Lio Rush facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Lio Rush
Rush in 2024
Birth name	Lionel Gerard Green
Born	(1994-11-11) November 11, 1994 (age 30) Lanham, Maryland, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Sarah Lai Wah (m. 2018)
Children	3
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Aracno Lennon Duffy LI Green Lio Rush
Billed height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Billed weight	160 lb (73 kg)
Billed from	Washington, D.C.
Debut	November 2014

Lionel Gerard Green (born November 11, 1994), known as Lio Rush, is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He works for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH). He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

Rush has wrestled for many other companies. These include Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Impact Wrestling. He was a champion in both of those companies. He also wrestled for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) as Aracno.

He was also part of WWE, where he became the youngest NXT Cruiserweight Champion. He also managed the wrestler Bobby Lashley. In Ring of Honor (ROH), he won the 2016 Top Prospect Tournament. In Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), he won the CZW World Heavyweight Championship once and the CZW Wired Championship twice.

Early Life

Lionel Gerald Green was born in Lanham, Maryland. His parents were both gospel singers. He grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler from a young age. As a teenager, Green faced some challenges with his mental health.

Professional Wrestling Career

Starting Out (2014–2017)

Lio Rush began his wrestling career in 2014. He first used the name "LI Green," but later changed it to "Lennon Duffy." He trained at the MCW Training Center.

He formed a tag team called "Sudden Impact" with Patrick Clark. They won the MCW Tag Team Championship in October 2014. Rush also won the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup XV in July 2015. He wrestled for other promotions like Evolve Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. In May 2017, he won the HOG Crown Jewel Championship at House of Glory.

Combat Zone Wrestling (2014–2017)

Lio Rush, using the name Lennon Duffy, joined Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) in December 2014. He later changed his name to "Lio Rush." He had a big rivalry with Joey Janela.

In December 2015, Rush won the CZW Wired Championship from Janela. He lost it back to Janela in February 2016. He won the Wired Championship again in March 2016. He lost it again to Janela in a Ladder Match in September 2016. After this, he started acting like a "bad guy" (a heel) for the first time. In May 2017, Rush won the CZW World Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title just 17 days later to Davey Richards. He left CZW in August 2017.

Ring of Honor (2015–2017)

Lio Rush tried out for Ring of Honor (ROH) after six months of wrestling. He wasn't signed at first because he was new. After gaining more experience, he tried again and was signed. He joined the 2016 Top Prospect Tournament.

Rush won the tournament in February 2016. This led to him signing a contract with ROH. In April 2016, he challenged Jay Lethal for the ROH World Championship but did not win. He left ROH in March 2017.

WWE Career (2017–2020)

NXT and 205 Live (2017–2018)

In July 2017, Lio Rush signed with WWE. He first appeared on NXT in October 2017. He was later moved to 205 Live, which featured lighter wrestlers. He started winning many matches there. He became a "bad guy" (heel) on 205 Live.

Working with Bobby Lashley (2018–2019)

In September 2018, Rush joined Bobby Lashley on Raw. He became Lashley's "hype man" and manager. He helped Lashley win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Rush would often distract Lashley's opponents, helping him win.

In February 2019, Rush was pinned by Finn Bálor in a match, which caused Lashley to lose his Intercontinental Championship. After this, Lashley attacked Rush. Rush stopped appearing with Lashley after April 2019. There were some reports about disagreements backstage, and Rush took a break from WWE.

NXT Cruiserweight Champion (2019–2020)

Rush returned to NXT in September 2019 as a "good guy" (face). He quickly became the top challenger for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. On October 9, he won the title, becoming the NXT Cruiserweight Champion.

He successfully defended his title at Survivor Series against Akira Tozawa and Kalisto. He lost the title to Angel Garza in December 2019, ending his reign after 63 days. Rush was released from his WWE contract in April 2020 due to budget cuts.

Independent Wrestling Return (2020–2021)

After leaving WWE, Rush wrestled for many independent wrestling companies. He signed with Major League Wrestling (MLW) in November 2020. In January 2021, he won the MLW World Middleweight Championship. He also won the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship in February 2021, becoming a double champion. However, AAA in Mexico did not officially recognize his AAA title reign.

All Elite Wrestling (2021–2022)

Lio Rush made a surprise appearance at All Elite Wrestling's (AEW) Double or Nothing event in May 2021. He suffered a shoulder injury during the match. He first announced he would retire from wrestling after his injury healed. However, he later changed his mind and officially signed with AEW in September 2021.

He debuted on AEW Dynamite in November 2021, teaming with Dante Martin. Rush's contract with AEW ended in February 2022, and he became a free agent.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2021–Present)

Lio Rush has continued to wrestle for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He competed in the Super J-Cup. In 2022, he and Yoh won the Super Junior Tag League. This earned them a match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17.

At Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January 2023, Rush and Yoh did not win the tag team titles. In March 2023, Rush challenged Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship but was unsuccessful. He also competed in the Best of the Super Juniors 30 tournament in April 2023.

Impact Wrestling (2023)

Lio Rush debuted in Impact Wrestling in March 2023. He teamed with Nick Aldis in June 2023. They attacked The Motor City Machine Guns, showing Rush was acting as a "bad guy" (heel).

In June 2023, Rush challenged Chris Sabin for the Impact X Division Championship at Slammiversary. Rush won the match and became the Impact X Division Champion for the first time. He defended the title against Kushida at Victory Road. Rush lost the title back to Chris Sabin at Impact 1000, which was his last appearance for the company.

Return to AEW / ROH (2024–Present)

Lio Rush returned to AEW on Dynamite in May 2024. He later saved Dante Martin and Action Andretti from an attack. In June 2024, it was reported that Rush would be a regular wrestler for AEW again. He qualified for the vacant AEW TNT Championship ladder match but did not win the title.

Rush also returned to ROH in July 2024. He competed in a Six-Man Survival of the Fittest Elimination Match for the ROH World Television Championship but was unsuccessful. In October 2024, Rush officially announced he was signed to AEW. In December 2024, Rush and Andretti, now known as "CRU," defeated Top Flight to earn a future AEW World Tag Team Championship opportunity.

In January 2025, CRU failed to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship. Later that month, CRU attacked Top Flight, confirming their "bad guy" turn. In February 2025, they revealed "CRU" stands for "crazy, ruthless, and unhinged." In April 2025, CRU teamed with Nick Wayne to win a match at Dynasty Zero Hour.

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2025)

In June 2025, CRU made their debut in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico. They challenged for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship but were not successful.

Music Career

In July 2019, Lio Rush released his first song as a rapper, called "Scenic Lullaby." He said the song was about his difficult times. He released another song, "I Wonder," in August. On his 25th birthday, he released his first collection of songs, called 11:11. In May 2020, he released his first full album, Ever After. He released a second album, The Final Match, in July 2020. In September 2021, he released another collection of songs called Not Found.

Wrestling Style

Lio Rush is known for his fast and exciting high-flying wrestling style. When he was a manager for Bobby Lashley in WWE, he was praised for his great speaking skills. He said that actor and comedian Kevin Hart inspired his work as a manager.

Other Appearances

Rush appeared in the video game WWE 2K19. In 2020, he was a contestant on the TV show The Challenge. He left the show early because of mental health reasons and stress.

Personal Life

Lionel Green lives in Los Angeles, California. He has three sons. He married Sarah Lai Wah in Las Vegas in December 2018. Green has several tattoos. One tattoo on his stomach is a poem written by his mother for his late brother, Lorenzo, who passed away at a young age. Green learned about his brother from his mother when he started high school.

Championships and Accomplishments

Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
- AAA World Cruiserweight Championship (1 time, unrecognized)
Combat Zone Wrestling
- CZW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- CZW Wired Championship (2 times)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
- Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
House of Glory
- HOG Crown Jewel Championship (1 time)
Major League Wrestling
- MLW World Middleweight Championship (1 time)
Impact Wrestling
- Impact X Division Championship (1 time)
Maryland Championship Wrestling / MCW Pro Wrestling
- MCW Rage Championship (1 time)
- MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Patrick Clark
- Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup (2015, 2016)
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- Super Jr. Tag League (2022) – with Yoh
House Of Pain Wrestling Federation
- HoPWF Xcellence Championship (1 time)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 53 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2021
Revolution Pro Wrestling
- British J-Cup (2024)
Ring of Honor
- Top Prospect Tournament (2016)
Tigers Pro Wrestling
- TPW Proud Championship (1 time)
WWE
- NXT Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
- WWE United Kingdom Championship invitational (2018)