Entertainment
Ex-WWE star Lio Rush retires aged 26 after devastating injury at AEW Double or Nothing
Former WWE superstar Lio Rush has announced his plans to retire from wrestling after suffering a devastating injury.
The 26-year-old star – who is currently under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling and will complete his obligations after his recovery before calling it a day – made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing on May 30, and got hurt during the Casino Battle Royal.
In a lengthy statement, he wrote: ‘The moment I went home in a sling, I kept saying to myself “this was like an other time I got a little bruise or strain and I will shrug it off and continue on my new journey.”
‘Once the pain subsided and I started to feel just how uncomfortable it was to feel my arm hanging from my body, I sunk into an immediate and rapidly growing depression because I knew something was wrong…
‘Got the news that I’d be taking some time off due to this injury. Me thinking it would only affect my wrestling obligations, I still tried to go on about my days as I knew them. I realized just how much this would affect my everyday life.
‘For anyone who knows me, you know that I work endlessly for me and my family. It became more and more frustrating everyday finding little things that I could no longer do.
‘Like simply putting on a shirt and a much harder fact to deal with, not being able to pick up my newborn son…’
Despite the awful timing of the injury, Rush explained he is ‘grateful’ for the career he’s had since his WWE release last year.
He continued: ‘This is an unexpected turn down a road I would have and could have never saw coming… But I’m looking at this as a blessing in disguise.
‘Since the injury, it’s given me some time to think. Think about what I want in life. What I want for my wife and my kids, and what’s going to make me happy as far as my mental health is concerned.
‘The timing of this injury has forced me to stop and re-evaluated and ultimately it’s resulted in making the decision to retire from professional wrestling…’
The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion thanked his fans for their support since his wrestling debut on the independent scene in 2014, and outlined what’s next.
He said: ‘Thank you to the fans who have fought it out with me for the past 7 years and the people in my corner.
‘Thank you to all the promoters and friends that I’ve met along the way who believe in me and my vision. This has been a great ride, but it’s time to get off and do what truly makes me happy.
‘Due to my contractual obligations with NJPW, I will be making final appearances once I’m healed. But for now, thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I’ll see you all soon.’
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MORE : AEW Double or Nothing: Lio Rush debuts during Casino Battle Royale
