If the quote in this article is used, please credit Generation Of Wrestling with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
