Deonna Purrazzo, Myla Grace call out TNA’s AJ Francis for online comments

AJ Francis was blessed with size, charisma, and a gift for drawing heat—in the ring and in the locker room alike. 

In an attempt to defend some of TNA’s recent roster moves, Francis took to social media on Friday to explain why some wrestlers had left the company lately. That drew feedback from some of his peers who weren’t happy he was publicly discussing their private business.

It all started innocently enough. Francis was celebrating that Allie and Tasha Steelz had re-signed with TNA and wanted others to join him. “Make sure y’all report [Allie] and Tasha re-signing as loudly and proudly as y’all report people being granted their release that they asked for,” he wrote.

Then a fan responded, asking why Francis had not reported why so many TNA wrestlers had asked for their release lately. 

“Cuz they tell their own stories,” Francis responded. He said the departing wrestlers all had different reasons for leaving: Steph DeLander wanted to wrestle but TNA wouldn’t medically clear her; Myla Grace was “not on TV”; Steve Maclin “doesn’t like creative after being champ for 216 days of the year.”

Deonna Purrazzo, the current Ring of Honor Women’s Pure Champion and also Maclin’s wife, wasn’t happy about this. She said Francis’ post was “incredibly passive aggressive,” and that he should let wrestlers tell their stories “and don’t do this sh*t.”

Francis responded that he had spoken to Maclin “like a man” and was only speaking facts. Purrazzo replied that Maclin “doesn’t need to spew ‘facts’ on social media.” Francis made one more post, closing by saying “This social media sh*t don’t mean nothing.”

Grace also joined in the conversation. “Lots of love but this isn’t accurate,” she wrote. 

“I am aware,” Francis wrote back.j franc “As we have talked many times about it and that’s my point. THEY don’t know either but they pretend they do.”

Finally, Indi Hartwell (who also recently re-signed with TNA) shared a GIF of one man swiping a phone out of the hands of another.

This is not the first time Francis has had a public dispute with a colleague. Last summer he went on the record on his beef with Swerve Strickland from when they worked together in WWE.