"I could pass out into a diabetic coma" - Diabetic Neuropathy affected former WWE star's in-ring ability
WWE Superstars often get injured and continue to wrestle without realizing the nature of their injury. Recently, a 33-year-old star opened up about his infamous botch and revealed that he was diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy that affected his in-ring ability.
In 2022, Top Dolla of Hit Row was heavily trolled by fans across the globe for botching a dive during a number-one contender's match on WWE SmackDown. However, the story behind the botch and its effects was horrific for the star as he was diagnosed with Diabetic Neuropathy.
Speaking on Muscle Man Malcolm, AJ Francis spoke about the botch and revealed he did not know about his condition, which ultimately affected his in-ring ability during matches against The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.
"So I started losing feeling in my toes and I was like 'Man, you know, Doc, is it something out of alignment? He was like, 'What you're describing kinda sounds like Diabetic Neuropathy' and he was like 'Have you had your blood sugar checked?' I was like nah. He was like 'You should probably go and get your blood sugar checked.'"
He continued:
"But me being a big dumb idiot, I still waited a couple of weeks before I went to the doctor and got my blood sugar checked. When I got my blood sugar checked, it was 626... But I'm like at the point where I could pass out into a diabetic coma. at any time like I'm losing full sensation of my feet." [10:55 - 11:40]
Francis revealed that the results came back later, and they immediately started him on medication. However, the condition did affect his in-ring ability, as he was not able to feel his toes and legs during matches.
What did Top Dolla and Hit Row do in WWE before his release?
In 2022, Top Dolla, Ashante Adonis, and B-Fab returned to WWE for another run as a group and joined SmackDown. Initially, the stable received opportunities, such as facing The Usos for the titles.
They also had an in-ring segment with Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy. Sadly, the management didn't use them further, and the two ended up losing matches similar to enhancement talent on the blue brand.
After running into popular teams and losing on WWE SmackDown, Dolla had his last match against LA Knight before getting released. Meanwhile, Ashante Adonis and B-Fab are still with the promotion.
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If you use quotes from this article, please credit Muscle Man Malcolm and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.