Lio Rush came into AEW recently with an attitude. He was more or less a prick to the extremely kind and lovable Sydal brothers who were mentoring Dante Martin while Darius Martin is injured. The pairing made sense, two pairs of brothers who can leap like legends.
Enter Lio Rush. Arrogant. Cocky. Huge promises. Big plans. Grand ambitions.
Stole Dante, sorta. Coached him up in a skeezy way, sorta.
Then Lio got into the ring with Dante and within minutes, the entire crowd was roaring. Lio Rush was more than promised. His chemistry with Dante was amazing, undeniable. And now the victories are piling up. Dante is the talk of AEW. Lio Rush generates GIFs anytime he is in the ring.
If Dante, and maybe Darius when he returns, can work with Lio, then the entire professional wrestling industry could be going for a ride unlike any before.
So all I had seen of Lio Rush was "The Spot" and that left a negative impression on me. I know he was Lashley's manager in WWE, never saw him there. All I know about him is that he retired and unretired. He didn't really leave an impression on me as the Joker in AEW and then he went and retired again. There was also that dirtsheet gossip of him having attitude problems.
So when he comes back with his stock market vignettes I was skeptical to say the least. I even mocked his catchphrase writing on this sub "Rinse, Rush, Retire." and someone not needed in AEW.
But I have been completely proven wrong! The guy is awesome. His mic skills are money, his voice/accent is so amazing! Very distinct! He comes across as natural and I can believe his character when he speaks. His look, I dig the bodysuit, it stands out from the crowd. And inring he is very fun to watch. "The Man of the Hour" is also a really cool nickname.
Now pairing with Dante, this is an absolute masterstroke, please do not break them up after Darius comes back! Lio managing and wrestling with Top Flight (who don't have much of a character, which is fine as they're so young right now.) with Lio mentoring them would be a fantastic trio be it heel or face.
Finally, Max Caster's disses on Lio where he brings up his retirements, the fact Lio allowed that to be said means he understands criticism of him and is fine with it being used in a promo. He has my respect for that!
So what I want to know is are you someone like me who was not a fan of Lio but now is? Or have you always been a fan? Or have you never liked him? Let me know!
After Team Taz signed Dante Martin away from Rush, this could be the perfect time to bring Brian Cage back. Maybe Rush and Cage could team up against Hobbs and Starks? Could be a great tag team matchup. Thoughts?
This guy has star written all over him. My God.
