WWE SmackDown star Top Dolla made an appearance on “Out of Character,” hosted by Ryan Satin, to discuss Hit Row’s return to the company.
When asked how he felt about being released by WWE in 2021, Top Dolla said:
“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.”
“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.'”
“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.”
Top Dolla praised Mark Henry for being a big help to him and his career:
“Mark Henry is one person who, when I was released, was always there for me and always helping me try to get my foot back in the door. Mark is a very big guide in my career and in my life over the last two years. I owe a lot to Mark and I appreciate him a lot.”
You can listen to the complete podcast below:
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
