Former WWE RAW star confirms he is still communicating with Tony Khan despite leaving AEW

A former WWE Raw star, who also had a brief run in AEW, reveals that he is still in touch with Tony Khan despite his exit from the promotion a few years ago.

The former WWE star in question is Lio Rush. Lio is currently one of the top stars in TNA (fka IMPACT Wrestling). He also performed in the Stamford-based promotion from 2017 to 2020 before his release. After his NXT run, Rush gained prominence on the main roster by managing Bobby Lashley on RAW and got over.

Following his release, Rush signed with AEW in 2021 but didn't have a memorable run, as he was released after a few months. Later, the 29-year-old continued performing in the Indies and NJPW before signing with TNA. Meanwhile, Lio Rush disclosed that he is still in touch with Tony Khan despite leaving his promotion two years ago.

Speaking to Wrestle Purists recently, Lio revealed the following:

“For sure it was definitely a mutual parting (from AEW), and it was an understanding parting too. I think a lot of people think that there was this heavy war, bad blood, y’know. But like I said, sometimes things just don’t work out, and me and Tony (Khan) have been in communication since then. At the end of the day, we’ve gotta do what’s best for us and in that instant, in that moment, it was best for both parties.”

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The former WWE star opened up on his animosity with Tony Khan

Former WWE star Lio Rush had to leave AEW due to some diversity issues, and he also publicly called out the company CEO and President, Tony Khan, once. However, Rush is still open to returning to the promotion. Speaking on Insights with Chris Van Vliet, he also admitted:

"I like Tony a lot. I really like Tony. I think that's the first time I'm saying that out loud... Tony liked me a lot. I feel like we connected pretty quickly and I feel like that's why there was a lot of emotion involved. I probably shouldn't have brought the emotion out, but again, I'm glad I did." [H/T: WrestlingINC]

Meanwhile, Lio Rush continues to thrive as a top star in TNA, and only time will tell if the fans will ever see him back in AEW after his controversy with Tony Khan.