Lio Rush Apologizes For Tweet About WWE Releasing Emma

After receiving significant blowback on Twitter for a joke he made about Emma being released by WWE on Sunday, Lio Rush tried to clarify his comments and apologized to fans who thought they were inappropriate.

Rush first referenced Emma losing to Asuka in Asuka’s first two main roster matches at TLC and Raw last week. In a tweet that has since been deleted, he wrote: “I guess these are the things that happen when you’re not TRULY ready for @WWEAsuka.”

I guess these are the things that happen when you’re not TRULY ready for @WWEAsuka ??

— M.O.T.H (@itsLioRush) October 29, 2017

The joke received criticism pretty quickly, including Peyton Royce pointing out that Rush just got to NXT and telling him that professionalism goes a long way. Bray Wyatt was one of the wrestlers from the main roster to respond, saying that Rush “ain’t gonna make it here with the wolves.”

Wow, kid. Didn’t you just get here? Professionalism goes a long way.

— Peyton Royce (@WWEPeytonRoyce) October 29, 2017

You aint gonna make it here with the wolves, kid.

— Bray Wyatt (@WWEBrayWyatt) October 29, 2017

@itsLioRush SHOW SOME RESPECT!! Have some class. You work for the same company. I’m so disgusted.

— MilenaRoucka (@LaRosaMendes) October 29, 2017

Laughing at someone who just lost her job. Classy as fuck! Keep your chin up @EmmaWWE! https://t.co/YQCJZW61FU

— LuFisto (@LuFisto) October 29, 2017

Tacky. https://t.co/zPFohe2j0B

— Tessa Blanchard (@Tess_Blanchard) October 29, 2017

In response to the blowback, Rush issued a statement on Twitter just a few hours after the original post.

“At the end of the day, there’s a certain level of respect within professional wrestlers in the sports & ENTERTAINMENT industry that is noted within peers. With that being said, Emma I respect you and everything you’ve done for our business. It saddens me that the ‘controversial tweet’ got completely blown out of proportion and looked at in a very insensitive way.

“As a family man with a 4 year [old] son and expecting another, I would never laugh or mock the fact of someone loosing there job because of how it can affect self person and there families. Whatever the situation may be regarding the release, You’re an amazing performer and respected athlete by yours truly and I’m sure you will excel beyond [expectations].

“To my fans who may have seen this as inappropriate as well as Emma’s fans, I apologize and I love you ALL regardless of the responses. On Behalf of myself and the WWE Goodluck!”

@EmmaWWE ❤️ pic.twitter.com/A0heKUK65X

— Man Of The Hour (@itsLioRush) October 29, 2017

While Jack Gallagher, Dash Wilder, and others weren’t as accepting of Rush’s apology, Scott Armstrong (who works as a producer for WWE) called Rush a class act and wrote that rookie mistakes are made to be learned from.

https://twitter.com/GentlemanJackG/status/924721353567203334

So busy trying to be a comedian, you forget you’re a dumbass https://t.co/lQbsyWzAsk

— Dash (@DashWilderWWE) October 29, 2017

Class act my young friend! “ROOKIE” mistakes are made to learn from!!! #goodman 👍 @itsLioRush https://t.co/hCCY98iDau

— Scott Armstrong (@WWEArmstrong) October 29, 2017