Matt Hardy says AJ Francis is doing great work as a bad guy.
Speaking to WrestleZone’s Managing Editor Bill Pritchard for a new interview, Matt had nothing but praise for the former WWE star, who has shared the ring with The Hardys in multi-man outings on more than one occasion. This includes at Slammiversary, where the Hardys and First Class faced off with The Rascalz and the Nemeth Bros in a four-way ladder match.
Hardy agreed that Francis is probably underappreciated in some circles, especially due to his past in WWE and being outspoken. However, he says Francis isn’t afraid of coming off as an “a**hole,” and that’s a key element of being a good heel today.
“The thing I like about AJ Francis more than anything else, he’s an extremely talented villain. He’s really good at doing that. And when he goes out to the ring, when he starts talking, whether it is on the mic, on iMPACT! or on the mic on a social media bit, or on the mic for his character on Twitter or wherever else, he is not afraid to… He will relinquish his fear of being viewed as an a**hole. And that is very important to be a bad guy in 2025.”
Matt Hardy highlights what makes AJ Francis a standout heel
Matt Hardy says that too many people are too concerned about what the internet says now. However, he says star ratings and things of that ilk don’t matter in the long run.
“If you are a bad guy, your job is to be hated. Your job is to be disliked and the good guy in the match, the hero in that match, you are to make people love them and want see them win. AJ is great at doing that, and AJ is very solid at what he does for a big guy.
“I think adding KC Navarro with him has been masterful, because KC is so talented. He is smaller, and he makes AJ look even more massive. And he can carry the workload for the team. Together, they are a truly dynamic combo. And I think First Class has been great. And I had said this the last time when we were champions, I would have loved to have worked a program with them and who knows, maybe that is something that will happen in the future.”
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