AJ Francis Reveals He Pitched an ‘Old School’ Concept Before TNA Slammiversary Pole Match with Elijah

AJ Francis has opened up about his original creative idea heading into his Slammiversary showdown with Elijah, revealing that his first instinct was to lean into the throwback, old-school side of the sport.

Francis and Elijah are set to collide at TNA Slammiversary later this week in a pole match, and in a recent interview, Francis was asked whether he had any music-themed stipulation concept in mind given the nature of their feud. His answer pointed toward something with a more classic, vintage wrestling feel — consistent with what he describes as his old-school in-ring identity.

While the pole match is ultimately what landed on the Slammiversary card, Francis’s willingness to brainstorm stipulations speaks to how invested he’s become in this rivalry with Elijah. The two have built a feud with enough personal heat to warrant a gimmick match, and a pole match — one of pro wrestling’s more old-fashioned stipulation formats — does carry a certain retro energy that lines up with what Francis says he was going for creatively.

Slammiversary is one of TNA’s marquee pay-per-view events of the year, and the Francis-Elijah matchup figures to be among the more physical and personal bouts on the card. With both men motivated and a stipulation that raises the stakes, the match has the ingredients to deliver when the event takes place later this week.