Triple H gave four released WWE Superstars creative freedom, causing backstage jealousy
AJ Francis recently recalled how some people in WWE NXT were “salty” after Triple H gave Hit Row creative freedom on the microphone.
Francis, known in WWE as Top Dolla, formed Hit Row in May 2021 alongside B-Fab, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott. The quartet moved from NXT to SmackDown in October 2021 before receiving their releases the following month.
Appearing on the Public Enemies Podcast, Francis said some co-workers disliked the fact that they were given special instructions from the 14-time world champion:
“There were some people, because I would see the looks and I would see the conversations where people didn’t think I could hear them or didn’t realize I was in the other room of the locker room. People would be salty because they didn’t get that kind of freedom. They’d been on the show for a lot longer time.” [42:43-42:58]
Francis’ only televised main-roster match as Top Dolla came on the October 22, 2021 episode of SmackDown. He teamed up with Scott to defeat Daniel Williams and Dustin Lawyer in a match that lasted just 80 seconds.
Triple H told a producer not to write scripts for Hit Row
#HitRow has arrived to #SmackDown 💸 https://t.co/PjQWTfAnak
Before their first NXT promo, a WWE producer gave Hit Row a script and told the group they could alter certain parts if needed.
AJ Francis said The Game stepped in and told the producer that Hit Row did not require anyone to write material for them:
“They were like, ‘You can change parts of it if you want to,’ like they do with everybody. Triple H got in their a**! Triple H was like, ‘Don’t write nothing for them. Let them do what they wanna do, let them say what they wanna say. We can’t tell them how to be them. We can’t tell them how to do this. Let them do their thing.’” [42:15-42:38]
The only Hit Row member to win a title in WWE, former NXT North American Champion Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, recently joined AEW. He will now go by the name Shane “Swerve” Strickland.
Please credit the Public Enemies Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.