NXT Star Opens Up About Having Backstage Heat

Last fall WWE released Emma, and in her final match with WWE, she faced Asuka. Shortly after she was released NXT star Lio Rush tweeted the following:

“I guess these are the things that happen when you’re not TRULY ready for @WWEAsuka”

Rush ended up getting a negative response from his peers in the wrestling community, and he opened up to ESPN about what it was like to deal with the reaction.

“It was definitely a difficult situation,” Rush said. “I’ve worked so hard and spent years trying to brand myself and to show the world that Lio Rush is a top prospect in the professional wrestling world. So it was a bit rough to see so many people turn on me for that, but I’ve owned up to my mistakes. I have said my apologies. What else can you do? You live, you make mistakes and you learn. I know a big thing that I tweeted out shortly after that — ‘a mistake shouldn’t be your attacker, it should be your teacher.’ I’ve definitely learned from that situation. I definitely have not let that situation change the pacing of me succeeding in anything.”

Rush also talked a little bit about trying to build a name for himself in the music industry. He recently released a new song titled “Money Money” under his rap name L.I, and he made it clear that he will continue to push himself in and outside of the ring.

“All of this is just about continuing to brand yourself. Continuing to make a name for yourself. Continuing to show that we wrestlers aren’t just one-trick ponies,” Rush said. “People are constantly asking, ‘What’s going on with wrestling? What’s happening with wrestling?’ The perception of a professional wrestler only knowing how to be a professional wrestler and nothing else is a little crazy to me.”