Lio Rush locker room heat, turned down $300K per year (pg5)

[Instant Classic]

May 2, 2019 8:38:51 GMT -5 @cmprinny said:

May 2, 2019 8:07:55 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

I don’t care if you’re a veteran, carry your own damn bags.

Yeah i don't do that stuff either. It actually got me kicked off a football team in high school. Was told to and i said something like "pick up your bags like an adult, or the emts will be picking up an adult in a bag".

Good thing this was 17 years ago and not nowadays xD
#TeenAngst

I’m all for carrying the water as a rookie but people’s bags when they’re fully capable. F*** outta here.

[2coldMack is even more baffled]

My thing is, if he wanted to say "We're all adults, carry your own bags", and that was it? I could....provisionally agree with him. Where he loses me is in making it a race thing, because it makes it impossible to argue the point with him without it orbiting around that point. It's a very manipulative stance to take, especially considering.....dude, go ask a guy like Booker T. what he probably had to do as a rookie breaking into the business, and thank your lucky stars ALL you have to do is carry bags.

[Rave]

May 2, 2019 10:08:55 GMT -5 @kn said:

Lio doesn't get that hypothetically say he doesn't carry bags. That automatically makes him look better than those before him even if they're seniors. That's not being equal. He doesn't get that not having people get clearance backstage means he's better than the others, that's not equal. Not listening to seniors while others do doesn't make him equal.

He's spending a lot of time talking about equality but his actions and comments show us that he's not willing to be equal. The biggest thing I take from all this recent Lio news is that he doesn't seem to be a team player. He's done nothing to show he'd go out for the team. This isn't a regular 9-5 job, this is a team sport.

This. This this this. And repeatedly playing the race card as an attempt at a defense just makes it even worse.

[Deleted]

save it for the shoot interview video $

[Bub (BLM)]

Well, he's a goner. In an extra 6 months.

[Fade]

May 2, 2019 10:58:09 GMT -5 Bub (BLM) said:

Well, he's a goner. In an extra 6 months.

Or they’ll TJP him.

[Richard]

May 2, 2019 10:08:55 GMT -5 @kn said:

Lio doesn't get that hypothetically say he doesn't carry bags. That automatically makes him look better than those before him even if they're seniors. That's not being equal. He doesn't get that not having people get clearance backstage means he's better than the others, that's not equal. Not listening to seniors while others do doesn't make him equal.

He's spending a lot of time talking about equality but his actions and comments show us that he's not willing to be equal. The biggest thing I take from all this recent Lio news is that he doesn't seem to be a team player. He's done nothing to show he'd go out for the team. This isn't a regular 9-5 job, this is a team sport.

This also ties into another of his his complaints. By refusing these things, not helping out and showing the respect to the rest of the guys, why should they want to help him out? Those rental cars and hotels become much cheaper divided by 2 or 3 people.

Not to mention that even if someone wants to take pity on him, this is only going to make him too toxic to deal with.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

May 2, 2019 8:38:51 GMT -5 @cmprinny said:

May 2, 2019 8:07:55 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

I don’t care if you’re a veteran, carry your own damn bags.

Yeah i don't do that stuff either. It actually got me kicked off a football team in high school. Was told to and i said something like "pick up your bags like an adult, or the emts will be picking up an adult in a bag".

Good thing this was 17 years ago and not nowadays xD
#TeenAngst

I don't agree with your opinion on the bag carrying, but my God that is a brilliantly sociopathic threat, well done.

[Deleted]

As if it couldn't get any worse for Ol' Lio. Here's what Mark "I'm the Elder God of the locker room" Henry said.

Mark Henry on Lio Rush: "I pulled him aside the last time I saw him and told him 'I'm hearing stuff in the locker room. What's wrong?' He said nothing's wrong. It was a blatant lie to my face. I let him know that if he has a question, right now is the time to do that"

"You're likely not going to run into someone who knows the system like I know the system. He didn't do that. He lied to my face. Sometimes you have to talk to people that know more than you do."

"If you can't pay for a rental car, you can't pay for a hotel with the money that you're making every week then you need to change the way you're spending. You can't blame that on the office. If you spent everything before you got it, that's your problem."

- Busted Open Radio

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

May 2, 2019 11:40:41 GMT -5 @kn said:

And it gets even worse. Here's what Mark "I'm the Elder God of the locker room" Henry just said.

Mark Henry on Lio Rush: "I pulled him aside the last time I saw him and told him 'I'm hearing stuff in the locker room. What's wrong?' He said nothing's wrong. It was a blatant lie to my face. I let him know that if he has a question, right now is the time to do that"

"You're likely not going to run into someone who knows the system like I know the system. He didn't do that. He lied to my face. Sometimes you have to talk to people that know more than you do."

"If you can't pay for a rental car, you can't pay for a hotel with the money that you're making every week then you need to change the way you're spending. You can't blame that on the office. If you spent everything before you got it, that's your problem."

- Busted Open Radio

Isn't Mark's entire job now basically breaking up bullshit like this?

Pray. For. Li. O.

[Fade]

May 2, 2019 11:40:41 GMT -5 @kn said:

As if it couldn't get any worse for Ol' Lio. Here's what Mark "I'm the Elder God of the locker room" Henry said.

Mark Henry on Lio Rush: "I pulled him aside the last time I saw him and told him 'I'm hearing stuff in the locker room. What's wrong?' He said nothing's wrong. It was a blatant lie to my face. I let him know that if he has a question, right now is the time to do that"

"You're likely not going to run into someone who knows the system like I know the system. He didn't do that. He lied to my face. Sometimes you have to talk to people that know more than you do."

"If you can't pay for a rental car, you can't pay for a hotel with the money that you're making every week then you need to change the way you're spending. You can't blame that on the office. If you spent everything before you got it, that's your problem."

- Busted Open Radio

Ladies & Gentlemen: Son’d.

[Richard]

Man, when one of the nicest people ever in wrestling calls you a lying shithead, you got problems.

[2coldMack is even more baffled]

Damn....

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Nah pulling that race is bullshit. If you don't want to carry bags, say so and eat the crow that comes your way but to pull the race card is stupid

This is a team sport. Nobody is asking you to do stuff they haven't done and I don't see luggage and water as something you lose your shit over. By bringing all this attention on yourself you've shown that you're about yourself and he's undercutting his own points. The merch sales is BS and he should be mad but all that other shit nah i'm not feeling it

HE BIG DONE!! Mark Henry put him on full blast and outright said you lied to him. That's a no go. Your actions don't match your words Lio. No one is saying kiss ass and you have every right to defend yourself if you feel shit isn't right but it seems you came in the door from jump with an attitude and ain't no one feeling that shit

He's still young and very talented but when he eventually gets cut he's going have to get his head right

[MrElijah]

May 2, 2019 10:38:46 GMT -5 @conebone69 said:

If he does get fired he will be the envy of half the roster. Even Marty Jannetty would have trouble getting fired in the WWE today.

Yeah, he gets fired twice instead of 5 times.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

May 2, 2019 9:23:54 GMT -5 lionheart21 said:

I am kinda torn here. On one hand, I agree with the idea that having someone signed from the indies having to "pay their dues" is ridiculous. They did pay their dues, its called "working the indies." Also not cool with the whole "carry my bags" deal, since that can escalate to where vets could make the rookie's life a living hell, just for the hell of it (i.e. Bradshaw). There's showing respect towards the vets, and then there's basically being their bitch.

On the flip side tho you are in a whole new system. "Paying their dues" per se is the correct term but more so I just see it as fitting in. Ask me to do it on my first tour sure, anything else after hell no

Too add a loose example, when you're a freshman on the team in college the juniors and seniors have you do shit. Eventually you become a senior in college but once you reach the NBA, you're a rookie all over again and doing shit for the vets. 

As I said before he has every right to defend himself and if shit is going overboard then you show them you're not a bitch but i'm getting none of those vibes here. He's just coming off as entitled

[Richard]

Holy cow, Lio you idiot:
.

LIO RUSH-WWE UPDATES, INCLUDING THE LATEST ON HIS STATUS, LIO ON HIS HEAT, MARK HENRY COMMENTS ON LIO'S ISSUES AND MORE
by Mike Johnson @ 1:14 PM on 5/2/2019

WWE Raw star Lio Rush has become one of the most talked about personalities in the business with numerous reports in recent weeks about heat behind the scenes and issues within the company.

Rush responded to a number of those reports during an interview with Sean Ross Sapp of The Fightful.com website yesterday, an interview that has led to WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry decrying Rush's claims on an edition of the Busted Open Radio show that aired this morning on SiriusXM Radio.

In the interview with Sapp, Rush responded to our report that he had heat during the November 2018 European tour for not wanting to handle menial tasks assigned to junior members of the tour, including bringing water to veteran talents at the gorilla position following their matches and carrying coolers into hotels in advance of talents having a common, private area to congregate after shows, stating, "It’s not about race and it has never been, but public perception is important to me and when we have fans that travel all over the globe and watch us get off of buses and into hotels, the LOOK of a black kid carrying waters and bags for other wrestlers is just not a good look, especially when I’m trying to portray myself as a superstar as well,"

One WWE talent who was on that tour, however, contacted PWInsider.com this morning to point out that while Rush blew off the responsibilities, The Authors of Pain and Drake Maverick, who were also on their first European tours did not. The source questioned why those three talents, especially one already as well established as Maverick was in the industry, had not issue with paying respect, but Rush did, wondering if it was because Rush had brought his wife with him on the tour.

Mark Henry also took exception to Rush's claims today on the air, commenting that when he started in the company in 1996, assisting Yokozuna was his responsibility and commented, "It's not a race issue. It's an ego issue. Who are you? Nobody is exempt from being respectful to the business and paying homage to the guys drawing money. We all have done it. Steve Austin did it. The Rock did it. You better than The Rock? Get the hell out of here!"

In his Fightful interview, Rush defended himself against allegations that he had brought his wife backstage without permission and claimed there were forces trying to get him fired, commenting, "Me and Finn [Balor] are cool ,and my wife has never been an issue. There is someone who works for WWE who has hated me since the day I’ve worked for ROH and now that they work for WWE they’re leaking false information to get me released. At a certain point, I have to defend myself so that’s what I decided to do. We’re all human, and we’re all grown ass adults. The kind of sh** the flies backstage is ridiculous and I’m surprised more people aren’t speaking up."

Rush did not elaborate on who within WWE he felt was out to get him.

However, PWInsider.com can confirm there had been multiple complaints made about Rush bringing his wife backstage and allowing her to change clothes in the women's locker room dating back to the November 2018 European tour. There was also an incident where Rush brought a group backstage at a TV taping last year and when the group were stopped for not all having proper credentials, the group loudly began yelling at a female member of WWE's security team, which did not ingratiate Rush to certain members of the locker room.

During the November 2018 tour, PWInsider.com was told by several sources that another veteran talent (not Finn Balor) attempted to speak to Rush about his issues, only to be rebuffed and told by Rush that he, "works for Vince, not you." That veteran talent was later approached by WWE management as Rush had complained about him speaking down to Rush, when he was not an executive in the company. When word of that made the rounds, it led to Rush being removed from the locker room for a period of time after that tour and that point, his issues became less of a regular occurrence in the locker room. In recent weeks, that has changed.

The issues surrounding Rush are not new and have been discussed for many months. On this morning's edition of Busted Open, Mark Henry noted that he approached Rush (and it should be noted we are told Henry has been a huge supporter of Rush behind the scenes) and asked him about the stories Rush was having issues in the company.

Henry stated, "I pulled him aside the last time I saw him and told him 'I'm hearing stuff in the locker room. What's wrong?' He said nothing's wrong. It was a blatant lie to my face. I let him know that if he has a question, right now is the time to do that."

During the interview with Fightful, Rush also implied that he was not able to make a livable wage working for WWE, which signed him to a developmental deal in 2017, stating, "My issue isn’t with my on-screen role. My issue is the fact that I haven’t been on meet & greets with Bobby, haven’t been getting paid for merchandise for us that has my catchphrases on them. (I) have been sent to live shows and TVs and forced to pay for my own rental for 5 days as well as hotel while not making enough money to do so. Walking around broke in the biggest sports entertainment industry that there is while having two kids and a wife to support."

Rush's claims are interesting, especially since WWE sources have claimed today that Rush was offered a new, five-year contract that was said to be in the $300 thousand range, but turned it down, instead, according to multiple sources, asking for double that number.

Henry bristled at Rush’s claims, noting this morning, ““If you can’t pay for a rental car, you can’t pay for a hotel with the money that you’re making every week then you need to change the way you’re spending. You can’t blame that on the office. If you spent everything before you got it, that’s your problem.”

As previously reported on PWInsider.com, there has been talk of sending Rush back to NXT with the idea of building him a new character and presenting him as something more than just a mouthpiece. We are told that Rush has, at on at least one occasion, instead suggested the company release him so he can “show them” what he could accomplish outside of WWE.

PWInsider.com has been told Rush has been pulled from the upcoming European tour, but that was a decision that was made a week ago. He was backstage at Raw the two past two weeks but not used. His current deal with WWE ends in 2020.

I was only going to point out a few spots but the whole thing... man.

[Steveweiser]

If it was $300k a year in his position, I'd have snapped their hands off for it. Not sure who in the company is on $600k a year, but I'm fairly certain Lio isn't on their level to deserve it.

[Deleted]

May 2, 2019 12:22:47 GMT -5 Richard said:

Rush's claims are interesting, especially since WWE sources have claimed today that Rush was offered a new, five-year contract that was said to be in the $300 thousand range, but turned it down, instead, according to multiple sources, asking for double that number.

... Yeah, can we stop having the slightest bit of sympathy for this egotistical dipshit?

[Gus Richlen: Ruffian]

Just as an honest question, since I'm not even remotely familiar with WWE contracts, would that have been $300K a year or $300K over the whole five years?