Report: 'Road Dogg' Brian James Stepping Down as SmackDown Live Head Writer

WWE Hall of Famer Brian James, better known by his wrestling name Road Dogg, reportedly stepped [...]

By Connor Casey

WWE Hall of Famer Brian James, better known by his wrestling name Road Dogg, reportedly stepped down from his role as one of SmackDown Live's head writers this week. James first joined WWE's creative team in 2012 and was promoted to co-lead writer of the Blue Brand alongside Stephen Guerrieri. It became a popular trend online among wrestling fans to blame James whenever SmackDown Live's television product was deemed unsatisfactory, but according to PWInsider's Mike Johnson, the veteran wrestler hit a "breaking point" this week over Vince McMahon's consistent changes to the show's script.

"Sources cited James' increasing frustration with changes made to the Smackdown scripting by Vince McMahon with James finally hitting a 'breaking point' at this past Tuesday's Smackdown taping in Brooklyn, NY," Johnson wrote on Thursday.

Johnson added there was no frontrunner for James' replacement as of this week, though he did add that the position is currently seen as a formality given that McMahon still has final say over every script before each show. James hinted at his role changing via Twitter this week.

"Today I pray that I face the change, that is inevitably coming, head on and with faith and courage," James wrote in his daily prayer tweet.

James was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday night as one of six members of D-Generation X, alongside Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Chyna and Billy Gunn. The induction featured a special tribute from all five men to Chyna, who tragically died in 2016, as well as numerous jokes directed at themselves and each other. At one point Triple H made headlines when he made a comment about All Elite Wrestling when Billy Gunn (a backstage producer for AEW) pointed out that Vince McMahon can't fire him now.

"Billy, le'ts be honest. He will buy that pissant company just to fire you again." Triple H said, which prompted an AEW chant to start in the Barclays Center.

UPDATE: Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin reported on Thursday that James will still remain with the company "as a utility player" going forward, so his time in WWE isn't over.

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