AJ ‘Top Dolla’ Francis starts indie run with an attack on Joey Janela

Most of the talents WWE released back in September after the Endeavor deal closed hit free agency yesterday (Dec. 21), and we got a flurry of teases and booking announcements as a result.

AJ “Top Dolla” Francis was already being promoted for some independent dates that came after he was free and clear from his WWE deal, including one for Game Changer Wrestling. But he didn’t wait until Jan. 26’s Look At Me show to start his run.

Instead, he showed up at GCW Holiday Special last night in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. The big man was wearing a mask when he launched an attack on Joey Janela, but took it off as he choked Janela on the ropes while telling the former AEW wrestler the he’s a bad man.

The assault on the reigning GCW Extreme champ immediately got Francis heat with the promotion’s faithful:

And now, we know what Francis will be doing at GCW’s Royal Rumble weekend show next month.

It’s not Francis’ first indie run; he worked a handful of dates before signing with WWE, and another batch in between his first release in 2021 and re-signing last year.

We’ll see how this one goes, but it seems like it’s off to a hot start!