On a recent edition of the “Insight” podcast, AJ Francis spoke about Paul Heyman supporting him and Hit Row while he was in WWE. He said,
“Paul Heyman used to stand up for me a lot and Paul Heyman would say, ‘They can’t see the difference between what, like, John Cena and Max Caster and what you’re doing.’ He said, ‘Theirs is like, not comedy, but, kayfabe rap. It’s rap within the wrestling realm. Yours is like actual, livable, breathable hip-hop’ and he said, ‘Because of that, it makes it more real. So if you’re not into that, you can’t understand it.’ So did they want me to not do it? No, they had no problem with me doing it. They just wasn’t gonna put ‘em on TV.
“There’s so many times Paul Heyman would text me, ‘Man, this should be how we start the show tonight.’ I would send him my video I’m doing, I sent him one I did for the Christmas show. He was like, ‘This should start the show tonight…’ Sent him so many different ones that we did and mind you, I never get my flowers, Hit Row never gets our flowers.”
Francis, who competed as Top Dolla in WWE, added that nobody gave Hit Row “our flowers” when a segment with LA Knight went viral. He said,
“When L.A. Knight had that 2 million-view video on YouTube in 24 hours, from the Madison Square Garden dark show, we were in the segment with him. No one ever gave us our flowers for that. I don’t know how many times that happened on WWE. Not just with L.A. Knight but just on WWE YouTube since, but we never got flowers for that.”
Francis competed in WWE as Top Dolla. He, alongside the rest of Hit Row, was released in 2021 but the group (minus Swerve Strickland) was rehired in 2022.
AJ Francis was among those released from WWE in September 2023. He has since joined TNA Wrestling and debuted at Hard to Kill 2024.
In a recent episode of the “Insight” podcast, AJ Francis, also known as Top Dolla in WWE, discussed the support he and his group, Hit Row, received from Paul Heyman during their time in the company. Francis revealed that Heyman often stood up for them and recognized the unique style of their performances.
According to Francis, Heyman acknowledged the difference between Hit Row’s approach to rap and that of other wrestlers like John Cena and Max Caster. Heyman described their style as “actual, livable, breathable hip-hop” rather than just kayfabe rap within the wrestling realm. This distinction made Hit Row’s performances more authentic and relatable to their audience.
Despite Heyman’s support, Francis mentioned that WWE was hesitant to showcase Hit Row on television. However, Heyman frequently expressed his enthusiasm for their work behind the scenes. Francis recalled instances when Heyman texted him saying that one of Hit Row’s videos should start the show that night. Unfortunately, despite their talent and Heyman’s endorsement, Hit Row never received the recognition they deserved.
Francis specifically highlighted a segment with LA Knight that went viral on YouTube, garnering 2 million views in just 24 hours. Hit Row was part of that segment, but they never received credit or acknowledgment for their involvement. Francis expressed his frustration at not being given “our flowers,” a metaphorical term for recognition and appreciation.
In 2021, Francis and the rest of Hit Row were released from WWE. However, in 2022, the group (excluding Swerve Strickland) was rehired by the company. Despite their release, Francis has found a new opportunity in TNA Wrestling and made his debut at Hard to Kill 2024.
The podcast episode provides insight into the challenges faced by Hit Row during their time in WWE and sheds light on the support they received from Paul Heyman. It also highlights the lack of recognition they received for their contributions, even when their work went viral. As Francis continues his wrestling career in TNA, fans hope that Hit Row will finally receive the recognition and success they deserve.