On a recent edition of SHAK Wrestling, AJ Francis talked about transitioning to the business side of wrestling, Francis spoke about his belief that success is not always based on merit. “I always assumed that the best guy should get the best ops,” Francis said. “And that’s not always the case. It’s who’s ever whoever likes you”. He used his own WWE career as an example, noting that he won a company-wide promo tournament but received only 45 total seconds of microphone time during his entire run on SmackDown.
He contrasted that experience with his current role in TNA, where he feels he is finally being given the chance to show his full potential. “It’s not that I’m just now good enough to do it, it’s just that I’m just now getting the opportunities,” he explained, pointing to his recent matches against top stars like Nick Nemeth, PCO, and Moose as proof of what he can do with a proper storyline and match time.
When asked about his controversial public image, Francis was direct, stating, “I intentionally don’t give a f–k what people think about me”. He explained that he leans into being a villain, saying, “If you don’t like me, I’m gonna make you f–king hate me”. Francis backs up his confidence with a list of his life’s accomplishments, including a six-year NFL career and a master’s degree, and noted that he has the respect of industry veterans like Booker T, Paul Heyman, and Rey Mysterio.
His confidence extends to his musical abilities, and he shared a story about asking John Cena for a collaboration while in WWE. Francis revealed Cena turned him down, saying, “he couldn’t rap with me, and that he didn’t like, he would be doing a disservice to himself if he tried”. Francis added that Cena told him, “I wouldn’t be able to hang with you guys”. When asked to rank other wrestler-rappers, he called Max Caster “good” but noted his “subject matter sometimes throws people off”. He spoke highly of R-Truth (Ron Killings), stating he “could easily be number one”.
Finally, Francis reflected on the physical risks of his job, telling the story of a dangerous moonsault off a ladder that he had never practiced before. The replay looked so bad that many thought he was seriously injured, but he was fine. Outside of wrestling, Francis continues his music career and is releasing his fourth studio album, “Dear Summer,” which features collaborations with artists like Bun B and fellow wrestlers Montez Ford and Trick Williams, Briana Brandy (B-Fab), Tehuti Miles (Ashante “Thee” Adonis).
