WWE Hall of Famer Brian James, best known to fans as Road Dogg, has confirmed his first public appearances since stepping away from his role on WWE’s creative team.
James, who most recently served as co-lead writer for WWE SmackDown, is scheduled to appear at the upcoming Squared Circle Expo in Indianapolis on March 27–28.
In addition to the convention appearance, fans can also look forward to a reunion later this year with his longtime tag team partner Billy Gunn. The two members of the legendary The New Age Outlaws are set to team up again this December at Blizzard Brawl 21 in Milwaukee.
Reports indicate that James’ departure from WWE came shortly after an annual performance review. While the precise reasons for the decision remain known only to James himself, it reportedly followed a period of tension involving his outside convention bookings.
According to reports, the situation stemmed from a convention appearance James had arranged for late March. WWE management had initially granted approval for him to attend the event, but that permission was later withdrawn, forcing James to cancel the booking at the time.
Following that cancellation, it was reported that James told organizers his future availability would not be restricted by the company going forward.
Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer discussed the situation in a report, noting the timing of James’ departure.
“James got his annual review. The belief is that he wasn’t happy with it and left,” Dave Meltzer reports. “He may say he left over something else and only he would know exactly why he did so. But it was his decision and it came after his annual review.”
James’ exit marks the end of his latest run behind the scenes with WWE, where he played a significant role in shaping the creative direction of SmackDown programming.
