AJ Francis believes he deserves some serious credit for helping TNA land its television deal with AMC. The former WWE Superstar says he’s been one of the company’s driving forces over the past two years, and he doesn’t think enough people recognize how many wrestlers he’s helped build into bigger stars. Francis even believes his work played a part in making TNA valuable enough to secure its new television home.
Speaking on The Wrestling Classic, Francis was asked why he decided to sign another deal with TNA instead of looking elsewhere. His answer was pretty simple. He believes TNA recognizes what he brings to the company, and he feels his work has helped the promotion grow.
Francis specifically pointed to the company’s AMC television deal as an example. While he acknowledged that names like The Hardys, Nic Nemeth and Moose have all contributed to TNA’s success, he believes his role has been just as important.
“Well, I mean, I feel like I’m one of the driving forces that brought out the TV deal in the first place. Obviously the Hardys are a big play and so is, you know, Nic Nemeth and you know so is guys like Moose.”
Francis then made an even bigger claim about what he’s accomplished during his time with the promotion. According to him, nobody in TNA has done a better job of helping babyface wrestlers become more popular.
“But nobody did a better job of building babyfaces over the last two years than me. Um, you know Joe Hendry, Mike Santana, you know even KC Navarro and Rich Swann, now BDE, you know Elijah, you know I could go on forever.”
Those names include several wrestlers Francis has worked with during his current TNA run. His rivalry with Joe Hendry helped establish their on-screen relationship, while his more recent program with Elijah allowed him to combine his music career with professional wrestling.
Francis believes that ability to help opponents become bigger attractions is something TNA understands and appreciates.
“You know, and so like I felt like I have a home in TNA because they recognize what I bring to the table.”
He also explained that his time in TNA has allowed him to take on a bigger creative role. Francis previously compared his position in WWE to being an offensive lineman, while describing his position in TNA as being the quarterback. When asked whether that comparison still applies, he didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely. I’m calling the plays. You know what I’m saying? And they sending me out there first to set the tone. And I’m doing it, you know, I’m doing it every time. And I’m making the most out of my opportunities. Whether I get 40 seconds backstage or eight minutes in the ring, you know, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to make the most of my opportunities. I always have, always will.”
Francis also pointed to his rivalry with Elijah as an example of what happens when he’s given creative freedom. He described the storyline involving music, identity rights, their matches and Expressions getting hit with a guitar as some of the best work of his career.
“That was probably the most, I think if you start from the beginning of me and Elijah’s storyline to the end of it at Lockdown. I mean, that’s probably the best storyline in wrestling this year. It’s the best, it’s the best creative, most creative storyline in wrestling this year. And I stand on that.”
Francis isn’t claiming he single-handedly secured TNA’s television deal, but he certainly believes he played an important role in helping the company reach that point. His argument is that building popular wrestlers and delivering memorable storylines contributed to the promotion’s growth.
Whether everyone agrees with that assessment is another matter. Francis has never been shy about promoting his own accomplishments, and this time he’s connecting his work directly to one of TNA’s biggest business developments.
Do you think AJ Francis deserves credit for helping TNA secure its AMC television deal? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
