• Hall Of Famer Was Demoted Before He Quit WWE
Road Dogg aka Brian James, the WWE Hall of Famer and longtime creative team member, left WWE recently. Road Dogg was a key writer on SmackDown.
According to Self Made Pro, Road Dogg had been demoted earlier. He was no longer the main lead writer for SmackDown. WWE brought in extra writers to help, which frustrated him. He had been unhappy for a while. This included issues with his ideas not being used and the company’s direction.
His exit came after his annual performance review. He was not happy with the feedback. Road Dogg made the decision to quit and resigned in person. It was his choice to leave, not a firing.
This happened during a bigger creative team shake-up in WWE. A new lead writer was named for RAW around the same time.
Road Dogg returned to creative in 2022 under Triple H. Since leaving, he has been booked for independent wrestling appearances.
• RAW Star Left SmackDown Because He Was Tired Of Working With Solo Sikoa
LA Knight requested a move from SmackDown to RAW last year because he was tired of working with Solo Sikoa. Knight had been locked in a long feud with Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline on SmackDown. The storyline lasted many months with repeated matches and segments.
Self Made Pro reported that Knight felt the rivalry had run its course. He asked for a fresh start on the other brand during creative planning. WWE granted the request.
Knight is known for speaking up loudly when he thinks something in his booking doesn’t work. He has been very direct with WWE’s creative team about his frustrations.
• Why Royce Keys Skipped NXT
Royce Keys (fka Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW) debuted in WWE at Royal Rumble 2026 but skipped NXT entirely. He went straight to the main roster (expected on SmackDown) instead of starting in developmental.
There are some rumors that Keys made it clear during contract talks that he wanted to join the main roster right away instead of going to NXT first. However, that’s not the case.
According to Fightful Select, WWE officials wanted Keys on the main roster instead of debuting on NXT. Keys has only worked dark (untelevised) matches before shows since his Royal Rumble debut, but his TV return might be near.
Bodyslam recently reported that WWE wants to do Royce Keys and Jelly Roll vs. The Miz and Kit Wilson at WrestleMania 42. WWE wants to book an angle where Jelly and Royce bond over stories of their real-life hardships, which is one of the reasons WWE heavily promoted Royce’s appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast.
Also Read: LA Knight Wasn’t Happy On RAW
