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AJ Francis recently discussed his independent wrestling experience as he prepares to return to the ring for the first time since leaving WWE.
Francis, fka Top Dolla, received his release from WWE for the second time in September 2023. Before joining the company for the first time in January 2020, the 33-year-old spent a year wrestling on the independent scene.
The former Hit Row member is due to face Cha Cha Charlie at a Coastal Championship Wrestling (CCW) event on January 6. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Riju Dasgupta, he mentioned how most fans are unaware of his independent wrestling background:
"It [in-ring return] starts at CCW, actually," Francis said. "I'll be at Hialeah in Miami, Florida, on January 6, my first match back against Cha Cha Charlie. We were setting up a feud before I got signed back to WWE last time, so now we can actually do the feud. I've been working at CCW since before I signed with WWE the first time. People don't even know that I was on the independent scene for a year before I signed with WWE." [5:20 – 5:50]
Watch the video above to hear Francis respond to recent comments from former WWE on-screen personality Jim Cornette.
AJ Francis will also wrestle for GCW
On January 26, AJ Francis is scheduled to face former AEW star Joey Janela at a Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) event in Tampa, Florida. The show will take place one night before WWE stages the Royal Rumble in the same area.
Francis is also looking forward to the Battle Rumble afterparty following the GCW event:
"It's gonna be hip-hop, it's gonna be wrestling, there's gonna be surprise guests at the Battle Rumble. Make sure you come check that out in Tampa as well. If you are in Tampa, Friday before Royal Rumble, trust me, you do not wanna miss either one of these events – GCW or Battle Rumble." [6:38 – 6:56]
In the same interview, Francis opened up about how his recent type 2 diabetes diagnosis affects his pre-match preparation.
Who would you like to see AJ Francis face next? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Sportskeeda WrestleBinge and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
