Lio Rush’s WWE run can have ended on a sour note, with reports of issues involving WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry and Finn Balor, but retired star Big E stays a fan of the AEW wrestler.
Big E recently discussed on the “Westwood One Sports Night” about how Rush has trialed numerous gimmicks and has consistently experimented to seek out the appropriate character, which he feels he has found with the Blackheart gimmick.
“Lio is totally committed. And he’s a man that we got to share a locker room with for a bit when he was in WWE, but he was managing Bobby Lashley, and he didn’t really get that chance to exhibit his ability. He’s such an incredible skilled wrestler, and I do know there are quite a lot of various opinions on the gimmick, but look, I’m all for trying something different, for being out of the box, for being unique. And I feel like Lio Rush has had so many various incarnations in his profession,” he said. “He’s a man who I just salute because he’s done so many various things. He’s still rapping. He’s been so many various variations of this character and this concept and this gimmick, and I believe he’s really a daring performer. And I even have a ton of respect for individuals who just take probabilities, even when things flop, even when things don’t connect with everyone.”
Big E praised Rush for being unique and out of the box, stating how he’s tired of seeing the usual character on television.
The Blackheart character has also received praise from peers in AEW, including former AEW World Champion MJF, who admired the best way Rush modified his gimmick after realizing what he was portraying wasn’t working for him. Rush initially used the character within the indies, before given the chance to apply it to AEW television, where he has featured more ceaselessly in the previous few months.