Former WWE Star Re-Signs With TNA Wrestling

WWE, TNA

A former WWE star has officially re-signed with TNA Wrestling ahead of their prior deal expiring at the end of 2024.

AJ Francis (fka Top Dolla) had been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks in regards to his future heading into 2025, with it being reported that his deal with TNA was set to expire at the end of this year.

Ahead of his impending free agency, Francis created a fair amount of buzz over the past weekend – teasing both a return to WWE and a move to AEW, while also speaking openly about potentially re-signing with TNA.

On Saturday (December 28) Francis put up a fan poll on social media asking fans which show he should attend between WWE’s Orlando live event and AEW’s Worlds End pay-per-view on that same night, with Francis eventually attending the latter.

While Francis certainly got the wrestling world talking, news has now broke ahead of the new year that well and truly puts to bed any talk of the former Hit Row member departing TNA.

Reported exclusively by Sports Illustrated, Francis announced that he has officially re-signed with TNA on undisclosed new terms.

Speaking to SI’s Steven Muelhausen, Francis explained his decision to remain in TNA, saying he always hoped to re-sign with the company despite having feelers out to go to AEW and return to WWE:

“TNA has taken care of me over the last year. A year ago, I wasn’t the most sought after free agent. A year ago, people thought I wasn’t going to wrestle anymore.

“A year ago, people thought that my wrestling career might be done. And a year ago, TNA took me in for their very first show, Hard To Kill in (Las) Vegas. That was the very first night that I interacted with Joe Hendry. One year later, Joe Hendry’s the biggest star in wrestling. He can still send me a box of cigars for that whenever he wants.

“It’s been a blessing with the fact that TNA has done so much for me in the last year. Obviously, this is a business. It’s not called the wrestling friendship. It’s called the wrestling business. I always wanted to go back to TNA. Even though over the past week, I’ve made it clear that I could go anywhere.

“There were feelers out for me potentially going over to AEW, maybe going back to NXT because I never really got a run in NXT, maybe go back to SmackDown. Obviously going to Netflix for Raw would have been cool too. But there was a lot of options out on the table for me. TNA just feels like the best place for me.

“TNA has always since the day that I got there changed people’s perception of me. My last match in TNA was for the TNA World Title, an absolute banger of a match in the main event of Final Resolution against Nic Nemeth.”

“TNA, in one year, took me from someone that people pretended couldn’t wrestle to a bona fide main eventer to the best big man in the business. If TNA could do that in one year, imagine what they could do in another year where I start the year as a bona fide main eventer. I’m very much happy with the decision to take my talents back to TNA.”

Francis debuted at TNA Hard to Kill in January 2024, and went on to capture the TNA Digital Media Championship in his first year in the company – the first title of his in-ring career.

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