Finally Lio Rush breaks his silence and conducts his first tell all shoot interview with RF VIDEO. Lio Rush was oozing talent from the moment I saw him wrestle in MCW and I knew he was going to be a star one day. His rise to fame was quick and some say maybe to quick.
Lio talks about being a fan of wrestling during his teen years and eventually going to train at the MCW school. He was not alone because he was training with another prospect that would also eventually go to the WWE who now goes by the name of Velveteen Dream, Patrick Clark. Lio talks about his early friendship and training days together and how he started to get himself booked on the indy scene after making a name for himself with MCW.
It was not long before Lio was getting booked all over the indy scene for companies like ROH, PWG and of course CZW. We talk about some of his top matches from each company and how they basically built him up to get his name out there more. Lio was a rising star and many took notice to his ring work.
Lio was also one of the youngest talents to ever get signed to the WWE and when he got there he was shot on a slingshot to the main rooster. Lio also had alot of issues with management in the WWE and he had heat on him for rubbing people the wrong way. Finally Lio was able to open up and we talked about everything that you might have read about as there are two sides to every story and Lio used our interview to finally tell his side.
Lio talks about breaking into NXT and working some of the talent there before being called to 205 live. He talked about meeting Vince for the first time and what HHH was like as a boss early on. What happened when he tweeted about Emma and how did the company react? You will hear details never heard before.
We talk about Mark Henry and his involvement in alot of the backstage drama that Lio was called out for. Lio tells his side of the story on what happened when they were over seas and how he felt disrespected by some of his peers. He gives his view points on the matter and holds nothing back. There is no sugar coating with Lio as he was as open as a book.
We talk about his run with Bobby Lashley, his small program with Finn, why the turn never happened and we get into more details about his issues with the company. Lio will talk about who he went to when he had some of his heat and did he ever try to talk to Vince McMahon about it? You will find out when you watch this interview.
Lio worked with some of the biggest names in WWE and we talk about many of them. Lio knew his worth and has no issues letting people know that who had power in the company. Did that help or hurt him you decide after watching his interview. Find out what happened when he got released and he gives us some clues on his future plans.
There is no doubt we will not be seeing the last of Lio Rush even though he talked about quitting the business. Lio lets everyone know why he wanted to get out and why he came back. He talks about some very personal topics during the interview that could help others. If you are a fan of Lio Rush and his work thus far in the business your going to enjoy this shoot.
What was life like growing up for Lio Rush?
How do you first discover professional wrestling?
Who were your favorites?
Did you wrestle collegiately because you wanted to get into pro wrestling?
What was the moment that made you say you wanted to do this?
How do you find your way to MCW and training there?
What was training like for you? Was there an aspect that you found hardest to master or that came to you easiest?
Who else was training with you at the time?
Was there anyone there you thought should have broken out but for whatever reason didn’t?
Memories of your first match?
Where did the Li Green ring name come from?
MCW is owned by Dan McDevitt – what has he meant to you and your career? Any favorite stories?
Who were the first veterans that really helped you?
Memories of working the following on the indies and CZW?
Danger Jameson
The Dub Boys
Punk Rock All Stars
Black Wall Street
Amazing Red
JT Dunn
Caleb Konley
Aaron Williams
Sean Waltman (teams with him in MCW)
Ethan Page
Fred Yehi
Sugar Dunkerton
David Starr
Brandon Scott
Kazarian
Will Ferrara
Dave Crist
Da Hit Squad
Chris Dickinson
Jonathan Gresham
Ryan McBride
Anthony Gangone
Shane Strickland
AR Fox
Initial memories of Patrick Clark aka Velveteen Dream who was training there the same time you were?
Memories of teaming with him?
Did you think he would make it as far as he has?
How has he changed over the years?
Was there ever any talk of the two of you teaming again when you were both in NXT?
What did it mean to you to win the Shane Shamrock Cup at MCW IN 2015?
You debut for CZW in 2014 – how do you get in?
First impressions of DJ Hyde?
Any favorite DJ stories?
Around this time you change your name to Lio Rush – where does the name come from?
You begin feuding with Joey Janela in CZW, first memories of Joey and why do you think you click so well in the ring?
You win the CZW Wired title at Cage of Death 16, memories of that night?
Memories of your feud with Sami Callihan?
What led to your heel turn there?
You had this awesome, darker entrance in CZW during that time period – who came up with it? Do you think you’d ever want to reprise that?
Memories of winning the CZW title from Joe Gacy?
How do you think he’ll do in the WWE NXT system?
What advice would you give him?
Were you disappointed the title reign ended just over three weeks later?
Why did you drop the belt in a random match to Davey Richards in Washington State?
Memories of the following in CZW
Memories of your CZW farewell match with Janela?
Thoughts on the spot where you no sold going through the table and getting that huge reaction online?
Did you expect it would become a big viral thing when you did it and what was your reaction?
This was right before you signed with WWE, so did you get any heat from any of the boys or management over it?
How important was Janela to your career?
Before we get to WWE, let’s talk your time in ROH –
Early on in your career, you took part in a ROH tryout company – what was the experience like? did it help you become a better wrestler?
You go through the tryout camp again and end up being booked for their Top Prospect Tournament in 2016 – what were your expectations when you came into the company
You go through the tournament and win, which is usually a sign the company intends to invest in you – did you get that impression at the time?
How was Delirious as a booker?
Given it was the first TV company you worked for, was there a different way or working or style compared to the independents?
Memories of challenging Jay Lethal for the ROH title?
Memories of the following from ROH –
Adam Cole
Jonathan Gresham
Steve Corino
Kyle O’Reilly
Vinnie Marseglia (roh debut was dark vs. Vinnie)
Hangman Page
Young Bucks
KUSHIDA
ACH
Jay White
Matt Taven and The Kingdom
Punisher Martinez (Damian Priest)
Roderick Strong
Silas Young
Alex Shelley
Moose
War Machine (Viking Raiders)
Donovak Dijak (T-Bar in WWE)
The Briscoes
Caprice Coleman
Kenny King
Rhett Titus
Dalton Castle
Did you ever feel like ROH was giving you the push you deserved?
You made a few appearances for EVOLVE in 2016 – what did you think of the company and why didn’t you work there more?
Memories of working in EVOLVE
Zack Sabre Jr in EVOLVE
Austin Theory
Matt Riddle
Drew Galloway
Memories of debuting in PWG against Ricochet – Why was that promotion so important at the time?
Memories of the following in PWG –
Trevor Lee
Rey Fenix
Mark Haskins
Keith Lee
Trent Baretta
You really pushed yourself and got booked a lot all over the country and internationally – how hard was it to network and make that happen?
Memories of headlining for Over the Top in Ireland, Bucks & Omega vs Lio, Ryan Smile & Ospreay
Memories of touring for CWE in Canada? Any interesting stories from touring all those smaller towns?
Memories of working for CMLL in Arena Mexico – what’s the atmosphere like? The fans?
Memories of working WXW in Germany and the fans and product there
Working Tyler Bate there
Peter Dunne
Internationally, what were your favorite countries that you traveled to and why?
Memories of working the following on the indies during this time period:
Paul London
Tony Nese
B-Boy
John Silver
Anthony Henry
Human Tornado
Cody
Why did you give notice to ROH you were leaving in March 2017? What happened that you wanted to move on?
Would you want to go back and work there again?
What leads to you getting your WWE NXT offer?
When you were signed, what were your expectations?
Walk us through the WWE Performance Center and what is available to talents in the different departments?
What’s a week in NXT like when you are first signed?
First thoughts and memories of working with Triple H?
Compare him to Vince as a boss?
Can you break down the different classes they have and where you started, who your Coaches were and which you thought you learned the most from
Memories of the following:
Matt Bloom
Norman Smiley
Sara Amato
Robbie Brookside
William Regal
Shawn Michaels
Scotty 2 Hotty
Terry Taylor
What non-wrestling classes or seminars did the company offer talent?
Thoughts on the WWE Wellness Policy?
Memories of debuting against Velveteen Dream?
What were the NXT house shows in Florida like?
What would a weekend on the Florida loop be like?
Memories of the following from NXT at the time
Chad Lail
Marcel Barthel
Raul Mendoza
Tino Sabbatelli
Buddy Murphy
Heavy Machinery
Cezar Bononi
Kona Reeves
Babatunda (Dabba Kato on Raw Underground)
Danny Burch
Kassius Ohno (Chris Hero)
You got to work Wrestlemania AXXESS as part of the UK title tournament in New Orleans at Mania 34 – what’s Mania week like for a talent?
You debut on 205 Live in June 2018 – break down how that show is put together vs. NXT and Raw.
Memories of working:
Noam Dar
Lince Dorado
Cedric Alexander
Does WWE give that show enough attention?
You got some heat online when you commented on Tenille Dashwood/Emma getting released by the company. Walk us through what happened, how the company reacted, whether you think fans reacted wrongly, and how you left things with Dashwood at the end? Do you regret that you tweeted?
The story that is told about your move to the main roster is that a writer saw you cutting promos on Twitter and showed them to Vince McMahon – is that true?
Who was the writer?
When did you find out you were being brought up?
What was your first meeting with Vince McMahon like?
Were you always going to be brought up as Bobby Lashley’s mouthpiece? What was the concept for Lio the hype man?
What was Lashley like to work with? Did you travel together?
Who did you prefer to travel with on the main roster?
What’s the difference between NXT and Raw behind the scenes? Compare a day at NXT TV vs. Raw TV?
How often did Raw plans change?
What was the strangest change you can remember?
Was it hard being the youngest person in the locker roomn?
Memories of Lashley winning the IC title vs. Ambrose and Rollins?
Memories of the feud with Finn Balor?
Memories of the angle where Balor pinned you at Elimination Chamber in the handicap match, causing Lashley to lose the title?
Lashley attacked you and laid you out after, but you were back together the next day – were they going to break you up but they dropped the idea?
Memories of working Balor on your in-ring Raw debut?
Memories of working with Braun Strowman?
What did working Wrestlemania 35 mean to you? Would you say that was the highlight of your career?So wh
Word makes the way online in April 2019 that you have backstage heat. You respond on Twitter – “The fact of the matter is that you don’t always know the facts and that’s ok.” – So what were the facts?
You’ve discussed online that during that an overseas tour you felt that you were being treated poorly, stated online you weren’t making enough money and insinuated that you were asked to do things that were unbecoming of a young black man – what were you asked to do that you had a problem with and who had an issue with you refusing?
At the time, the following was reported – “Junior members of the roster are expected to follow backstage etiquette that includes menial tasks. For example, handing out water bottles to talent in the gorilla position after their matches, setting up a private area for the talent back at the hotel, etc. Rush did not participate in these ‘paying your dues’ tasks. Not only was he unreceptive to feedback, but he reportedly complained to WWE management. In addition to these incidents, Rush has also been bringing people backstage without proper credentials and has continuously ignored advice from veteran talent.” – what’s your side of that story and does any of that gel with what you went through at the time?
Did WWE get involved with this and if so, what happened?
Mark Henry publicly called you out and stated that you were disrespecting the business by not doing the same things that everyone else, including him, would do while making your way up the ladder. This led to you and he going back and forth online and at one point, he threatened to sue you for disparaging him. You wrote at the time that people like him “needed to be called out.” What did he need to be called out about?
Can you walk us through, from your side of things, why this all went down with Henry and played out the way it did?
What are your thoughts on Henry saying that you weren’t asked to do anything that others including him had done for other members of the locker room?
Is it possible you over-reacted to the situation? Did Henry over-react?
How is your relationship with Henry today? Is there anything you’d want to say to him?
How did the company respond to all of this? It was reported they sat you out for 90 days and then sent you back to NXT. Was that always the plan?
How did you feel about returning to NXT?
You do return to NXT and immediately become the top contender to the Cruiserweight title – memories of returning to action and what WWE had promised you in terms of your future there?
Memories of working with Drew Gulak and winning the title?
Memories of the bout against Raul Mendoza on 205 Live?
Why do you think WWE has all but given up on the Cruiser division?
Memories of repping NXT at Survivor Series 2019?
You dropped the belt to Tozawa coming out of PPV, were you disappointed the run with the title was so short?
Thoughts on Rizawa in the ring?
Memories of working the following:
Angel Garza
Tyler Breeze
Swerve Scott
Jordan Devlin.
WWE was sending you to work for WXW in Germany and then you were pulled – what happened there?
Are you disappointed that your main roster run was so short?
Looking back, is there anything you would have done different during your WWE run?
There was a rumor that when AEW launched and WWE was signing everyone to new deals, you turned down the deal – is that accurate and if so, why?
There was also a rumor that you asked the company to release you so you could go show them what you could do outside of WWE?
If true, what was your reaction when they didn’t release you.
Fast forward to April 2020 – What was your reaction when the company called to release you?
Do you think WWE was fair in releasing so many talents during a pandemic?
Had WWE given you an idea of your future stories or plans before they released you?
Memories or stories about the following:
Paul Heyman
Brock Lesnar
AJ Styles
Daniel Bryan
Stephanie McMahon
Miz
Randy Orton
Ronda Rousey
Charlotte
Bayley
Sasha
Mike & Maria Kanellis
Seth Rollins
Roman Reigns
Becky Lynch
Asuka
Kevin Owens
Andrade
Zelina Vega
Anderson & Gallows
New Day
Cesaro
Nakamura
Mustafa Ali
Revival
Nikki Cross
Carmella
Mandy and Sonya
Dana Brooke
King Corbin
You teased that you were retiring but then you wrestled Joey Janela as a surprise for GCW – in your mind at that time, was that actually going to be your last match?
If so, what made you change your mind?
You just worked the United Wrestling Network Primetime Live PPV – thoughts on that show and their production?
You worked the MLW Restart, which will have aired by the time this interview is released – what was your experience there? What do you think of the product? Thoughts on Court Bauer and his team?
You’ve also been announced for the New Japan Super J Cup tournament for later this month. Is getting a full-time job there a goal? Your thoughts on what you hope to bring to that tournament?
Do you see AEW as a possible destination for you in the future? Thoughts on how Janela has done there?
Diversity and its importance has been an important story in 2020 – do you think pro wrestling on a national level has enough diversity with its talents of color?
Do they pushed those talents fairly?
What would you suggest as a person of color be done to change things, if at all?
Do you think you’ve dealt with racism in the business and if so, how did you handle it?
What would you say to white fans so that they can better understand your perspective on race and inequality?
I’ve heard each of your parents were singers and we know you’ve released your own material – so what was your first love, music or wrestling?
How different or similar is performing music to performing in the ring?
Earlier this year, you released a song, Scenic Lullabye, that you said was inspired from the darkness of mental health issues when you were younger. Can you talk about what it’s like dealing with those issues and what you hoped people would understand from your song?
Is it harder to work in the public eye because you are dealing with such issues?
Is it hard to recognize when you are having problems?
What advice would you give to someone who is dealing with those sort of mental or emotional issues but doesn’t know how to deal with them?
How do you think your career has been changed because of those struggles?
Would you want to book or work on the creative side of things behind the scenes to help others?
Favorite cities and arenas to wrestle in?
What wrestlers would you like to see inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?
Worst travel day ever?
Best ribs in the locker room?
Would you ever want to write a book on your life?
Who should play Lio Rush if there was a movie about your life?
Beyond pro wrestling, what’s life like for Lio Rush these days?
What do you think is the biggest misunderstanding of who you are as a person based on your public persona?
Final words for your fans who have supported you all these years?