Bully Ray recently weighed in on the state of WWE creative following news that Brian James had stepped down from his role on the SmackDown writing team.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray suggested that WWE’s storytelling has become overly calculated, potentially preventing the kind of spontaneous moments that historically helped create the industry’s biggest stars.
“You know what Road Dogg told WWE? Take care, brush your hair,” Ray joked while discussing the situation. He added that knowing James’ personality, the departure did not surprise him.
Ray speculated that the pressure of working within WWE’s creative structure may have contributed to James’ decision to step away.
“I think him being involved with creative possibly had finally got to him—the stress of it, or maybe he didn’t like some of the things that were being done, what he heard, what he saw,” Ray said. “And he’s like, ‘You know what? This ain’t for me anymore.’”
Ray also referenced behind-the-scenes footage from WWE Unreal, which showed disagreements between James and Triple H about how to handle certain talent. According to Ray, James favored acting quickly when wrestlers began gaining organic momentum, while Triple H preferred having a long-term plan before committing to major creative changes.
One example Ray highlighted involved R-Truth, where James reportedly pushed for a fresh direction after the veteran shaved his head. Triple H, however, questioned what the long-term plan would be if they moved forward with the idea.
Ray used the discussion to argue that WWE’s current system may be too structured to allow for spontaneous breakthroughs.
“Where is my next Austin 3:16 moment coming from?” Ray asked, referencing the iconic phrase made famous by Steve Austin. He argued that some of wrestling’s most memorable moments happened organically rather than through detailed planning.
Drawing on his own career, Ray noted that catchphrases from his time in ECW and WWE—such as “What’s Up?” and “Get the tables!”—were never pre-approved ideas.
“We didn’t run it by anybody,” Ray said. “It just happened out there and caught fire.”
Despite the criticism, Ray acknowledged that WWE has recently shown a willingness to adjust creative plans. He compared recent storyline changes heading into WrestleMania 42 to a halftime adjustment in football.
“I have zero problem with that,” he said. “Sometimes you have to change the game plan.”
Ray pointed to evolving storylines involving stars like Rhea Ripley, Jade Cargill, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns as examples of WWE attempting to adjust direction ahead of the major event.
He ended his comments by reminding WWE leadership—particularly Triple H and Shawn Michaels—that they themselves built their careers by pushing boundaries and taking creative risks.
“They know what it’s like to go out there and organically get over,” Ray said. “So maybe let some other people do that too.”
