6 directions for Hit Row & Top Dolla on WWE SmackDown in 2023
WWE SmackDown faction Hit Row has struggled to maintain a relevant spot on the blue brand following a heel turn in January 2023. Since becoming villains, the hip-hop stable has failed to qualify for a tag team title shot and has seemingly fallen off the map when it comes to WWE programming.
Hit Row won only one match in 2023, defeating Angel and Humberto of Los Lotharios in the first round of the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament. Top Dolla and Ashante "Thee" Adonis would then lose in the semi-finals of the tournament to Braun Strowman and Ricochet. They only wrestled one match in February, losing to the tandem of Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. Since then, they've exclusively performed in dark matches before SmackDown, losing each time.
Currently, Top Dolla and Adonis are both booked to compete in the 2023 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which is scheduled to take place on the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown on March 31, 2023.
What's next for Hit Row and Top Dolla in 2023? Let's review six potential directions for the rap-inspired SmackDown stable.
#6 Hit Row is drafted to WWE Monday Night RAW
While the 2023 WWE Draft hasn't been confirmed, it's rumored to be taking place sometime after WrestleMania 39. Hit Row is seemingly drifting aimlessly on the blue brand and could benefit from being moved to Monday Night RAW.
Hit Row is currently doing nothing of significance on SmackDown, and the group could use a fresh start in a new environment. The red brand might be the best place for a team like Hit Row, especially since it isn't hitting on Friday nights.
#5 Hit Row goes back down to NXT
Plenty of main-roster talent have made appearances on NXT programming, with the most recent being Johnny Gargano, who is scheduled to wrestle Grayson Waller at the 2023 Stand & Deliver Premium Live Event. With Hit Row struggling to find a consistent spot on Friday nights, the trio may find itself back in the developmental brand.
In 2023, Hit Row could possibly make one or two appearances on the white-and-gold brand. If its main-roster run goes completely south, it may find itself on the Orlando brand permanently for the foreseeable future. If that happens, the tandem of Top Dolla, B-Fab, and Ashante "Thee" Adonis can rebuild its reputation by being a force to be reckoned with on Tuesday nights.
#4 WWE feeds Hit Row enhancement talent
One way to get talent over is to give them convincing wins for millions to see on television. This worked for Ryback in 2012, and it could work for Hit Row in 2023.
Hit Row can demolish enhancement talent to show why it isn't the tag team to mess with on Friday nights. Considering that the faction gets significant criticism from fans on social media, especially Top Dolla, WWE could use that as a motive for Hit Row to show its aggressive side in squashing opponents.
Before matches, it could be revealed that its opponents have a social-media history of bashing Hit Row and Top Dolla. This will give Hit Row an incentive to destroy its opponents while also providing a story for each squash match.
#3 Hit Row continues to go after tag team gold
Hit Row was unsuccessful in winning the SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contender Tournament. But that doesn't mean it won't compete for tag team gold sometime this year.
Whether on RAW, SmackDown, or NXT, Hit Row could potentially go after gold once again in 2023. If WWE decides to split up the Undisputed Tag Team Championship, that'll greatly increase the chances of the team walking away with the titles.
#2 WWE can experiment with Top Dolla as a singles competitor
Despite the big man of Hit Row getting a lot of negative criticism online, he's emerged as the most recognizable and relevant wrestler within the three-person group. While WWE has a reputation for splitting up tag teams, Top Dolla can still be aligned with Hit Row even if he branches off into the singles division.
To position Top Dolla as a bonafide beast within the squared circle, WWE might book him against a series of enhancement talent to put him over. If he manages to get over via squash matches, Top Dolla may find himself in more noteworthy segments and possibly going after a mid-card singles title like the Intercontinental Championship.
#1 Hit Row is snubbed for WrestleMania 39 and upset about that
Hit Row currently isn't scheduled to compete at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles this April. This could give the three-person tandem a reason to be upset. The group can claim that being excluded from The Showcase of The Immortals is a grave injustice.
B-Fab, Top Dolla, and Ashante "Thee" Adonis can cut promos about how they were "wrongly" excluded from The Show of Shows and accuse WWE and the fans of discrimination.
WrestleMania Goes Hollywood later this week, and if Hit Row isn't booked for the festivities, there may be hell to pay.