WWE's original plans for Hit Row revealed - Reports

WWE released multiple superstars this week, including SmackDown's Hit Row, as part of the company's latest round of budgetary cuts.

The popular stable from NXT made their main roster debut last month after being drafted to SmackDown. The stable's former member B-Fab was released earlier, and two weeks later, she was followed by Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Ashante "Thee" Adonis, and Top Dolla.

As per the latest reports by Fightful, WWE had big plans for Hit Row before their unexpected release. There were a lot of internal discussions about the group's presentation on SmackDown. The creative team seemingly engaged in a constant back and forth about deciding whether the group should work as a face or heel.

There were also significant creative pitches concerning who should lead the group as a singles talent. WWE writers spent a lot of time deciding the general direction for Hit Row on SmackDown, but nothing materialized.

The report further states that Top Dolla's hosting skills and dedication to Hit Row drew a lot of attention backstage. He was highly regarded for mic work, but there were also reports of him fetching a polarizing reaction backstage.

Top Dolla was reportedly one of the names considered to become the host of RAW Underground, but WWE decided to push him in a different direction.

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Top Dolla lashes out at reports about backstage heat in WWE

Top Dolla did not hold back after coming across reports of backstage heat he faced in WWE. The former Hit Row member quickly took to Twitter to lash out at news articles being shared online.

In a series of posts, Top Dolla, also known as A.J. Francis, insisted that the only thing that 'rubbed people the wrong way' was him standing up for himself and his friends.

He also said that he has 'plenty of stories' about how he was disrespected in WWE. Francis says he wants to stay professional but won't let anyone ruin his reputation and can spill the beans if required.