Released WWE star had backstage heat due to December 2022 incident, EC3 says (Exclusive)

Several WWE Superstars most recently got released from the company, including Hit Row member Top Dolla. According to NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion EC3, the former football player was perceived negatively by others in the locker room.

One of the most notable moments of Top Dolla's WWE career occurred on the December 16, 2022, episode of SmackDown. The 33-year-old attempted to dive to the outside of the ring. However, his leg got caught on the top rope, causing him to land awkwardly on the ring apron.

EC3 appeared on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws show with Dr. Chris Featherstone and Vince Russo. The former WWE star revealed that Top Dolla received backstage heat due to his reaction to the botch:

"I met him once just recently at a funeral," EC3 said. "I don't know much about him as a person or a talent. I do know that little dive incident over the top rope, I think what I gathered, if I was him, own it and laugh it off instead of trying to make excuses for it. You're only hurting yourself more. And I think, from what I hear, that really negatively affected his perception in the locker room." [25:14 – 25:48]

In the video above, EC3 offered to defend his NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship against Dolph Ziggler.

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How EC3 thinks Top Dolla should have handled his WWE botch

Immediately after the incident, Top Dolla shared a video of himself jumping over the top rope several months earlier at an independent show. The Hit Row member also claimed he only botched the dive because his leg gave out.

EC3 believes Top Dolla should have made a joke about his error instead of coming up with an excuse:

"You just can't own up to making a mistake, 'Whatever, I made a mistake, I didn't do it [correctly].' And then once that ball starts rolling with that little rib, then it becomes kinda serious, then it becomes real, then it becomes real heat, and how it started is something as trivial as making an excuse or [not] owning the fact that I'm a human who made a mistake." [25:49 – 26:13]

Earlier this week, veteran wrestling personality Jim Cornette said he expects Top Dolla to leave the wrestling business following his WWE release.

Are you a fan of Top Dolla? Let us know in the comments section below.

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