Tag: Lio Rush

NJPW Collision in Philadelphia live results: Aussie Open vs. Ishii & Lio Rush

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Aussie Open will defend their NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team titles in the main event of Collision in Philadelphia. 

An injury to Hiroshi Tanahashi forced him off today’s card and out of what had been scheduled as a trios match main event with Tanahashi, Lio Rush, and Tomohiro Ishii facing TJP & Aussie Open. Travel issues also prevented TJP from making it to Philadelphia for the show.

The new main event for Collision in Philadelphia features Aussie Open defending the Strong Tag titles against Ishii & Lio Rush. Aussie Open won a triple threat match last night in Washington at Capital Collision to win the Strong titles. 

A tournament to determine the number one contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP United States title also kicks off today.

What had been advertised as Lance Archer vs. Juice Robinson will now be Archer vs. Fred Rosser due to a storyline suspension given to Robinson. The winner of today’s match will face either Tanahashi or Will Ospreay at NJPW Dominion in Osaka, Japan in June. 

Today’s undercard: 

  • Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi vs. KENTA & Chase Owens
  • AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy defends against Gabriel Kidd
  • Homicide & Rocky Romero vs. SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • TMDK’s Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito vs. Tom Lawlor, Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs
  • Clark Connors vs. The DKC
  • ROH Pure rules match: Alex Coughlin vs. Tracy Williams
  • El Desperado & Volador Jr. vs. Delirious & Kevin Knight

Our live coverage begins at 5 p.m. Eastern time. 

**********

 El Desperado & Volador Jr. defeated Delirious & Kevin Knight

Delirious started things off by leaping at Desperado, but after missing, he had Volador tag in before tagging out himself. Knight and Volador had a competitive sequence before Desperado tagged back into the match to take the lead. Delirious grabbed Desperado by the leg, pulling his team back into the match.

A hot tag to Volador after an extended period of opposition control led to a strong comeback. Only by escaping to the floor were Knigh and Delirious able to stay competitive.

Eventually, Desperado tagged in, leading to a strike exchange between him and Delirious. A frankensteiner/frog splash combination nearly scored the Knight/Delirious team the win. After Volador broke up the pin, he hit a backbreaker, setting Desperado up for a match-winning Pinche Loco.

Pure Rules: Alex Coughlin defeated Tracy Williams

I loved this match. From the compelling mat work to the explosive transitions, this was pure wrestling.

The match opened with mat work that quickly escalated. Williams and Coughlin locked hands, trading pins, holds, and bridges. Once the grip was broken, Williams dropped Coughlin and landed a suplex from the top rope before returning to working on the mat. From the mat, Coughlin secured underhooks, which nearly ended with a driver, but Williams flipped free and landed a suplex.

Williams struck Coughlin down before locking in a sleeper. Coughlin stood out of the sleeper, landing a powerbomb to reset the match in his favor. A vertical suplex from Coughlin scored him a nearfall.

In the end, the pair looked to trade strikes. Coughlin ducked a Williams lariat, hitting a bridging German suplex to win the match.

Clark Connors defeated The DKC

Before the match, David Finlay cut a promo. He berated ELP and hyped Connors. Finlay then declared he would be the first Bullet Club leader who “gets the Bullet Club before the Bullet Club gets him”. His Bullet Club would be willing to make cuts to maintain a roster of “killers”.

DKC rushed the ring to start the match, scoring a quick, if short, lead. It didn’t take long for Connors to reverse momentum. Connors dominated DKC, taking his time to pick him apart. Conners ended DKC’s only attempt at a rally with four nice spears. Connors then pinned DKC to win his first match with Bullet Club.

Team Filthy (Jorel Nelson, Royce Isaacs & Tom Lawlor) defeated TMDK (Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste & Zack Sabre Jr.)

This match was a ton of fun. Lawlor and ZSJ have crazy chemistry, and the rest of TMDK gel very well with the West Coast Wrecking Crew—a great match.

Before the match could begin, Team Filthy was caught with a metal carabiner, a tube of super glue, and a toothbrush. The referee confiscated all of their foreign objects.

The actual match saw TMDK gain a short lead that ended when Nelson landed a sudden backbreaker, and Team Filthy rushed the ring. Team Filthy then used their advantage to slow the pace while isolating Haste.

Haste reversed a move from the top rope into a superplex, buying him a hot tag into ZSJ. ZSJ locked Nelson and Isaacs in submissions simultaneously to establish TMDK control. Lawlor was forced to tag in to help his team stay competitive.

ZSJ and Lawlor went back and forth. When ZSJ landed a strike, Lawlor answered with one of his own. When ZSJ locked in a hold, Lawlor established on of his own. This stalemate forced a double tag.

Tito and Isaacs tagged in, traded bombs for a few seconds, and tagged out. Haste and Nelson tagged in and also traded heavy strikes, forcing another double tag, leaving ZSJ and Lawlor alone in the ring once more.

ZSJ and Lawlor went off on one another. ZSJ caught Lawlor in a cobra twist as TMDK played defense. Lawlor broke free regardless, leading to a match breakdown. After a chaotic war between the teams, Lawlor landed a knee to the back of Tito’s head, leading directly to the pin.

Just 5 Guys (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Homicide & Rocky Romero

The match began with Rocky turning down a drink from Kanemaru’s whiskey. After this, SANADA and Homicide had a fairly uneventful back-and-forth to start the actual competition. Rocky and Kanemaru soon tagged in and had a mat-based exchange that Rocky left with the upper hand.

Homicide tagged into the match, but Kanemaru gained the upper hand, forcing Rocky to involve himself again. The match then spilled to the floor, where Rocky and Homicide gained a significant lead.

A tag to SANADA turned the match back to J5G favored. A dropkick to Rocky and Homicide allowed SANADA to tie Rocky in the paradise lock.

Rocky saving Homicide from Skull End resulted in a match breakdown. Homicide scored a nearfall over SANADA with a cutter. Homicide tried to close again with the cop killer, but SANADA reversed, turning it into a bridging pin to win the match.

AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) defeated Gabriel Kidd

This was another great match on this show and another great Cassidy defense.

Kidd rushed Cassidy to try for an early lead, but Cassidy was able to hold on through the blitz. Cassidy landed a dive that forced Kidd to slow down, much to his favor. Kidd landed a big chop that sent Cassidy to the floor. Back in the ring, Kidd taunted Cassidy with his own mannerisms.

During Kidd’s control, a camera revealed David Finlay and Clark Conners were watching on from the balcony.

Kidd’s taunting proved to be his downfall as it allowed Cassidy to gain a leg up. Cassidy landed a super kick, a Superman punch, a top rope crossbody, and a DDT for a nearfall.

Cassidy climbed to the top for another dive, but Kidd caught him with a brainbuster. Kidd then tried choking Cassidy out with a visually impressive choke from the top rope. Kidd missed the moonsault follow-up, but he hit a spinning tombstone piledriver regardless.

Cassidy caught Kidd with an orange punch, but Kidd bounced off the rope with a lariat. Kidd tried to follow up with a kimura, but Cassidy transitioned into a mouse trap pin, which scored him the win. 

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) defeated BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens & KENTA)

The opening scramble saw LIJ rush Owens to establish an early lead. Once KENTA involved himself, Bullet Club was able to take control.

KENTA ended an LIJ rally with a DDT but failed to hit the GTS. Hiromu answered with a dragonscrew, forcing a double tag. Naito made quick work of most Owens resistance, but a Destino reversal into snake eyes allowed Bullet Club to maintain their lead. A running knee forced Hiromu to make the save.

Owens reversed another Destino, but Hiromu was quick to help Naito recover. Finally, after another team-on-team brawl, Naito hit Destino to win the match.

After the match, Rocky Romero walked to the ring. He asked Hiromu about an All-Star Junior Festival in the United States. On August 19th in Philidelphia’s 2300 Arena, the All-Star Junior Festival will make its U.S. debut.  

IWGP United States Heavyweight Title #1 Contendership Tournament Match: Lance Archer defeated Fred Rosser

Rosser came to the ring taped up following his brutal beatdown last night.

Archer cut a promo before the match. He threatened Rosser’s life before asking him to make this a Philadelphia street fight. He grabbed two kendo sticks, one for himself and one for Rosser. Rosser accepted for some reason.

This was a bad match.

Rosser was the first to strike, using the Kendo stick to the best of his ability, but Archer was able to wade the storm. On the outside, Archer slowly beat down Rosser, eventually fighting into the crowd.

At some point, they disappeared. The cameras couldn’t find them, and the fans chanted, “We can’t see.” Once the cameras did find them, they were meandering around the outside.

Archer continually attacked Rosser with kendo sticks, paying particular attention to his stitched head, eventually drawing blood. Archer then used a chair to continue his attack.

Rosser sidestepped an Archer attack, sending him crashing into a chair. Rosser took advantage, beating him with a kendo stick. After laying out Archer, Rosser locked in a stepover chicken wing. Before Archer could tap, Juice Robinson came out from the crowd and attacked Rosser, and because this was a street fight, there were no repercussions.

A loaded Left Hand of God from Juice and a lariat from Archer allowed the Murderhawk Monster to secure a win and advance in the tournament.

After the match, Archer cut another promo. He called out Tony Khan and Kenny Omega. He said Omega couldn’t beat without help. He then said Khan couldn’t protect Omega for long. Archer said he’d win the tournament in Osaka and dethrone Omeaga at Forbidden Door 2.

NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship: Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) (c) defeated CHAOS (Lio Rush & Tomohiro Ishii)

The feeling-out process ended early, as Davis called out Ishii. Ishii and Davis traded blows, but Rush tagged in, which caused a short brawl favoring CHAOS. Once Fletcher recovered, he rushed the ring allowing Aussie Open to take the lead.

Rush avoided a senton, buying him the time to tag in Ishii. Ishii fought off both of his opponents, standing tall after a shoulder tackle. Fletcher blocked the brainbuster and sent Ishii to the floor in an attempt to rally.

Fletcher tried to hit a dive from the rope, but Davis stopped him from doing so. This distraction allowed Rush to hit a super rana and re-establish control. Ishii and Rush isolated Fletcher, hitting him with multiple tandem moves.

Once Davis recovered, he hit the ring, helping Fletcher to survive the Chaos attack. This led to another Ishii/Fletcher exchange, ending with an Ishii brainbuster. Ishii could not finish, and a Saito sent him to the floor.

Rush landed a dive to the floor, buying Ishii enough time to recover. Together, Ishii and Rush knocked Davis off his feet. Ishii scored a nearfall with a lariat, but Davis reversed his brainbuster attempt into a suplex.

Rush tried to pick up where Ishii left off, but Davis dropped him with a crucifix powerbomb. Once Ishii could help Rush, they turned things back around. Ishii landed a lariat into a Rush frog splash, forcing Fletcher to make the save.

Fletcher and Davis worked together to fight back against the CHAOS pair. A lariat to Rush marked the end of a team-on-team struggle, leaving all four men on the mat.

A double boot set Rush up for Coriolis, but Ishii made the save. Fletcher dropped Ishii with a piledriver, leaving Davis free to land a piledriver of his own on Rush. Then Aussie Open landed a lariat and Coriolis to close out their first Never Openweight Tag Team championship defense.

Fletcher cut the show-ending promo, which was primarily braggadocious, with a slight jab at FTR inserted.

KUSHIDA vs. Lio Rush set for Impact x NJPW Multiverse United

Posted on by Josh Nason

With Impact World Champion Josh Alexander out of his title defense against KUSHIDA at Thursday’s Impact x NJPW Multiverse United, a gap was left on the card.

On Tuesday, that gap was officially filled as Lio Rush will now face KUSHIDA for the first time ever on the pay-per-view.

Alexander revealed last week that he tore his triceps and needed to relinquish the title. KUSHIDA will battle no. 1 contender Steve Maclin at next month’s Rebellion with the winner becoming the new champion.

Thursday’s co-promoted PPV will be held in Los Angeles as part of WrestleMania weekend.

Here’s the final lineup:

  • KUSHIDA vs. Lio Rush
  • Knockouts Champion Mickie James defends against Deonna Purrazzo, Gisele Shaw and Miyu Yamashita in a four-way
  • X-Division Champion Trey Miguel defends against Rich Swann, Kevin Knight, Frankie Kazarian, Clark Connors, and Rocky Romero in a scramble
  • Impact Tag Team Champions Chris Bey & Ace Austin defend against Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark David) vs. TMDK (Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito) vs. The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)
  • NJPW Strong Openweight Champion KENTA defends against Minoru Suzuki
  • Mike Bailey vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • Jeff Cobb vs. Moose
  • Callihan, PCO, Fred Rosser & Alex Coughlin vs. Joe Hendry, Eddie Edwards, JR Kratos & Tom Lawlor
  • Countdown Show: Yuya Uemura vs. Gabriel Kidd

MLW Underground results: Alex Hammerstone title defense

Posted on by Iain Oliver

This week’s MLW Underground was taped in Philadelphia, PA, with Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker on the call.

Jacob Fatu defeated Lio Rush

We immediately opened with action as Rush dove to the outside before Fatu could make his way inside the ring. Rush hit a moonsault off the apron to kickstart a fast-paced opening which saw the NJPW star dodge and evade the former MLW Champion. The Samoan eventually caught Rush coming off the middle rope, swinging him around and planting him with an impressive swinging uranage.

MLW Champion Alex Hammerstone was on commentary hyping up his title match with Fatu coming up in two weeks. He talked about Fatu’s speed, his own injury history, and Fatu’s Battle Riot win last year.

Inside the ring, Fatu’s impressive strength and speed had the crowd chanting “That was Ucey” which Fatu acknowledged and told the Philadelphia crowd, “I am the bloodline!”

Rush kept coming back and tried to chop down Fatu time and time again, but Fatu kept overpowering him, even sending him crashing through the buckles to the floor after a whip to the corner.

Rush eventually hit his top rope crossbody and a bottom rope springboard stunner, but Rush went to the sky too many times as Fatu moved out of another attempt and took Rush’s head off with a superkick. Fatu’s handspring moonsault followed for a near fall.

It looked like Fatu had things in control, but when Rush reversed a pop-up Samoan drop into a poisonrana, there was a slight chance an upset could be in the cards. But the story of the match was Rush going to the well too many times, and when he let Fatu recover before running the ropes, Fatu caught him and eventually hit his pop-up Samoan drop. 

With Rush flattened, Fatu hit his double spring top rope moonsault to pick up the big win and clear the path for the Hammerstone match. After the match, Fatu told Hammerstone the belt was coming back to him and there was another pull-apart brawl between them both as the announcers hammered home the hype for their title fight.

– Backstage, Sam Adonis introduced Cesar Duran who then introduced Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie and new National Openweight Champion John Hennigan who he said “are dripping in gold.”

Billington Bulldogs (Mark & Thomas Billington) defeated Bomaye Fight Club (Myron Reed & Mr. Thomas)

Davey Boy Smith Jr.’s shot at Alex Kane was on the line here via their respective teams. Kane brought the Hart family’s Opera Cup to ringside as he joined the commentary team.

Reed and Thomas jumped the Bulldogs before the bell, but were quickly on the receiving end of a firm shoulderblock and crisp snap suplex from Thomas and a top rope moonsault to the floor by Mark going into the break.

After the break, Reed cut off Mark and Thomas threw him halfway across the ring with an overhead belly-to-back suplex. There was another massive back body drop as Thomas threw Mark through the air again which looked incredible.

The shortest member of the match (Thomas) slammed the tallest (Thomas) which was another impressive moment in the match. As the match was reaching its conclusion, Kane was getting more and more animated and concerned. But his interference attempt was thwarted by Smith Jr. who came to ringside to help his cousins keep it two on-two.

Mark backflipped away from Thomas and dropkicked him in the gut. He then hoisted him up for Mark to hit the Hart Attack dropkick from the top rope to pick up the huge win.

– Backstage, Real1 was in a wheelchair and enraged after being run over last week by Mance Warner. Real1 is threatening to sue Court Bauer and Warner.

– Before their tag title defense next week, EJ Nduka and Calvin Tankman were supposed to be talking about their title defense, but instead, Nduka wanted to talk about Fatu and his recent shots at the MLW title. Tankman didn’t like what he was hearing so he turned Nduka’s attention back to their match. They seemed to be on the same page as the promo came to a close, but with Nduka’s recent reputation, I wouldn’t expect that to be the case next week.

– Warner was backstage with Microman and had some words for the Calling Card Attackers who took out Microman last week. Warner challenged any of them to a one-on-one fight next week.

– We then supposedly got the identity of the Calling Card Attackers as Raven, Ricky Shane Page and AKIRA appeared in a hype video with the same gas masks men and symbols that have been synonymous with the attacks. The commentary team questioned who of the attackers will be stepping up to face Warner next week.

MLW Champion Alex Hammerstone vs. Lance Anoa’i (w/ Juicy Finau and Jacob Fatu) went to a no contest

Fatu joined Striker and Dombrowski on commentary to have his shot at hyping up the title match, but within moments, he and Hammerstone came face-to-face for another pull-apart brawl. The referee had no choice but to call for the bell and call this a no contest.

Nduka and Tankman joined the brawl and got a few cheap shots in on Finau and Anoa’i. The next two weeks could be a momentous time for the Fatu and Anoa’i families as next week, the Samoan SWAT Team get their MLW Tag Team title shot while in two weeks Fatu has his MLW title rematch.

Next week on MLW Underground:

  • MLW Tag Team Champions Calvin Tankman & EJ Nduka defend against the Samoan SWAT Team (Juicy Finau & Lance Anoa’i)
  • Mance Warner has an open challenge to the Calling Card Attackers

Hiromu vs. Lio Rush title match set for NJPW New Japan Cup finals event

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Hiromu Takahashi will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Lio Rush at the NJPW New Japan Cup finals event on March 21.

NJPW announced the title bout on Monday after Rush issued a challenge to Hiromu via video promo during Saturday’s The New Beginning in Osaka show. 

Prior to their title match on the 21st, Hiromu and Rush will be on opposite sides of a tag team bout at NJPW’s 51st anniversary show on March 6, where it will be Hiromu and BUSHI teaming against Rush and YOH. A pair of first round New Japan Cup matches are also set for that show, with Tomohiro Ishii taking on David Finlay, as well as Shota Umino facing Yujiro Takahashi. 

NJPW has revealed the bracket for the New Japan Cup 2023, with first round bouts set for March 5, March 6, and March 10. The second round will be held on March 11, March 12, March 13, and March 15. 

The New Japan Cup quarterfinals are set for March 17 and March 18, with the semifinals taking place on March 19. 

The New Japan Cup winner will receive a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 8.

Lio Rush challenges NJPW’s Hiromu Takahashi to IWGP Junior title match

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Lio Rush is next in line to challenge for NJPW’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

Rush issued a challenge to IWGP Jr. title holder Hiromu Takahashi in a video message played during today’s The New Beginning in Osaka show. The date for the title bout has yet to be announced. 

After Hiromu and his Los Ingobernables de Japon teammates won their eight-man tag match in Osaka, the lights in the arena dimmed. Rush’s video message then played on the video wall. Rush promised to do what his tag partner YOH could not do last week, as YOH unsuccessfully challenged Hiromu on February 5 at The New Beginning in Sapporo. 

Hiromu began his fifth reign with the IWGP Junior title at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4, winning a four-way bout to claim the Championship. 

Rush last appeared in NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom, teaming with YOH in an unsuccessful IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team title challenge against TJP and Francesco Akira.

Dumpster match, Lio Rush vs. Davey Richards added to MLW SuperFight

Posted on by Ian Carey

Two matches have been added to the lineup for MLW SuperFight. 

The promotion revealed on Thursday that a dumpster match involving Real1, Microman, Mance Warner, and a “wildcard entrant” will take place on the show. Lio Rush vs. Davey Richards has been scheduled for the event as well. 

This will be the third singles match between Richards and Rush. Richards defeated Rush on a DEFY show in 2017 and Rush defeated him at PWG It’s A Long Way To The Top on November 21, 2021. 

MLW.com wrote the following on the match:

Training hard in St. Louis at the Team Ambition gym, Richards vows to hold nothing back as he battles the brilliant and braggadocios Rush.

With immense momentum on his side, the “Man of the Hour” Lio Rush enters the big fight fresh off an extraordinary global tour, competing in high-profile bouts from Japan to Europe.

Now, the two will collide in what promises to be a world class showcase of combat excellence as they step into the MLW ring and hope to punch their ticket to a world title fight.

Real1 has been involved in a rivalry with both Warner and Microman as of late. He faced Microman earlier this month at Blood & Thunder and had a street fight with Warner in October at Fightland. Both match have yet to air on MLW programming. 

MLW SuperFight takes place Saturday, February 4, 2023, from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. It will be the third straight event MLW has held in the venue. 

The announced lineup is as follows:

  • MLW Champion Alexander Hammerstone defends against Jacob Fatu
  • Real1 vs. Microman vs. Mance Warner vs. TBA in a Dumpster Match
  • Lio Rush vs. Davey Richards
  • Rickey Shane Page vs. 1 Called Manders in a hardcore match
  • MLW Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie defends against Delmi Exo
  • Dragon Gate Open the Gate Tag Team Champions Natural Vibes defend against TBA
  • B3CCA vs. TBA

MLW Fightland spoilers: Title change, Jacob Fatu vs. Lio Rush

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The following are spoilers for future episodes of MLW Fusion.

MLW held their Fightland 2022 TV taping on Sunday night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The event included one title change, plus a Jacob Fatu vs. Lio Rush main event.

Here are spoilers courtesy of PW Insider:

      • Jacob Fatu defeated Lio Rush
      • Fatu challenged Hammerstone to a match at Superfight, and Hammerstone entered for a physical angle with Fatu.
      • Alec Price defeated TJ Crawford
      • Trish Adora defeated Gia Scott
      • Micro Man & Lince Dorado defeated Delirious and Mini Abismo Negro
      • Street Fight: NZO defeated Mance Warner
      • Davey Boy Smith Jr. & The Billington Bulldogs defeated Bomaye Fight Club
      • Sam Adonis defeated “Johnny Trash”
      • Last Man Standing match: Alexander Hammerstone defeated EJ Nduka
      • Calvin Tankman defeated Willie Mack
      • MLW Featherweight Championship: Taya Valkyrie defeated Trish Adora to retain the title
      • Lance Anoai & Juicy Finau defeated Little Guido & Raz Jaz
      • MLW Middleweight Championship: Lince Dorado defeated Shun Skywalker to win the title
      • Mance Warner defeated NZO
      • Dr. Dax defeated Vinnie Pacifico

Lio Rush vs. Jacob Fatu set for MLW Fightland

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former MLW World Champion Jacob Fatu will take on former MLW Middleweight Champion Lio Rush in a clash of styles at this month’s Fightland.

This will be the first time they have ever squared off in any match.

The TV taping will take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, October 30th.

This will be Rush’s first MLW action since the spring of 2021 when he wrestled four matches on Fusion as part of their closed taping era. His last appearance was in a Middleweight title loss to Myron Reed.

Fatu has competed on MLW’s last two TV tapings, but the matches have yet to air anywhere. The company has yet to return to the air after taking a summer hiatus with a Monday PWInsider report claiming they are holding off on a return “pending the finalization of several new deals they are working on.”

Rush announced last Thursday that he was cleared to return to the ring after being out of action since January when he suffered an injury at PWG’s BOLA tournament. He has already been announced for this month’s RevPro British J-Cup.

The match is the second announced for Fightland, joining Calvin Tankman vs. Willie Mack.

Lio Rush announces he’s cleared to return to the ring

Posted on by Ian Carey

Lio Rush is set to return to the ring for the first time in nine months. 

The 27-year-old posted, “CLEARED” to Twitter on Thursday and was later announced as the fifth entrant into Rev Pro British J-Cup 2022.

Rush joins Connor Mills, Will Kaven, Leon Slater, and Robbie X as the confirmed competitors for the eight-man tournament. 

The event takes place Saturday, October 22 2022 at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage, England. Minoru Suzuki vs Dan Moloney is also advertised for the show. 

Rush hasn’t wrestled since suffering an injury at PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles 2022 on January 30. He was taken to the ER that night following his match with Buddy Matthews in the second round. 

During an interview with Denise Salcedo in June, Rush provided further details about the injury. 

“My shoulder went into my armpit and my arm was stuck. So I rolled to my back and I put my wrist kinda in-between my leg and I pulled and I popped my shoulder back. Once I got to the hospital, I was informed that in the process, I tore some muscles and possibly some ligaments. So I got an MRI and it showed that I tore three different muscles in my shoulder. I had to get surgery, so that was a lot to deal with. I immediately snapped into the mode of being angry and being so disappointed to it kinda being familiar because of my other shoulder injury. So it was like, ‘Okay, I know what to do.'” 

NJPW may be building to Rush challenging for Taiji Ishimori’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in the near future. Ishimori offered Rush a future title shot during a backstage promo released on Sunday. Rush defeated Ishimori in their only singles match to date at NJPW Autumn Attack on September 26, 2021.

Lio Rush reveals injury details & recovery time, new music release date

Posted on by Denise Salcedo

Ahead of his new EP coming out next week, I talked with NJPW’s Lio Rush about his new music, his injury status and his pro wrestling career.

Rush has had an interesting last two years in the wrestling business. After three years with WWE, he was released due to budget cuts back in April 2020. Following his release, he began working with several wrestling promotions including GCW, NJPW, MLW, and AAA.

Then in May 2021, Rush made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing where he took the spot of the joker in the Casino Battle Royale. It was later revealed that he had signed a contract with both NJPW and AEW, but his stint in AEW didn’t last long and his contract expired this past February after just a few months.

Rush then returned to the indies for DEFY Wrestling, GCW, NJPW Strong and PWG. Then in this year’s PWG Battle of Los Angeles tournament, he dislocated his shoulder while wrestling Buddy Matthews.

Rush still has not returned to in-ring competition, but he did make a surprise return at May’s NJPW Capital Collision where he cut a promo, informing fans that he plans on changing the landscape of the entire junior heavyweight division when he’s cleared.

Injury Updates

After BOLA, an MRI revealed that Rush tore three muscles in his shoulder. That followed a previous injury he sustained at Double or Nothing in which he separated his AC joint. 

“I never thought I would be in this position. I know that sometimes as a professional athlete that these things can happen. They are very real.” Rush said.

“I was so shocked. I remember being extremely angry when it happened. I think when I separated my AC joint, my right shoulder, back in my first appearance in AEW, I was confused more than anything. I didn’t know what was wrong. I didn’t know what happened. That was my first injury ever. So the first injury was a lot of confusion. I was sad, depressed a lot. And then I think with this injury, with it happening so fast and back-to-back, I think was angry. I think those were the biggest differences between the two injuries.”

Rush explained what exactly happened that night at PWG and how the second injury occurred. 

“My shoulder went into my armpit and my arm was stuck. So I rolled to my back and I put my wrist kinda in-between my leg and I pulled and I popped my shoulder back. Once I got to the hospital, I was informed that in the process, I tore some muscles and possibly some ligaments. So I got an MRI and it showed that I tore tree different muscles in my shoulder. I had to get surgery, so that was a lot to deal with. I immediately snapped into the mode of being angry and being so disappointed to it kinda being familiar because of my other shoulder injury. So it was like, ‘Okay, I know what to do.'” 

Rush said that while it may sound cliche, he plans to come back “stronger, faster and healthier than ever before.”

“As far as a return, the doctor did say that I am expecting a 6-to-9 month recovery period which was very hard to hear. I got hurt back in January. I just had my surgery not too long ago. I have some time, but I am healing a lot quicker than I thought I would. My personal trainer and my surgeon are saying that I am healing a lot quicker, probably from muscle memory from being an athlete my entire life. I am definitely healing pretty quickly. I am in no rush to come back although I miss it a lot. I do want to take my time, I want to be healthy, I want to be ready mentally.”

Not Found 2

Rush’s new EP, Not Found 2, comes out on June 24th on various streaming platforms, consists of five new tracks, and is an extension of his first EP, September 2021’s Not Found. 

Rush adds that Not Found 2 will also include the same vulnerability as Not Found 1. 

“I really like who I am becoming as an artist. I think it is important for me to be open and to be vulnerable with my fanbase.”

Rush describes the EP as having an inspirational and positive message and that it’s both fun and real. 

Lio Rush appears at NJPW Capital Collision, says not cleared to wrestle ‘yet’

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Lio Rush made an appearance at tonight’s NJPW Capital Collision event.

Prior to the semi main event, Rush appeared and came to the ring for a promo. He said that he was not cleared to compete yet, but when he does return, the landscape of the entire junior heavyweight division would change. He listed some names, including Robbie Eagles, Taiji Ishimori, and Hiromu Takahashi as future potential opponents. 

After his promo, he went to the announcers booth and did commentary for the rest of the show.

Rush has been out of action since January 30 of this year, when he suffered a shoulder injury in the second round of PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament in a match against Buddy Matthews. He later revealed on Twitter that he had suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Since being released by WWE in 2020, Rush has made appearances on the independent scene and New Japan Strong, where he has been a regular. He also signed with AEW briefly before his contract ran out in February.

Lio Rush off Terminus show due to injury

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Due to injury, Lio Rush has been pulled from this week’s Terminus show.

Terminus announced today that, due to injury, Rush will no longer be facing Shane Strickland at their event in Atlanta this Thursday (February 24). Davey Richards will instead face Strickland at the show.

The Strickland vs. Rush match had been announced for Terminus this past Saturday.

Rush was injured while competing in PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles last month. After suffering the injury, Rush wrote on social media that he had a clean dislocation in his left shoulder. Rush noted that he would be undergoing an MRI in two to three weeks to make sure there was no ligament damage.

Rush also stated that there had been hate speech and racial slurs used against him and objects thrown at him by some fans in attendance at PWG.

“To all my fans and supporters, thank you for the outpouring love and support. Saddened by the hate speech, racial slurs, and throwing of objects in the ring by ‘fans’ who attended Night 2 of BOLA, but nothing will diminish my love for this sport and stop me from performing for those who appreciate my craft. I will be back. See you soon,” Rush wrote.

Rush officially became a free agent on February 14 after announcing in January that he would be departing AEW when his contract expired.

Rush will be making his return to MLW at their Kings of Colosseum tapings this May.

Terminus, which was founded by Jonathan Gresham and Baron Black, debuted with its first show being held last month. Thursday’s event will stream live on Fite TV and will be headlined by Gresham defending his ROH World Championship against AEW star Santana.

Lio Rush returning to MLW for May’s Kings of Colosseum

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former MLW Middleweight Champion Lio Rush is returning to the company for May’s Kings of Colosseum in Philadelphia, PA.

They announced Rush’s return during Thursday’s episode of Fusion, later announcing his return date on their website:

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1494483667036557313

This will be Rush’s first appearance in MLW since May 2021 when he lost the Middleweight title back to Myron Reed, one of four matches he had during their final run of closed set tapings.

Rush has been on the mend since dislocating his left shoulder in the PWG Best of Los Angeles tournament, the same show at which he says fans shouted racial slurs and hate speech at him in addition to throwing objects.

The 27-year-old Rush is set to take part in Terminus’ second show in Atlanta, Georgia, next Thursday. He is a free agent as his AEW contract expired on Monday, just six months after he made his return to the company.

Lio Rush: Fans used racial slurs, hate speech at PWG BOLA

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Lio Rush says that fans used racial slurs, engaged in hate speech, and threw objects into the ring during night two of PWG BOLA on Sunday. 

Rush was injured during Sunday’s event and taken to the hospital, and also provided an injury update in a social media post today. 

Rush says that he has a dislocated left shoulder, and will have a follow-up MRI in two to three weeks to make sure that there is no ligament damage. 

Rush posted: 

“Clean dislocation in my left shoulder. (Opposite to my previous shoulder injury.) MRI in 2-3 weeks to hopefully find that there’s no severe ligament damage/tear.

To all the boys in the back and crew at PWG last night that were super attentive and extremely helpful, thank you so much. More frustration and disappointment than anything else at the way last night ended.

To all my fans and supporters, thank you for the outpouring love and support. Saddened by the hate speech, racial slurs, and throwing of objects in the ring by “fans” who attended Night 2 of BOLA, but nothing will diminish my love for this sport and stop me from performing for those who appreciate my craft. I will be back. See you soon.”

https://twitter.com/IamLioRush/status/1488234010148888576https://twitter.com/IamLioRush/status/1488240021001756672

Lio Rush injured at PWG Battle of Los Angeles

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Lio Rush was taken to the ER after suffering an injury at tonight’s PWG Battle of Los Angeles event.

In a second round match, Rush defeated Buddy Matthews by disqualification, a rarity in PWG. The finish had Matthews laying out Rush with a curb stomp, and as the referee checked on Rush, Matthews continued to attack until the match was called off.

Rush wrote on Twitter that he wasn’t good right now, but will be back.

“Just being honest with you guys here. I’m not good,” he wrote. “But i will be good. And when I’m back, I’ll be dangerous. #ManOfTheHour.”

https://twitter.com/IamLioRush/status/1488028578063085571

Later in the show, Matthews arrived for the semifinal match and told the crowd that Rush was taken to the ER and was unable to compete in the tournament, and that he would be taking Rush’s place. Matthews then quickly lost to Speedball Mike Bailey, who advanced to the finals before losing to this year’s tournament winner, Daniel Garcia.