Lio Rush returned to AEW following a four-month absence via a pretaped vignette that aired on this week's edition of AEW Dynamite.
In the video, Rush informed viewers that he was a businessman who makes a lot of money for himself and the companies to whom he lends guidance. Footage of yachts, fancy cars, and expensive jewelry was spliced into the video.
AEW later confirmed that Rush had signed a contract with the company and was officially All Elite.
As you might recall, Lio Rush made his AEW debut during the Casino Battle Royale at Double Or Nothing on May 30th. Rush was under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but AEW president Tony Khan claimed there was a "handshake deal" in place between all parties prior to the event. In a stroke of terrible luck, Rush sustained a shoulder injury in the Casino Batte Royale and subsequently announced that he would be stepping away from the world of professional wrestling. Rush's intended hiatus never actually came to fruition, and the 26-year-old returned to New Japan just a few weeks after Double Or Nothing.
Rush began wrestling in 2014 and made a name for himself as an exciting high flyer. After a stint on the independent scene, Rush signed for WWE in August of 2017. He initially reported for duty at NXT but was soon moved to the Cruiserweight division where he competed on 205 Live. Rush was then moved to the main roster and was used predominantly as the mouthpiece of Bobby Lashley. He moved back to NXT and had a run as Cruiserweight champion, but in April of 2020, Rush was released from his WWE contract as part of budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On its surface, Rush's new gimmick doesn't appear particularly original, but we've seen how good he can be on the mic, so there's a good chance that he'll be able to make it work.
