Lio Rush Admits Initial AEW Run Was Disastrous From the Beginning

Lio Rush made his debut at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view back in 2021, but he ultimately didn’t stay in the company for long during his first run. He came back earlier this year and is now part of the AEW family once again and has now admitted that his first run was a disaster from the start.

Rush’s tenure with the promotion didn’t last long, as he became a free agent after his contract with AEW expired in February 2022. This was right after he spoke out against Tony Khan’s controversial tweet regarding Big Swole.

Lio Rush, who rejoined the AEW family after a previous departure, has been a staple of the company and consistently performed at a very high level. Rush has made a strong impact during his second stint with AEW, teaming up with Top Flight and facing top stars like Roderick Strong, Shelton Benjamin, Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, and Jack Perry. His first run with AEW in 2021 ended quickly, leaving fans disappointed after his promising start with Dante Martin.

While speaking on AEW Unrestricted, Aubrey Edwards asked Rush how he’s changed since his first time in the promotion. He explained that during his initial run, he was dealing with a lot of fear and personal struggles, especially during the pandemic. He felt unprepared and believes it wasn’t the right time for him or AEW to work together. Now, however, he feels more confident, wiser, and better equipped to contribute to AEW’s success. Rush is eager to bring his best to the company, approaching this opportunity with a much healthier mindset than before.

“I think last time, I had a lot of fear. I think I was going into it scared. It almost felt like I was getting another opportunity at being Lio Rush on television, but it almost didn’t feel fair that I had to do it in this way. I was still so young. I was going through so much during that time, that was during the pandemic so everything outside of what AEW was was obviously going on and it was kind of just a disaster off the jump. It was nobody’s fault, I think it just was not the right time. I don’t think it was the right time for me, I don’t think it was the right time for AEW to have me right there in the mental state that I was in. It wasn’t fair for both parties.

I’m in a space where I feel confident, I feel a lot wiser, I feel a lot more prepared than I was before and I know what I can bring to the table and I want to offer that. I want to be a part of what AEW is doing and I want to be a part of the people that make AEW what it is. I’m just going into it with a much different mindset, and I think that’s the biggest difference.”

We will have to wait and see what’s next in store for Lio Rush as it’s quite clear he is much happier during his second run in AEW and fans are always looking forward to seeing what he will do next.

Are you enjoying Lio Rush’s current run in AEW more than his first one? Let us know in the comments section below!