WWE's Lio Rush Refutes Rumors; Says 'S--t That Flies Backstage Is Ridiculous'

WWE Superstar Lio Rush responded Wednesday to rumors that he is dealing with backstage heat that has impacted his position with the company.

Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reported last week that a source told him Rush would be "very lucky to be back on the main roster anytime soon, if ever" because of multiple incidents.

One of the incidents Sapp reported involved Finn Balor telling Rush that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon would not approve of Rush's wife sitting in on rehearsals, which Rush allegedly "responded unfavorably" to.

In an update, Sapp spoke with Rush, who suggested that false information was being spread about him because of a vendetta:

"Me and Finn are cool, and my wife has never been an issue. There is someone who works for WWE who has hated me since the day I've worked for ROH [Ring of Honor], and now that they work for WWE they're leaking false information to get me released.

"At a certain point, I have to defend myself, so that's what I decided to do. We're all human, and we're all grown ass adults. The kind of s--t [that] flies backstage is ridiculous, and I'm surprised more people aren't speaking up."

In addition to addressing the rumors, Rush discussed his financial struggles despite being part of the world's biggest and most successful wrestling company:

"My issue has never been with Bobby [Lashley]. Being with Bobby has helped the both of us out tremendously. It's given me speaking confidence I didn't know I had. I never was a promo guy on the indies. But being with Bobby made me a promo guy.

"My issue isn't with my on-screen role. My issue is the fact that I haven't been on meet-and-greets with Bobby, haven't been getting paid for merchandise for us that has my catchphrases on them. [I] have been sent to live shows and TVs and forced to pay for my own rental for five days as well as hotel while not making enough money to do so.

"Walking around broke in the biggest sports entertainment industry that there is while having two kids and a wife to support."

The 24-year-old Rush signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2017 before making the leap to 205 Live last year. After a short stint as a 205 Live exclusive talent, Rush debuted on Raw in September 2018 as Lashley's "hype man."

Rush continued to serve as Lashley's mouthpiece and an occasional wrestler until recently, as he has not appeared on WWE programming since Lashley dropped the Intercontinental Championship to Balor at WrestleMania 35.

While Rush's immediate future on Raw is unclear, he is a young and supremely talented Superstar with the ability to make a big impact in NXT or on 205 Live if WWE opts to keep him off the main roster shows.

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