Current SmackDown Superstar Top Dolla has recently reflected on Hit Row’s release from WWE in October 2021, describing it as one of the worst experiences of his life.
Top Dolla made his NXT debut in 2020 alongside Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott, Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis and B-Fab as part of Hit Row.
Following a successful run on WWE’s developmental brand, the faction were called up to the main roster in October 2021 but ended up being released from the company just a month later.
Hit Row Returned To SmackDown Just Nine Months After Their Release
While Isaiah Scott is now in AEW, performing under the name Swerve Strickland, the remaining members of Hit Row returned to WWE back in August.
Top Dolla recently appeared on ‘Out Of Character’ with Ryan Satin and discussed his initial reaction to being released by WWE in 2021:
“Um, disappointment. Like shame. I’ve worked to get to that point and like we had the fastest call up ever in NXT history, to then be released a month later. Well, honestly, I didn’t know that this would happen. I had no assurances that I’d be back at WWE again. So I felt like maybe the two years that I had spent in NXT getting to that point was just a waste of my time because I was gonna have to go do something else now.”
Top Dolla revealed that he remained in touch with Triple H during his time away from the company:
“What ended up happening, which was a blessing, was the fact that I always stayed in contact with Hunter. We didn’t talk wrestling all the time. We just talked every once a while about random things. When he obviously got back in charge, I saw him bring Dakota and IYO back, and I was like, ‘Oh, okay, all right, cool. So he’s bringing people back. I was like, maybe he’ll bring us back. But I don’t know how he feels. I don’t know what he’s trying to accomplish. I don’t know what he’s doing.’ Then like, two days later, he calls me and I’m like, ‘Oh, okay, yeah, let’s do it. I’m ready. Let’s rock.'”
Elaborating on his emotions following his initial release, Top Dolla added:
“When we first got released, it was tough. I was genuinely depressed, like, I had spent my entire life looking for a chance to get an opportunity to be on SmackDown, to be on RAW. Then I got there and then a month later, it got taken out from underneath me. So it was like one of the worst experiences and times of my life.”
H/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.