WWE NXT’s Original ‘Hit Row’ Lineup Included Lio Rush

Hit Row is still working to stake their claim in NXT as the stable continues their entertaining antics. The faction consists of Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott, Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis, Top Dolla & B-Fab, but that wasn’t always the case. Swerve Scott already revealed how fast the group came together, and it seems plans changed along the way as well.

During UpUpDownDown’s Superstar Savepoint, Top Dolla discussed his stable a bit. He then revealed that the original lineup for Hit Row also included Lio Rush, who was released from WWE last year.

“I came to NXT and originally, I wanted to do the crew with (Isaiah) Swerve (Scott) and Lio Rush. Lio got released, Swerve was doing like a mad scientist gimmick so I was like, ‘Ah, maybe I should focus on myself.’ Lo and behold, Ryan Katz, one of the creative guys says, ‘Briana raps and Tehuti’s a good worker. Y’all should work together.’ So then the three of us started working and for a year, we were doing backstage promos and vignettes and having tag team matches and all types of stuff and then in the process, I get the WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures gig to host the TV show.

Lio Rush was released from WWE last year, and he has since announced his retirement from pro wrestling. He still has a couple of NJPW commitments to fulfill, but he claims that will be the last of his in-ring activities.

Triple H got involved with the Hit Row stable eventually and suggested that they add Swerve Scott to the situation. Nobody had any issues inserting Scott into the faction and the rest is history.

“Two days after the show debuts, Hunter comes up to me and Swerve and says, ‘Hey, would you have a problem with Swerve being part of the crew?’ And I was like, ‘Nah, that’s great. Swerve raps’ and he don’t know that in my mind, Swerve was gonna be it in when I first got here anyway, you know what I’m saying? So I’m like yeah, this is great. So then lo and behold, he’s already doing the storyline with Leon Ruff which ends up with me catching him off the ladder and giving him my finisher off the barricade and the rest is history.”

We will have to see what WWE does with Hit Row. The stable certainly has legs, but nothing can be 100% solid in NXT nowadays with Vince McMahon’s new vision for the black and gold brand changing so much. On that note, USA Network higher-ups aren’t totally happy with those changes. Much like Triple H, they have no say in whatever releases get handed down.

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Thanks to Post Wrestling for the quote