TNA Wrestling held TV tapings on Saturday and Sunday in Newport, Kentucky, where they recorded upcoming episodes of their AXS TV show, which will air in the coming weeks.
This segment of tapings continues the buildup to the upcoming Slammiversary pay-per-view event in July. In a title match, it also included AJ Francis, formerly known as Top Dolla in WWE.
After playing defensive line in the NFL, he signed with WWE in 2020 and was paired with Hit Row in NXT the following May. The group was called up and placed on SmackDown in October 2021.
In November 2021, the company released Francis, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, and B-Fab. They weren’t gone long, as WWE reintroduced Francis, Adonis, and B-Fab for a run on SmackDown the following August. Francis was let go in September, while Adonis and B-Fab remain with WWE. Francis later joined TNA Wrestling.
Frnacis defeated Laredo Kid to win the TNA Digital Media Championship during the tapings, giving him his first TNA championship reign. This also marked the end of Kid’s reign, which had lasted since TNA Rebellion on April 20, 2024, when he defeated Crazzy Steve.
