Swerve Strickland, a former World Champion who gained significant momentum after joining AEW, still faces unresolved tensions from his WWE days involving the faction Hit Row. These issues, involving fellow member AJ Francis and other former WWE talents, have resurfaced following recent interviews and public statements.
During their time in WWE NXT, Swerve Strickland was part of the group Hit Row alongside AJ Francis (known as Top Dolla), Ashante Thee Adonis, and Briana B-Fab. The group was drafted to SmackDown in 2021, only to be released about a month later. Hit Row later reappeared on WWE programming in August 2022, but notably, Strickland was absent, having already moved on to AEW under Tony Khan’s promotion.
Origins and Aftermath of Hit Row’s WWE Run
Swerve Strickland’s departure from WWE and its impact on Hit Row’s dynamic has been a subject of speculation. Strickland shared his perspective about behind-the-scenes issues related to Hit Row during a March interview on VladTV, catching other members off guard. AJ Francis responded through social media and later elaborated on the situation in a separate interview with Unlikely host Adrian Hernandez.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Francis was questioned about the tensions with Strickland. He reflected on their last encounter at the Chris Bey benefit show earlier this year, highlighting how their relationship remained normal up until shortly before Strickland’s VladTV exchange was released.
“Man, ask him. When you have him here, ask him. [Helwani: what’s happening?] You won’t find one interview with me bringing him up first. [Helwani: yeah, I know] You won’t find one. [Helwani: but you were cool right?] Yeah, we was cool until a couple months ago, apparently. We was cool until a week before his interview came out. Shout-out to Chris Bey, I saw him at Chris Bey’s benefit show, and everything was cool, no problems, everything was cool,” AJ Francis said.
Following Strickland’s VladTV appearance, Francis felt compelled to clarify his side of the story, intending to address misunderstandings directly without insinuation.
“Then the interview came out and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m just gonna clear the record, say what actually happened.’ We’re not talking in innuendos, let’s talk about what actually happened, and I ain’t talked about him since unless somebody else bring him up, that’s just me. [Helwani: which I did, we’ll figure that out] It’s OK, I knew that you would,” AJ Francis said.
AJ Francis Details the Communication Breakdown with Swerve Strickland
Ariel Helwani also asked Francis whether any progress had been made since his conversation with Adrian Hernandez. Francis confirmed that communication between him and Strickland never truly existed and remains non-existent to this day. He insisted on the distinction between public perception and internal reality concerning Hit Row’s group dynamics.
“Oh, no. I mean, we haven’t talked. I mean, we don’t talk. Even when we were in Hit Row, there was the three of us, and then he was part of that, so that’s why when we came back, we called ourselves The OG 3 because we were Hit Row, right? And it made all the sense for him to be added to Hit Row: he was already on TV, he had TV equity, he’s a really good wrestler. I’ve never said… he’s a great wrestler, as far as in-ring wrestling, he’s incredible. He’s one of the best to ever do it, but everything we was doing in Hit Row, we already had, so I didn’t even want to be the ‘leader of Hit Row’ in fact, you can even find promo where we said there is no leader in Hit Row, we’re all equals,” AJ Francis said.
Francis stressed the absence of a designated leader within the group from the start, contradicting narratives suggesting otherwise. He emphasized that any notion of Strickland or himself as a leader was a fan-generated misconception that influenced WWE’s main roster calling.
“But people just decided they wanted him to be the leader, right? So then we get called up to the main roster off of something the fans completely made up about him being the leader, when we all said, including him, all said there’s no leaders. When we got called up and some report [claimed Swerve and Ashante would be the tag team, I would be the leader] and people [complained about me being the leader]. We never said none of this. None of this ever happened, y’all made this whole thing up, but that’s just the way wrestling works,” AJ Francis said.
Current Status of Former Hit Row Members and Swerve Strickland’s Continued Success
Since the WWE releases, the members of Hit Row have taken different paths. AJ Francis was released again in September 2023 and has been working with TNA since January 2024. Ashante Thee Adonis remains in WWE’s NXT, while Briana B-Fab continues performing on SmackDown. Meanwhile, Swerve Strickland has emerged as a prominent figure in AEW, building on his reputation as a former World Champion and enhancing his career under Tony Khan’s leadership.
The persistent tension and silence between Francis and Strickland highlight the complexities of backstage relationships in professional wrestling, where public stories often differ from reality. This situation reflects the challenges performers face navigating personal dynamics amid evolving careers and fan expectations.
