It looked like Road Dogg was only days away from becoming TNA’s newest backstage addition. Now? Not so much.
After weeks of momentum and an appearance backstage at Slammiversary led to speculation that a deal was all but done, a new backstage update says negotiations have hit a major snag. Instead of moving closer to joining TNA’s creative team, Road Dogg and the company aren’t even close to getting a contract across the finish line anymore.
Dave Meltzer revealed in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that discussions between TNA and the WWE Hall of Famer have slowed to a crawl.
“Talks with Brian James to come here [TNA] have stalled. He didn’t make a deal and right now they don’t seem to be close to a deal.”
That’s a very different picture from what fans were hearing just last month. Road Dogg was backstage throughout Slammiversary, immediately setting off speculation that his arrival was essentially a done deal. When he didn’t show up for TNA’s Albany television tapings, the assumption was that paperwork simply hadn’t been finalized yet. PWInsider reported at the time that both sides were still negotiating and expected the process to continue after his pay-per-view visit rather than suggesting anything had gone wrong.
“We were told the two sides were still working out a deal for James, the former lead WWE SmackDown writer, to come in after his PPV visit.”
PWInsider also noted that negotiations were continuing behind the scenes, even if they weren’t moving quickly enough for Road Dogg to be part of those television tapings.
“We can confirm those discussions are, as of today, still moving forward, but whatever the process is, they did not lead to him coming to this week’s TNA TV events.”
Fast forward to now, and the situation appears to have cooled off considerably. Instead of waiting for signatures, the latest report suggests the two sides have stalled altogether, leaving Road Dogg’s future with the company very much up in the air. That’s a significant shift, especially considering how heavily his name has been linked to TNA’s creative overhaul following Tommy Dreamer’s departure.
It doesn’t necessarily mean the deal is dead. But it does mean the optimism surrounding Road Dogg’s arrival has taken a noticeable hit. As things stand today, the former WWE SmackDown head writer remains on the outside looking in instead of preparing to officially join the promotion.
Do you think TNA should keep pushing to bring Road Dogg into its creative team, or would you rather see the company go in a different direction? Let us know in the comments below.
