Hit Row made their return to WWE after Triple H took control of power. Vince McMahon fired the entire stable previously, and Swerve Strickland went to AEW before Triple H could do anything about it. Now, Hit Row is no more after Top Dolla’s release, but he doesn’t believe there were any plans to begin with.

Hit Row’s Second Run In WWE

Top Dolla was released from WWE in September, and now he is a free agent as AJ Francis once again. As rumors of a TNA in-ring debut are strong, due to his planned music video debut at Hard to Kill, he has vivid memories of his time in WWE.

While speaking to Busted Open Radio, the former Top Dolla opened up about his time in WWE. He feels as though the company never had a plan for Hit Row.

“I feel like they didn’t have an idea how to use Hit Row. I feel like the idea of the hip-hop stable just didn’t really gell with what they had creatively and what they wanted to do creatively. They had different plans for the three of us. I’m just happy that Briana and Tehuti, which are B-Fab and Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis are still there. I’m happy they’re still getting money. I’m happy that they seem to be getting involved on the show. I have no ill will towards anyone there. It’s just now I got to worry about me. I don’t care about anybody else but me. That’s why I don’t want to be in no factions. I don’t want to be in no groups or tag teams. I’m tired of people pretending that I need other people. I can do it by myself and I’m going to do it by myself.”

AJ Francis Got A Weird Feeling

AJ Francis went on to say that, during his second run in WWE, he noticed a significant difference in his relationship with Triple H, characterized by mutual respect. 

He acknowledged Paul Heyman as a strong supporter of his as well, but that might have been the extent of it. There were instances when he felt unwelcome, perceiving it through the energy and body language in the Gorilla Position during matches. 

I don’t know how to say it other than like, sometimes I just never felt welcome. Like when other talent would be in Gorilla, like, I would go in Gorilla and watch people’s matches, and I would watch the dark matches, and I would watch during the show, and I just didn’t feel like I was supposed to be there. I just felt like the energy around was like, I shouldn’t be in there. I don’t know why I felt that way. 

Despite no explicit objections, the atmosphere left AJ Francis with a sense of not belonging. Every Friday on SmackDown, AJ would show up, sometimes alone, running spots in the ring, often with a ghost partner. Collaborating with William Regal and others, he also said he gave his all in dark matches, aiming to engage the crowd and cut promos, but the consistent dislike from the audience towards Hit Row suggested a lack of plans for the group. 

Things took a big turn for Hit Row, especially after LA Knight verbally dismantled the faction. It wasn’t long until they were never seen on television as a faction again.

Hit Row Members Left In WWE

In the end, Francis was released, while B-Fab and Ashante Thee Adonis were left on the blue brand. B-Fab was featured speaking with Bobby Lashley as he created his new stable, but nothing ever came from that.

Adonis was recently spotted in a backstage segment with Nick Aldis, where he was asking for an opportunity. We will have to see if there are finally some plans for them in WWE.

Hit Row has turned heel.

On last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Ricochet mocked Top Dolla for his botched dive during SmackDown a few weeks ago, which upset Top Dolla. The big man got fired up and shoved Ricochet. 

This confrontation led to a match between the two, which was announced for the following week.

The Turn

Fast forward to Friday’s show, Ricochet defeated Top Dolla to qualify for the men’s Royal Rumble match. Post-match, Dolla offered Ricochet a handshake and raised his arm, but it was all a ruse as Ashante “Thee” Adonis blindsided the former WWE Intercontinental Champion. 

Adonis hit Ricochet with a super kick before Top Dolla, and B-Fab also took part in beating Ricochet down until Braun Strowman ran down to the ring to make the save and send Hit Row retreating.

Ricochet now joins Kofi Kingston in the men’s Royal Rumble match. Kofi Kingston previously qualified for the match. 28 other stars will make up the match, with the winner earning a shot at the Undisputed WWE Universal Title that is currently held by Roman Reigns, who will also be in action on this show as he defends against Kevin Owens. 

WWE Superstar Top Dolla (AJ Francis) is getting candid about the disappointment and shame he felt when he was released from the company in 2021.

Hit Row is back doing their thing on the SmackDown brand, but it was not an easy road getting there. The group was swept up in WWE’s ‘cost cutting’ wave of releases last year and Top Dolla was hit especially hard when he found himself out of work.

During an appearance on the Fox Sports Out of Character podcast, Dolla told host Ryan Satin that he was caught completely off guard when he lost his dream job. When asked about his initial reaction, he recalled, “Disappointment. Shame.”

“I’ve worked to get to that point,” he said. “We had the fastest call-up ever in NXT history. To then be released a month later it was like, I felt.. I didn’t know that this would happen. I had no assurances that I’d be back in WWE again. So I felt like maybe the two years that I had spent in NXT, getting to that point was just a waste of my time, because I was gonna have to go do something else now. What ended up happening, which was a blessing, was the fact that, I always stayed in contact with Hunter.”

He recalls being “genuinely depressed” when his career came to a screeching halt.

“When we first got released, it was tough. I was genuinely depressed. I had spent my entire life looking for a chance to get an opportunity to be on SmackDown, to be on Raw. Then I got there and then a month later it got taken out from underneath me. So it was one of the worst experiences [and] times of my life.”

Luckily, hard work pays off. He, Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab were brought back to WWE as part of Triple H’s initiative to re-hire a slew of talented performers.

Top Dolla has gotten himself in great physical shape over the past few months. He revealed on Twitter that he was 367 pounds when he re-signed with WWE less than three months ago. On November 9, he weighed in at 303 pounds – the lightest he’s been since his junior year of college.

You can check out Top Dolla’s full interview below:

Since taking over WWE main roster creative, Triple H has brought back several wrestlers that had been let go. 

Fightful Select reports that wrestlers who were brought back for the SmackDown brand are on three-year contracts that are set to expire in the Summer of 2025. Hit Row has matching deals that expire around the same time and are on those three-year deals. Some wrestlers brought back had representation and were able to negotiate different contracts.

Other Talent

Several stars brought back “were able to negotiate the ability to utilize some outside projects and platforms that they would not have been allowed to do at the time they were released.”

Many of those rules were relaxed as far back as WrestleMania 38 in April and are even more relaxed. 

The preparation of some of these returns has ranged from the day before to several days out or in weeks. It was weeks in the making for Johnny Gargano, while Karrion Kross and Scarlett were just days. WWE had plans to bring in Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows for over a month. 

Triple H has brought back Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Dakota Kai, Dexter Lumis, the three members of Hit Row, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Emma, and Mia Yim.

Hit Row made a “smash return” to WWE on the August 12th edition of Friday Night SmackDown. However, they are missing a key component of the original act.

The group, which was comprised of Swerve Strickland, Top Dolla, Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab, were broken up and released from WWE at different points throughout 2021.

Strickland later signed with All Elite Wrestling. Along with Keith Lee, he’s one half of the reigning AEW World tag team champions.

The three remaining members now look to reestablish themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the SmackDown brand.

During a recent appearance on the Jobbing Out podcast, Top Dolla spoke about how their WWE return came about and his thoughts about the group continuing without Swerve.

Hit Row’s Road Back to WWE

Hit Row member Top Dolla appeared on the Jobbing Out podcast this week and spoke about their road back to WWE. He never stopped talking to Triple H after his release. They kept in regular touch and said they have a strong relationship.

He kept in touch with other members of WWE management, as well. The day after he was released from WWE, John Laurinaitis (former head of talent relations) called him and said Hit Row would be waned back in WW when the company resumes hiring.

Top Dolla said the group knows they created something special. They never stopped plotting their return and were eager to get back to work. When Triple H came into power at WWE, Top Dolla was waiting for “the call” to return. That call came and he told Triple H the crew is ready to come back. Within a week or so, they were back on television.

Hit Row Without Swerve Strickland

Of course, Top Dolla was asked about the absence of Swerve Strickland, the group’s breakout star during their initial run in NXT.

The former NFL star said it’s not really a big deal, because the three remaining members have been working together for over two years and were a unit before Swerve was added to the group.

Top Dolla said he, Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab are the “OG-3.” The group was his creation and were just fine before Swerve was added. The three original members feed off of each other creatively and will be just fine on SmackDown.

Listen to Top Dola’s appearance on the Jobbing Out podcast:

Three members of Hit Row returned tonight during WWE Friday Night SmackDown.

It was reported that Top Dolla and Ashante “Thee” Adonis were on their way back as they were scheduled to be backstage at the show. Also joining them is B-Fab. 

At the end of the first hour of the broadcast, there were 2 enhancement wrestlers standing in the ring. SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee noted that they didn’t know who they would be facing until Hit Row’s music played. They quickly beat enhancement wrestlers in a quick squash match.

There is one person missing this time: Swerve Strickland, who is currently under an AEW contract. Following the squash match, all three members of Hit Row cut promos to remind fans who they are.

Hit Row quickly became a favorite group after they debuted in NXT, and they would quickly make their way to the main roster in the WWE Draft. Soon after B-Fab was released then the rest of the group was let go. 

This marked their first appearance on WWE television since they were released last November. This wouldn’t have happened if Vince McMahon was still in charge, but with Triple H in charge, he has brought back several former stars. 

Since Triple H took over as WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, the company has seen several returns.

At Summerslam 2022, Dakota Kai returned to WWE to align with Bayley and IYO SKY, the latter of whom had been expected to leave WWE this year when her contract expired.

On the post-Summerslam SmackDown, Karrion Kross and Scarlett returned, with the former NXT Champion attacking Drew McIntyre.

During this week’s Raw, Dexter Lumis made his presence felt in the crowd and teased a program with AJ Styles.

Two More Returns

Plenty of Superstars have returned to WWE in the post-Vince McMahon era, and two more could be appearing on tonight’s episode of SmackDown.

Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis and AJ ‘Top Dolla’ Francis are scheduled to be at tonight’s SmackDown in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to pwinsider. It was not confirmed that the pair will be appearing on-screen though it seems likely given the recent returns.

The Hit Row members were released by WWE in November 2021 alongside the rest of the group.

Hit Row

Hit Row was a popular quartet of Superstars, comprising of Adonis, Francis, B-Fab, and their leader Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott.

In October 2021, the group was called up to the main roster, but it was reported that Francis would serve as the group’s leader.

The group’s tenure on the blue brand was short-lived, as B-Fab was released on November 4, with the rest of the stable cut two weeks later.

There is no report that B-Fab will appear on tonight’s SmackDown.

Scott will not be appearing as he is with AEW, competing as one-half of the World Tag Team Champions as Swerve Strickland.

Members of the Hit Row faction will be reuniting during WrestleMania weekend.

Hit Row was a popular group in NXT last year. The group was comprised of Isiah “Swerve” Scott, Top Dolla, Ashante Thee Adonis and B-Fab. Despite their initial popularity, the group was dismantled and ultimately released entirely by WWE.

Shane Strickland (formerly Isiah Scott) is back taking solo independent bookings. The remaining members are headed to WrestleMania weekend to appear together for Game Changer Wrestling.

Now known as HitMakerZ, AJ Francis (Top Dolla), Tehuti Miles (Ashante Thee Adonis) and Briana Brandi (B-Fab) have been announced for GCW’s For The Fulture event on Friday, April 1st from Dallas, TX.

If you’ll be in the Dallas area for WrestleMania weekend, GCW For The Culture tickets are now available at Eventbrite.com.

Shane Strickland Moves On from Hit Row

Shane “Swerve” Strickland is conspicuously absent from this reunion. The Beyonce to Hit Row’s Destiny Child says he’s focused on his solo career right now.

Swerve did a virtual autograph signing for K&S Wrestle Fest earlier this week and commented on Hit Row’s future. He had a fun time with the group, but he’s moving on to greater things.

“The group going to another promotion together is always an option, but right now I’m focused on myself and what I have to do,” he said. “I’m at an older age. My persona with the pro wrestling business and being on screen is always maturing.”

He had fun with Hit Row and enjoyed feels they made history in NXT. However, “I’m maturing and moving on to something greater.”

Former WWE stable Hit Row will be reuniting for the first time since their release last year for an upcoming event of MCW Pro Wrestling.

The indie wrestling promotion announced that the group will be a part of their upcoming MCW Spring Fiver event from Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville, MD on March 19.

Not only Hit Row, but the Hardy Boyz have also been announced for the show. They will be competing against Matt Taven and Mike Bennett collectively known as OGK:

The pro wrestling stable consisting of Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Top Dolla, and B-Fab were released from their WWE contracts back in November last year.

B-Fab was first to be released. She was let go by the company on November 4. The rest of the Hit Row members didn’t last long either and they were fired 15 days later.

There were some rumblings of the group reuniting outside of WWE. B-Fab had claimed that having a reunion with her former team members was her ‘biggest dream.’

She had also discussed the potential of Hit Row confronting The Acclaimed in AEW. Now it would be interesting to see if we get to see this exchange as well.

Many believe the release of Hit Row was one of the biggest missed opportunities for WWE in recent times. B-Fab want to see the group reunite outside the company.

The former NXT star recently took part in a virtual signing for East Coast Autograph Auctions. She discussed things such as a potential WWE return and more.

During the session, she claimed that a Hit Row reunion is her biggest dream. B-Fab said that she would be super excited if they all can come together again:

“That is my biggest dream is that we [Hit Row] come back together and show up somewhere. I don’t know where, but if we can all come together and you know, debut again somewhere else or with a company, I would be super excited.”

• B-Fab Comments On Reports Of Top Dolla’s Backstage Heat In WWE

One such place where we might see this reunion is AEW. B-Fab also discussed this possibility and a potential feud with The Acclaimed:

“Mhm, that’d be a hot feud. That would be a hot feud [Hit Row vs. The Acclaimed]. We had so many ideas and everything for Hit Row. I just really wish we would have been able to show everybody everything that we could’ve done. But it is what it is.”

B-Fab has already become a free agent due to her NXT contract. The other three members of Hit Row including Shane ‘Swerve’ Strickland, ‘Top Dolla’ A.J. Francis, and Tehuti Miles are expected to join her in free agency in a few weeks.

Would you like to see Hit Row reunite in AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below

Thanks to Post Wrestling for the transcribed quotes

Every member of WWE’s Hit Row stable have now been released. B-Fab was released earlier this month and the remaining members were cut on Thursday. According to comments made by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE contacted them 4 times on Thursday with different booking plans and then finally with news that they were being let go.

“Thursday, they’re first told that they’re going to be on Smackdown, Survivor Series, and RAW, because obviously everyone is on RAW (for the stolen egg angle),” said Dave Meltzer. “Then they’re told they’re off all 3 shows. Then they’re called again and told they’re back on all 3 shows and then the next call they get is ‘they’re fired’. This is all on Thursday.”

We love good phone calls on dis side. #Blessings ??

— A.J. Francis aka FRAN¢ (@AJFrancis410) November 21, 2021

Meltzer continued to say that AJ Francis (aka Top Dolla) was seen as the potential star of the group. When he began to rub people the wrong way backstage, it may have led to the entire faction being released.

“AJ Francis did rub people the wrong way,” Meltzer continued. “Which I think doomed everyone.”

“He’s the one that Vince thought was the star, the other ones just came along with the package.”

“They thought that AJ Francis was the star, because he’s the big guy and big personality,” Meltzer continued.

‘Top Dolla’ A.J. Francis has responded to the reports about his backstage behavior leading to the WWE release of the Hit Row faction.

The now-former WWE star took on his Twitter to comment on the report claiming that he rubbed people the wrong way in NXT.

Top Dolla explained that he got plenty of stories about how he was disrespected by the officials as well, but he has kept things professional:

For those who don’t know, Hit Row were among the half dozen names released from WWE during the latest budget cuts earlier this week.

A report provided some backstage info on the potential reason behind some of these cuts. It claimed that Top Dolla had rubbed some people within NXT the wrong way.

He had started getting the same reputation on the main roster which contributed to the decision of his release from the promotion.

Briana ‘B-Fab’ Brandy had already been let go by the officials earlier this month. Since Top Dolla was seen as the star of the faction, the decision was made to release Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Ashante “Thee” Adonis as well.

All the Hit Row members and the other released stars are expected to become free agents in February. We will have to see if the group remains together or go their separate ways after that.

Members of the Hit Row faction were probably the most surprising names to be let go during the latest wave of WWE releases. They had only been called up to the main roster last month.

Dave Meltzer provided some updates on this decision in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He revealed what probably led to their firing.

There had been rumors of Top Dolla having backstage heat in NXT. Meltzer reports that he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way during his time in the development brand:

“While he came across well on television, he rubbed a ton of people the wrong way in NXT and was getting the same reputation on the main roster.”

Vince McMahon apparently saw Top Dolla as the star of Hit Row due to his size. Once the decision was made to let him go, the other remaining members of the faction in Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Ashante Thee Adonis were likely “caught in the crossfire.”

WWE released over half a dozen names including talents such as John Morrison, Drake Maverick, and Tegan Nox earlier this week.

These stars including Hit Row will become free agents after their 90 days non-compete clause expires on Wednesday, February 16.

WWE continues to trim down its roster.

Wrestling fans just got done witnessing a wave of cuts that saw 18 performers lose their jobs. Among the names included were Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, Franky Monet, and Ember Moon.

While many considered some of those releases to be puzzling, the latest string of roster cuts is sure to turn some heads as well.

Following this latest round of cuts, WWE has released over 80 people this calendar year.

WWE Cuts Hit Row & More

WWE has released eight more wrestlers, including John Morrison and the remaining members of the ill fated Hit Row faction. The company had just cut ties with B-Fab, the first sign that trouble might be brewing.

The latest releases include (via Sean Ross Sapp):

• John Morrison
• Top Dolla
• Ashante Adonis
• Isaiah Swerve Scott
• Tegan Nox
• Drake Maverick
• Shane Thorne
• Jaxson Ryker

Latest Releases

Hit Row was seen as a refreshing act in NXT. The group certainly appeared to light a spark under Isaiah Scott, who had been floundering on the brand. They were called up to the main roster only for all members to be cut in short order.

John Morrison was in line for a feud with his former tag team partner The Miz. Once Miz was off WWE TV to compete in Dancing With The Stars, Morrison was seen on Main Event.

Tegan Nox had a rough break due to injuries but she finally got her chance on the main roster. She was paired with Shotzi Blackheart but the two split following the WWE Draft.

Xavier Woods was filming a show on G4 when he received word of the talent releases. Here is his live reaction.

Franky Monet put WWE on blast for once again dropping its talent.

“Stop supporting a company that has ZERO respect for their talent. You love pro wrestling, spend your money on the hundreds of other alternatives. This is wrong. Ethically, as employers they don’t care about us. Talent or fans.”

With the latest wave of cuts, WWE has now brought the total number of released performers to 79 for the calendar year.

WWE released a large group of popular Superstars on Thursday.

The company has severed business ties with the following list of performers, As first reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful:

• Keith Lee
• Nia Jax
• Karrion Kross
• Eva Marie
• Ember Moon
• Scarlett Bordeaux
• Franky Monet
• Mia Yim
• Harry Smith
• Oney Lorcan
• B-Fab
• Jessi Kamea
• Zayda Ramier
• Trey Baxter
• Katrina Cortez
• Jeet Rama
• Gran Metalik
• Lince Dorado

Budget cuts were once again cited as the reason for the releases. Sapp says the wrestlers received an email from John Laurinaitis, head of Talent Relations.

Earlier in the day, the company Q3 financial results and touted revenue of $256 million for the quarter.

Once again, the talent and fans are left stunned and wonder how WWE can drop the ball on so much potential.

Reactions

Several of the released performers took to social media to address their followers:

We will update this post as more details become available.

Additional reactions from the wrestling world