While Bray Wyatt’s wrestling career was tragically cut short due to his untimely passing, his memory will remain forever. His legacy will forever be cherished by the people impacted by his work. This includes people such as former WWE star AJ ‘Top Dolla’ Francis, who credits the late star for getting him back into wrestling.
The recently released WWE star spoke about Wyatt in an interview with MuscleManMalcolm. He mentioned how he stopped watching wrestling in high school because he didn’t have time. AJ got back into it with the 2011 Royal Rumble event:
“It was really crazy because Bray was one of the reasons that I got really heavy back into wrestling. I watched wrestling from literally before I was one year old until I was like 15. Then not because I didn’t want to watch wrestling. I was just in high school and was playing football and basketball and doing all these different things. I was in the school plays. I didn’t have time to watch wrestling.
So I didn’t watch wrestling for like five years. I didn’t watch wrestling til like 2011. I remember the first event I watched after that five six year hiatus was Royal Rumble, the one where Alberto Del Rio won. The 40 men Rumble with Santino coming back.
That’s why I knew I loved wrestling because I didn’t know who Alberto Del Rio was, I hadn’t watched the product. I didn’t know who Santino was. So I was like ‘Who are these guys?’ But it was so entertaining. That show led to another show there was, led to another and another.”
Bray Was So Good At What He Did: AJ Francis
Per Top Dolla, he had been watching the sport casually and it was The Wyatt Family act that led to him becoming a regular fan again. Speaking about the qualities of Bray that appealed to him, Francis explained that Bray Wyatt wasn’t going over the top to grab your attention:
“Then when I really started getting back heavy into it, is right when The Wyatt Family debuted. I don’t know man Bray was just special. Bray would quote some of [the] deepest thinkers all the time, including civil rights activists.
He was different. He was the kind of guy that…He could talk very low, almost like a Jake The Snake. In a world full of people that would be so over the top to get your attention. He didn’t have to do that because he was so good at what he did. That made me a fan of his.”
AJ Francis was released from his WWE contract in September this year and he officially became a free agent earlier this week. The former WWE star has wasted no time making his move and he has already started a feud with Joey Janela by attacking him at a GCW event.
You can check out Top Dolla’s full interview below:
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If you use any quotes from the article please credit MuscleManMalcolm with an H/t to SEScoops for transcription