Former NXT Superstar reportedly could be backstage at WWE SmackDown

Former WWE NXT Superstar AJ 'Top Dolla' Francis may be backstage on Friday's episode of SmackDown, according to Mike Johnson of PW Insider.

The report also noted that there has been a lot of talk in the last 24 hours about the former Hit Row member's potential return.

Hit Row featured B-Fab, Ashante "Thee" Adonis, Isaiah "Swerve Scott, and AJ 'Top Dolla' Francis. The grouped debuted on SmackDown on the October 22, 2021. Swerve and Top Dolla defeated two local competitors on debut.

B-Fab was surprisingly released from the company on November 4, 2021, while the rest of the group was released a couple of weeks later.

Here's what the PWInsider report stated:

"We are by several sources [sic] that Francis is expected to be at tomorrow's Smackdown taping in Raleigh, NC, so we'll see if this means he appears on camera or is being brought in for something related to the A&E series, which has been filming its second season. Thus far, Francis hasn't been part of Most Wanted Treasures' recent filming schedule and there are signs his role this season may be instead filled by WWE Hall of Famer Lita."

AJ 'Top Dolla' Francis on a potential return to WWE

AJ was interviewed by Ringsiders Wrestling earlier this year about a potential return to the company that inexplicably released him shortly after being called up from NXT. The former NFL player admitted that wrestling is a business like football and doesn't begrudge WWE for trying to make money.

"If anybody thinks that they're done [releasing people], they're not. I don't know how long that will go on. But, they have a clear objective that they're trying to do. And look, they're a business. If you get rid of 50% of your employees and you can still make the same or more money, yeah you could keep them on, but it's a business. It wasn't no different in the NFL." [H/T to WrestlingInc]

When asked if he would consider returning to WWE, the 32-year-old didn't rule it out.

"The thing is like, the door is never closed with WWE either," he said. "People go and come back to WWE literally every year. The only problem is, how does it look the next time? Is it all four of us? Is it one of us? Is it two of us? Is is three of us? Is it none of us?"

It will be interesting to see if Top Dolla appears on SmackDown alone or with other former members of the group. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling and performs as Swerve Strickland. He and Keith Lee are the current AEW Tag Team Champions.

Would you like to see Top Dolla appear on SmackDown? Let us know in the comments section below.