Brian 'Road Dogg' James Steps Down As WWE SmackDown Head Writer

Brian 'Road Dogg' James has stepped down from his role as co-head writer of WWE SmackDown.

This is according to Dave Meltzer on this most recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, though he offers no further details on the situation.

James had held his writing position since December 2016. This coincided with an immediate downturn in the show's creative direction, leading to the infamous (but ineffectual) #FireRoadDogg movement on Twitter, as the blue brand had earned all kinds of plaudits for its quality when former NXT writer Ryan Ward was its creative head.

Ward remains a lead writer on SmackDown. There's no word on whether or not WWE will promote someone to fill James' position, but the prospect of him going solo again is enticing. SmackDown was a great show from the 2016 Draft until the end of the year, and Ward's NXT run remains the developmental brand's most exciting period, despite its current quality.

SmackDown has been WWE's most consistent weekly brand for well over a year now. Road Dogg's departure will sound alarm bells for some fans, but Ward's track record deserves trust at the same time.