AJ Francis: Paul Heyman Used To Stand Up For Me A Lot, He Always Showed Me Love

AJ Francis speaks about his relationship with Paul Heyman. 

Not only was AJ Francis on TV as Top Dolla in WWE, but he also got to work with numerous legends as part of his job as the host of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures on A&E. 

Francis was also able to work with legends behind the scenes such as Paul Heyman. 

During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Francis explained that he always had an ally in Paul Heyman and Heyman Francis’ rapping ability in comparison to names like John Cena and Max Caster

“The one good thing is that Paul Heyman used to stand up for me a lot,” said Francis. “Paul Heyman would say they can’t see the difference between what John Cena and Max Caster and what you’re doing. He said, Theirs is like, not comedy, but kayfabe rap. It’s rap within the wrestling realm. Yours is like actual, liveable, breathable hip hop. He said because of that it makes it more real. So if you’re not into that you can’t understand it. Do they not want me to do it? No, they had no problem with me doing it. They just wouldn’t go and put them on TV. There’s so many times Paul Heyman would text me, This should be how we start the show tonight. I would send him a video, I sent him one I did for the Christmas show. He was like, This should start the show tonight. I did it, sent them so many different ones that we did. Mind you, I never get my flowers, Hit Row never gets our flowers.

“When LA Knight had that 2 million view video on YouTube in 24 hours from the Madison Square Garden dark show, we were in the segment with him. No one ever gave us our flowers for that,” he adds. “I don’t know how many times that happened on WWE, not just with LA Knight, but just on WWE YouTube since, but we never got flowers for that. The only match that that was promoted for the Christmas show. That’s one of the highest-watched shows in SmackDown history and I think the highest-watched pre-taped show in WWE history. The only promoted match for that was Usos vs. Hit Row for the Tag Team Titles, we never got flowers for that. But Paul Heyman would always show me love. I would send him my videos, and he would love them. I would send other people my videos and they would love them, but they just would never put them on TV. Sometimes I would make videos we would make videos, Hit Row, and we would send it to the creative team. They’d be like this is great. We’re gonna try to put this on the show. Then something would happen I don’t know who, I don’t know why, but it just wouldn’t be a part of the show.”

AJ Francis is currently working for TNA Wrestling.

Paul Heyman will take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2024. Learn more here.