Lio Rush Bio
Lionel Gerard Green, better known by the ring name Lio Rush, is an American professional wrestler and rapper who has competed across major promotions in the United States, Japan, and Mexico. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is one-half of the tag team CRU with Action Andretti, and he also performs in AEW’s sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). Over the course of his career, Rush has held championships in Impact Wrestling and Major League Wrestling, and he became the youngest NXT Cruiserweight Champion during his time in WWE. Known for his high-flying, fast-paced style and confident persona, Rush has built a reputation as one of the most athletic performers of his generation.
Since his professional debut in November 2014, Rush has wrestled on the independent circuit, in WWE’s NXT and main roster, in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, in Impact Wrestling, and in Major League Wrestling. He is also a recording artist who has released studio albums, extended plays, and singles as a rapper alongside his wrestling career. In the ring, he is nicknamed the “Man of the Hour” and the “Piece of Gold,” a reference to his self-described status within the business.
Early Life and Background
Lionel Gerard Green was born in Lanham, Maryland, to two gospel singers. His childhood bedroom sat above his father’s recording studio, which gave him early exposure to music and performance. Green has stated that he wanted to become a professional wrestler from the age of five, a goal he pursued steadily through his teenage years.
During his youth, Green struggled with his mental health, which led to a brief hospital stay during his teens. He later spoke about the importance of those experiences in shaping his outlook and his art. He has a brother named Lorenzo, who died at a young age; Green has said that he did not learn of Lorenzo until his mother told him on his first day of high school, and he carries a tattoo of a poem his mother wrote for Lorenzo on his stomach.
Green trained at the MCW Training Center in 2014, where he learned the fundamentals of professional wrestling. He made his debut the same year under the ring name “LI Green,” and after a negative response from promoters he changed his name to “Lennon Duffy” before eventually settling on Lio Rush.
Path to Professional Wrestling
After learning the craft at MCW Training Center, Rush quickly worked his way through the independent circuit, debuting in late 2014. He teamed with Patrick Clark, who would later perform in WWE as Velveteen Dream, in a tag team called Sudden Impact, and the pair won the MCW Tag Team Championship in October 2015. Rush also won the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup XV that July, defeating a field that included Eddie Edwards, Matt Cross, and Shane Strickland.
Six months after his debut, Rush attended a Ring of Honor training camp but was not signed because of his limited experience. After continued work on the independent circuit, he returned to ROH with the backing of Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino, Adam Cole, Jay Lethal, and Kyle O’Reilly, and was accepted as a participant in the 2016 ROH Top Prospect Tournament, which he went on to win.
Rush also made a name for himself in Combat Zone Wrestling, where he captured the CZW Wired Championship twice and later won the CZW World Heavyweight Championship in May 2017. His success in CZW, ROH, and on the independents led to a WWE contract offer in 2017, paving the way for his transition to national-level wrestling.
Lio Rush Career
Early Career (2014–2017)
Rush’s early career was defined by rapid progression through Combat Zone Wrestling and the independent circuit. He debuted in CZW on December 31, 2014, and within a year had captured the CZW Wired Championship by defeating Joey Janela at Cage of Death XVII. He later dropped and regained the Wired title, finishing his feud with Janela before turning heel against Sami Callihan and adopting a darker persona.
On May 13, 2017, Rush defeated Joe Gacy for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship, although he lost the title to Davey Richards at a non-CZW event only 17 days later. During this period, he also held the HOG Crown Jewel Championship in House of Glory, while continuing to tour with ROH and other independents across the United States.
WWE Breakthrough (2017–2020)
Rush signed with WWE in 2017 and made his first televised appearance on the October 4, 2017, episode of NXT, where he was attacked by his former tag team partner Patrick Clark, performing as Velveteen Dream. After a brief period off television, Rush was moved to WWE’s main roster in 2018 as part of the cruiserweight division on 205 Live, where he built a winning streak and established himself as a heel.
In September 2018, Rush became the on-screen hype man and manager of Bobby Lashley on Raw, a role in which he was praised for his speaking ability. He helped Lashley turn heel and played a key role in Lashley’s first Intercontinental Championship win, distracting Seth Rollins to allow Lashley to pin Dean Ambrose. The pair feuded with Finn Bálor over the Intercontinental title, but tensions between Rush and Lashley boiled over at Elimination Chamber, where Lashley turned on Rush after a loss.
After an imposed sabbatical and reported backstage issues, Rush returned to NXT in September 2019 as a face and defeated Oney Lorcan to become the number one contender for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. On October 9, 2019, he captured the title, becoming the youngest NXT Cruiserweight Champion. He successfully defended the title at Survivor Series 2019 before losing it to Angel Garza on December 11, 2019, ending a 63-day reign. He was released from his WWE contract on April 15, 2020, as part of budget cuts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Independent Circuit and MLW (2020–2021)
Following his WWE release, Rush returned to the independent circuit, most notably working with Game Changer Wrestling. In November 2020, he signed with Major League Wrestling and won the MLW World Middleweight Championship on January 6, 2021, by defeating Myron Reed at Kings of Colosseum. He also won the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship in February 2021 by defeating Laredo Kid, although that reign was not recognized in Mexico by AAA booker Konnan.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2021–2024)
Rush made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut at the Super J-Cup, where he competed against El Phantasmo and Rocky Romero. He qualified for the New Japan Cup USA 2021 and, alongside Yoh, won the Super Junior Tag League the following year. The pair challenged TJP and Francesco Akira for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17, but were unsuccessful.
On March 21, 2023, Rush unsuccessfully challenged Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. He competed in the Best of the Super Juniors 30 tournament in A block, finishing with 12 points and narrowly missing the semi-finals. In a December 2023 interview with WrestlePurists, Rush revealed that a deal with NJPW had fallen through and that he was once again a free agent.
Impact Wrestling (2023)
Rush made his Impact Wrestling debut on March 30, 2023, against Kushida at Multiverse United but lost by submission. He returned on June 23, 2023, teaming with Nick Aldis to defeat The Motor City Machine Guns at the Summer Sizzler event, establishing himself as a heel in the process. He defeated Chris Sabin at Slammiversary to become the Impact X Division Champion for the first time, retained the title against Kushida at Victory Road, and lost it back to Sabin at Impact 1000, marking his final appearance for the company.
All Elite Wrestling (2021–2022)
Rush first appeared for All Elite Wrestling at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view on May 30, 2021, as the “Joker” in the Casino Battle Royale. After dealing with a shoulder injury, he officially signed with AEW on September 29, 2021, and debuted on AEW Dynamite on November 10, 2021, alongside tag team partner Dante Martin, defeating Matt Sydal and Lee Moriarty. He revealed in January 2022 that his contract was set to expire on February 14, 2022, and he became a free agent on that date.
Return to AEW and ROH (2024–Present)
Rush returned to AEW on the May 29, 2024, episode of Dynamite as a participant in the Casino Gauntlet Match to earn an AEW World Championship match at Forbidden Door, which was won by Will Ospreay. On June 21, 2024, it was reported that Rush would be an AEW regular going forward, and on October 12, 2024, he confirmed that he had signed with AEW. He aligned himself with Top Flight and Action Andretti, and on July 20, 2024, he returned to Ring of Honor for the first time in seven years. On December 4, 2024, he and Andretti eliminated Top Flight from the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale, teasing a split, and on December 14 at Winter is Coming, they defeated Top Flight to earn a future AEW World Tag Team Championship opportunity.
CRU and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2025)
On January 4, 2025, Rush and Andretti failed to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship from Private Party on Collision. On January 18, 2025, they attacked Top Flight, cementing their heel turn. On February 22, 2025, Rush and Andretti revealed their team name to be CRU, an acronym for “crazy, ruthless, and unhinged.” On April 6, 2025, CRU teamed with Nick Wayne to defeat AR Fox and Top Flight at Dynasty Zero Hour, and on June 17, 2025, they made their Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre debut at Martes de Arena Mexico, unsuccessfully challenging Los Nuevos Ingobernables for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship.
Style and Strengths
Rush is known for his fast-paced, high-flying style and his confident, outspoken persona. During his time as Bobby Lashley’s manager in WWE, he was praised for his sharp speaking ability and cited actor and comedian Kevin Hart as an influence on his promo work. In the ring, he relies on quickness, aerial offense, and hard-hitting strikes, with several of his televised cruiserweight bouts drawing praise for their athletic quality.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Rush’s most notable career milestones are his 2016 ROH Top Prospect Tournament win, his two CZW Wired Championship reigns, his CZW World Heavyweight Championship, his 2018 WWE United Kingdom Championship Invitational win, and his record-setting run as the youngest NXT Cruiserweight Champion in 2019. He has also held the MLW World Middleweight Championship, the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship, and the Impact X Division Championship, and he has competed in marquee events such as Wrestle Kingdom 17 and Survivor Series.
Lio Rush Career Wins
Across promotions, Lio Rush has built a résumé that includes championships in WWE’s NXT, Major League Wrestling, AAA, and Impact Wrestling, as well as tournament victories on the independent circuit and in Ring of Honor. The following sections highlight the titles and accomplishments that have been verified from the available sources.
WWE NXT Highlights
Rush won the NXT Cruiserweight Championship on the October 9, 2019, episode of NXT, becoming the youngest champion in the title’s history. He successfully defended the championship at Survivor Series 2019 in an Interbrand Triple Threat match and lost the title to Angel Garza on December 11, 2019, ending his reign at 63 days. He was also the winner of the 2018 WWE United Kingdom Championship Invitational.
Major League Wrestling Highlights
On January 6, 2021, Rush defeated Myron Reed at Kings of Colosseum to win the MLW World Middleweight Championship. He followed that up in February 2021 by defeating Laredo Kid for the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship, although that reign was not recognized in Mexico by AAA booker Konnan.
Impact Wrestling Highlights
Rush won the Impact X Division Championship by defeating Chris Sabin at Slammiversary 2023, becoming a champion in the promotion for the first time. He successfully defended the title against Kushida at Victory Road before losing it back to Sabin at Impact 1000.
Independent and CZW Highlights
On the independent circuit, Rush won the 2016 ROH Top Prospect Tournament, the CZW Wired Championship twice, and the CZW World Heavyweight Championship in May 2017. He also held the MCW Tag Team Championship with Patrick Clark, the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup XV, and the HOG Crown Jewel Championship.
Lio Rush Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Lionel Gerard Green was raised in a musical household in Lanham, Maryland. Both of his parents are gospel singers, and his father operated a recording studio beneath the room where Green grew up. He has spoken publicly about a brother named Lorenzo, who died at a young age, and has dedicated a tattoo of his mother’s poem about Lorenzo to him.
Personal Life
Green resides in Los Angeles, California. He married Sarah Lai Wah on December 21, 2018, in Las Vegas, and the couple has three sons. Outside of wrestling, Rush is a recording artist who released his debut studio album Ever After on May 11, 2020, followed by The Final Match in July 2020 and the extended play Not Found in September 2021. He also competed on the thirty-sixth season of MTV’s reality competition series The Challenge in 2020, leaving the show on his own accord in episode 6 for mental health reasons.
2025 Season Performance
Rush’s 2025 storyline has been defined by the formation of CRU with Action Andretti. After the duo failed to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship from Private Party on January 4, they attacked Top Flight on January 18, fully cementing a heel turn. On February 22, the team officially revealed the CRU name on Collision, and on April 6, they teamed with Nick Wayne to defeat AR Fox and Top Flight at Dynasty Zero Hour.
On June 17, 2025, Rush and Andretti made their Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre debut at Martes de Arena Mexico, challenging Los Nuevos Ingobernables for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship in a losing effort. The match further established CRU on an international stage and signaled Rush’s continued pursuit of tag team gold across multiple promotions.
Looking ahead, Rush is expected to continue working with AEW and ROH while maintaining his CMLL commitments, and his partnership with Andretti is positioned as a central piece of the AEW tag team division. With momentum from the CRU reveal and a growing resume of cross-promotional appearances, Rush enters the second half of 2025 as a high-profile heel with title aspirations on multiple fronts.
