After just a few years on the Independent scene, Lio Rush joined WWE in 2017 at the age of 22. Rush has quickly made a name for himself on the Indy scene, winning the 2016 ROH Top Prospect tournament and competing against the likes of Joey Janela, Michael Elgin, and Ricochet.
Speaking to Muscle Man Malcolm prior to his untimely release, Lio discussed joining WWE and whether or not he was ready at such a young age.
"I did not think that I was [going to WWE]. Of course, I wanted to. I felt like I was ready. At the time, I was red hot on the Independent scene; I was everywhere; EVOLVE, PWG, CZW, overseas, everywhere. I built up a strong enough fanbase that I felt confident that if I were to get signed, I would take all of those people with me. But no, I wasn't expecting it. I didn't think it would happen so quickly, but it was a goal of mine. The way it came about was unexpected. I wish I would have done a little more overseas stuff because I was having fun and there were a couple of places I haven't had a chance to touch foot on like Japan. But I couldn't complain," he said.
Rush was featured on multiple brands during his WWE run, wrestling on NXT, 205 Live, and Raw. He is a former NXT Cruiserweight Champion as well. He was released on Wednesday as part of the WWE cutbacks.
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