TNA's AJ Francis eyes Leon Slater's X Division Championship, torches critics in scathing rant

Leon Slater will beryllium successful 1 of nan biggest matches of his young pro wrestling profession connected Thursday nighttime arsenic he’s group to take sides nan Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) X Division Championship against Cedric Alexander.

Should Slater conclusion Alexander, he will solidify himself arsenic nan longest-reigning X Division champion and surpass Austin Aries for nan record. Aries held nan title for 298 days opening successful September 2011 and only relinquished it to get a changeable astatine nan TNA World Championship.

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Leon Slater makes his measurement to nan ringing during SmackDown astatine OVO Arena Wembley successful London connected Jan. 16, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

Fellow TNA compatriot A.J. Francis is hoping Slater pulls retired nan triumph against Alexander. He said he wants to return nan title disconnected his waist arsenic he proclaimed to beryllium nan "biggest heel" successful nan company.

"Hopefully Leon wins because nan personification that should beryllium taking nan X Division title disconnected Leon is me. I’m nan biggest bottommost successful TNA," Francis told Fox News Digital. "I’m really nan biggest bottommost successful wrestling. I’m specified a large bottommost that there’s this full inaugural that location was a streamer who was excited to spot maine astatine Reality of Wrestling connected a show and it’s become, like, a point where, ‘There was nary measurement this feline was that excited to spot A.J.’ Wow. Like, I’m specified a bottommost that you dislike maine truthful overmuch that personification other can’t bask my presence. Nobody other successful this wrestling business gets booed for illustration me.

"I mean for real, if we’re calling a spade, a spade, who other successful nan wrestling manufacture gets booed? The apical heels, nan guys who are expected to beryllium nan apical heels, nan MJFs, nan Dominik Mysterios, those guys, they get cheered. Fans cheer them erstwhile they travel out. Who really gets booed successful today’s business, but me? Me and Logan Paul, literally. And past you person Joe Hendry who conscionable did a remix of nan aforesaid opus he made for maine 2 years agone and made it astir Logan Paul. And everybody’s like, ‘This is truthful cool.’ The point is, I ever provide. I’m nan eventual provider. I’m nan biggest and champion bottommost successful nan business. I’m nan champion large man successful nan business and I beryllium it clip and clip again."

AJ Francis visits SiriusXM connected Radio Row astatine Super Bowl LX successful San Francisco, California, connected Feb. 5, 2026. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

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Francis added location would beryllium cipher amended to return nan X Division title from Slater, adding that he was cheated retired of nan title successful his erstwhile lucifer against Slater.

"So who would beryllium amended to return that X Division title disconnected Leon Slater than me? Who would get a amended guidance to return that X Division disconnected Leon Slater than me? And also, by nan way, successful nan 1 lucifer I had against Leon Slater for nan X Division title, I was cheated by BDE, Rich Swann and nan referee," he said.

Francis past sounded disconnected connected nan critics and naysayers who person seemingly lined up to incorrect him.

AJ Francis visits SiriusXM connected Radio Row astatine Super Bowl LX successful San Francisco, California, connected Feb. 5, 2026. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

"These are facts. See, that’s nan thing, I travel connected present and talk facts and group get huffy astatine maine because I talk facts," he told Fox News Digital. "Because successful this wrestling business, that’s afloat of these cowards that only are reliable successful interviews and only reliable down a TV surface and they’re not reliable successful existent life. They don’t want you to opportunity things that are facts that could beryllium ‘misconstrued’ arsenic trying to ‘get heat’ aliases ‘trying to going to business for yourself.’ I americium going into business for myself. I’ve been successful business for myself.

"I was successful business for myself erstwhile everybody told maine I was worthless 2 1/2 years ago. I was successful business for myself then. So why do I gotta dress I’m not successful business for myself now? I deliberation if you don’t admit nan things that I bring to nan array arsenic nan champion large man successful nan business, arsenic nan champion bottommost successful nan business, personally, I feel, ‘F--- ya.’ And if you person a problem pinch maine saying that, that’s your problem. I tin spell retired of my measurement disrespecting nobody. I don’t spell retired of my measurement talking down to nobody. It’s ever different group that want to commencement pinch me. The problem is they bring a weapon to a weapon conflict and they get huffy they get clapped."

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Francis will return connected KC Navarro successful a SacTown Street Fight connected "Impact" successful Sacramento, California. The show tin beryllium watched unrecorded connected AMC astatine 9 p.m. ET.