Lio Rush Says He Is Not Comfortable Wrestling During COVID-19 Pandemic
The status of WrestleMania 36 remains in question due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent reports suggest that the show may be held without fans, and Tampa officials have said that they may have to "pull the plug" on the show in order to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Lio Rush recently did an interview with Forbes to talk about a range of topics including the status of WrestleMania. Rush said that it would not be "the smartest thing in the world" to hold WrestleMania at its scheduled date.
"A lot of people are refreshing their timelines on Twitter to see what the hell is happening now in the world.
"If the situation is the same or getting worse, I don't see [it]. It's not that I don't see it happening. It's just that I don't think it's the smartest thing in the world. Plus I know that the whole ban, [Florida's] ban, is in effect right now," Rush said. "And I know a lot of fans, especially during WrestleMania, they come out from all over the world."
Rush was asked whether he would be comfortable wrestling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rush said he was not due to the amount of people coming in from all over the world at one place.
"I am not.
"Just because how the situation has kind of flared up, and the little amount of time it has [flared up], I just don't think it's smart," Rush said. "I dunno. I just feel like all of the wrestlers, and the production crew and just everybody involved are coming from different states, and coming from different countries, and travel through airports and being in contact with everybody. So, yeah, I definitely don't feel comfortable with the whole idea of it."
Rush had said last year that he was broke and talked about his pay in WWE. Rush gave an update on the situation and his mindset at the time.
"I'm not gonna say I was in a financial struggle. I'm good now, I've always been good.
"I just felt like, at the time, I wasn't getting treated fairly in the company for the things that I was doing for the company," Rush said. "I felt like I wasn't getting compensated the way I should be, whether that was through merchandise with Bobby [Lashley] or him being on signings or him being on interviews. I'm in this speaking role for Bobby on television, but when it comes to the merchandise and the appearances and the interviews and everything. It just sucks."
Rush released a music video earlier this year as part of his venture into the music industry. He talked about that transition and his uncertain future in WWE.
"Honestly, this is such a time of uncertainty in my life right now I really don't know what is next for me other than continuing to push my music. I dunno, wrestling-wise I just gotta see where the cards are kinda dealt in my favor and just seeing where I stand in WWE," Rush said. "It's a rough time for me right now, especially with everything that I've gone through in the company and coming back and yeah, I'm just not feeling it right now. I'm just trying to focus on my music."
Rush also asked about race relations in WWE. WWE honored Black History Month in February, but Rush feels that it shouldn't be history saying that these moments and accomplishments should be "a moment in time rather than this is the way it is."
"If you are an African-American, or a Latino or a woman I feel like it gets made into this special moment [by WWE] when I feel like it shouldn't be history.
"I wish that the 'black history' would just be labeled as history, because if we keep doing things and saying this is something cool that's happened in black history within the company then people will just see it as a moment in time rather than this is the way it is," Rush said.