AJ Francis Wins TNA Digital Media Championship

The 20th anniversary episode of TNA IMPACT! on June 6 saw a title change hands, with AJ Francis walking out of Newport, Kentucky as the new Digital Media Champion.

Francis took the title from Laredo Kid on IMPACT! ending Kid’s reign at 29 days. Despite Laredo Kid using his speed to keep the match in his favour, the champ took his eye off the ball to crush Francis’ associate Rich Swann with a cannonball to the outside, allowing Francis to regroup and hit the Down Payment chokeslam for the one-two-three.

This marks Francis’ first championship in TNA, with the former Top Dolla joining the organisation at Hard to Kill in January 2024. Francis also becomes the 10th wrestler to have held the title since its introduction in 2021, with Joe Hendry currently sitting as the longest reigning champ in the title’s history, with the ‘Local Hero’ enjoying a 266-day reign with the belt.

The win also marks Francis’ first major championship since debuting in 2019. Francis was soon signed by WWE, joining the sports entertainment behemoth in 2020 before being released in 2021. Francis would again join WWE in 2022, before again being released a year later.