MTV Star’s Trainer Dies of Leukemia

MTV The Challenge: Double Agents

Lio Rush, a professional wrestler who will be making his debut on MTV’s The Challenge: Double Agents, recently shared a tribute to his trainer, who died after a battle with leukemia. Rush’s trainer, RJ Meyer, was a well-known and much-loved figure in the wrestling world and he died on November 15, his family announced.

Meyer, who was also known as Bruiser, was diagnosed with Leukemia in March 2019, Ringside News reported, and had a bone marrow transplant in October of that year. However, his health continued to deteriorate and he died in mid-November. Tara Meyer wrote on Facebook, “Bruiser is at peace now. Thank you for all your love and support. I read all the messages, posts and videos to him all weekend and he heard them all. He loved you all as much as you loved him. Thank you for always being with him along his journey.”

Prior to his death, Rush posted on Twitter, “My trainer is losing his battle with Leukemia and it is absolutely killing me. Please say a prayer for him and his family today.” After news of his death broke, Rush then posted a series of remembrances and photos of his trainer and shared how important Meyer had been to his life and career.

Rush Posted a Tribute to His Late Trainer & Later Announced That He’d Named a Finisher After Him

After news of Meyer’s death broke, Rush posted a long tribute to his trainer, writing, “There would be NO Lio Rush if it weren’t for this man. … I walked into the doors of MCW training center as an 18 year old kid 6 years ago eager to learn. He saw something special in me and took the time to not only be my trainer in school but my mentor in life.”

He finished his post by writing, “He’s a big reason why I’m still alive today. This is heart breaking and devastating but it also gives me hope and warms my heart knowing that not only myself, but for everyone that he touched and everyone that came across his life will continue to carry on his legacy and name To my coach, my trainer, my mentor, an amazing wrestler and loving father, R.I.P. to one of the greatest in my eyes. I love you.”

He also later shared to Twitter, “Everything that i do in wrestling from here on out will be dedicated to him to carry on his legacy. He was one of the greats who never made it to the ‘main stage’ but he trained so many people who did.” Rush appeared to do just that, as on November 25, he announced a new finisher named in honor of Meyer.

Rush Has a Career As a Pro-Wrestler & Musician But Will Also Be Attempting to Win This Season of ‘The Challenge’

Rush is a 26-year-old professional wrestler who is signed with Major League Wrestling after wrestling with WWE. According to his WWE bio, Rush was an All-American wrestler in high school who began his training as a teenager. “By the time he signed with NXT at age 22, the daredevil had produced enough GIF-worthy highlights inside the ring to become the talk of the independent wrestling community,” his bio reads.

Rush is also a musician and released his debut single, “Scenic Lullaby” in July 2019. He has since released two studio albums, one in May 2020 and another in July 2020. Rush was announced as one of the rookies on this season of The Challenge, titled Double Agents, which premieres on December 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

READ NEXT: The Challenge Star Undergoes Surgery for ‘Devastating Injury’