Lio Rush Instagram Post Fuels Speculation About WWE Return
Lio Rush has shown he possesses all the necessary traits to succeed in pro wrestling: a great voice on the mic, exceptional skills inside the ring, and a ripped physique to boot. He's also a talent who's spent his fair share of time in several different companies, including Ring of Honor, All Elite Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment. However, the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion was injured during a match against Buddy Matthews on Night Two of Pro Wrestling Guerilla's Battle of Los Angeles event on January 2, 2022, at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles, and he became a free agent in February 2022. So as Rush finishes recovering from his dislocated left shoulder, speculation has run rampant in regards to his next stop, and Rush himself has added fuel to that fire.
If Rush's latest Instagram post indicates where his mind is at the moment, Rush looks to be considering a return to WWE. Specifically, Rush posted several photos alongside Bobby Lashley from their time as a pair on "WWE Raw" from September 2018 through WrestleMania 35 in April 2019. During that time, Rush served as Lashley's manager and hype man, encouraging fans to cheer for the All Mighty and heckling them when they refused. If Rush were to come back to the WWE fold, he would join numerous released stars to be brought back under the new regime headed by Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Paul Levesque — Dakota Kai, Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux, and Hit Row have all recently found their way back to WWE.
After WrestleMania 35, reports emerged that Rush received some backstage heat for rubbing people the wrong way with his attitude backstage. He disappeared from the main roster and took a hiatus from the ring before returning on the September 18, 2019, episode of "WWE NXT," defeating Oney Lorcan to become the #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Championship. He went on to capture the title on the October 9 episode of "NXT," with the belt newly deemed the "NXT" Cruiserweight Championship, which it remained until its unification with the "NXT" North American title earlier this year.