Lio Rush Doesn’t Feel Comfortable Wrestling During Coronavirus Pandemic
With nearly everything shutting down amid the coronavirus pandemic, the show goes on for WWE. The company held last Friday’s SmackDown at the Performance Center and will hold Monday’s Raw from the Performance Center as well. And while some wrestlers like Seth Rollins go where they are told to go, others like Lio Rush don’t feel quite the same.
“I am not,” Lio told Forbes when asked if he’s comfortable wrestling during the pandemic. “Just because how the situation has kind of flared up, and the little amount of time it has [flared up], I just don’t think it’s smart. I dunno. I just feel like all of the wrestlers, and the production crew and just everybody involved are coming from different states, and coming from different countries, and travel through airports and being in contact with everybody. So, yeah, I definitely—I don’t feel comfortable with the whole idea of it.”
As of now, WrestleMania 36 will proceed in Tampa as scheduled. Rush doesn’t believe that should be the case.
“If the situation is the same or getting worse, I don’t see—it’s not that I don’t see it happening—it’s just that I don’t think it’s the smartest thing in the world. Plus I know that the whole ban—[Florida’s] ban—is in effect right now. And I know a lot of fans, especially during WrestleMania, they come out from all over the world,” he said.
During his time away from WWE, Lio plans to continue to focus on his music. And even after the pandemic comes to an end, Lio may continue down the musical path.
“Honestly, this is such a time of uncertainty in my life right now I really don’t know what is next for me other than continuing to push my music. I dunno, wrestling-wise I just gotta see where the cards are kinda dealt in my favor and just seeing where I stand in WWE. It’s a rough time for me right now, especially with everything that I’ve gone through in the company and coming back and…yeah, I’m just not feeling it right now. I’m just trying to focus on my music,” he said.
Rush last wrestled on the Feb. 28 episode of 205 Live, defeating Tony Nese by DQ. He was set to wrestle on Friday’s 205 Live in a Team NXT vs. Team 205 Live bout, but was not a participant.
