Ex-WWE Star Praises Paul Heyman For Always Standing Up For Them

Paul Heyman pushed for one former WWE star to get more opportunities.

Although Paul Heyman doesn’t hold an official position as part of the creative team, he remains an incredibly important figure backstage within WWE. The veteran has a great deal of influence over creative for The Bloodline and works extremely closely with Roman Reigns as well as being by his side on television.

A former WWE star has now revealed that Heyman also pushed for them to be given more chances on television.

After a career in the NFL, AJ Francis signed with WWE in January 2020 and was given the name Top Dolla. As part of Hit Row, the star became a popular member of the roster, but the faction was released shortly after being drafted to SmackDown in 2021.

However, when Triple H assumed creative control of WWE, Dolla was brought back alongside the rest of Hit Row, minus Swerve Strickland. Although welcomed back by the audience, the group failed to gain any significant momentum and Top Dolla was released in September 2023.

Speaking in a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, Top Dolla recalled Paul Heyman going to bat for him.

“The one good thing is that Paul Heyman used to stand up for me a lot. And 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. And 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. And mind you I never get my flowers, Hit Row never gets our flowers…

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.

And then sometimes I would make videos we would make videos, Hit Row, and we would send it to the creative team. And 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.”

Paul Heyman Heading For WWE Hall Of Fame

Paul Heyman is set to headline the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2024 despite previously turning down the honour.

Heyman is due to be inducted alongside Bull Nakano, the US Express, and Thunderbolt Patterson, while it’s believed that Lia Maivia will round out the inductions. The class of 2024 is the first to be decided without involvement from Vince McMahon.

H/t to WrestlingNews.Co