Road Dogg may have been backstage at Slammiversary, but he was nowhere to be found at TNA’s Albany tapings this week.
According to PWInsider, Brian “Road Dogg” James was not backstage for TNA’s television tapings in Albany on July 1 or July 2, even after showing up at Slammiversary just days earlier. The reason? The deal still isn’t finished. PWInsider reported that TNA and the WWE Hall of Famer are continuing to negotiate, but the talks have not reached the point where he’s officially joining the company.
“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.”
The report added that negotiations are still moving in the right direction, but not quickly enough for Road Dogg to be part of this week’s TV 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.”
That makes his Slammiversary appearance look more like a check-in than a debut. He was around the company, met with people, and discussions continued afterwards, but nobody should assume he’s already part of the creative team.
The timing is interesting because TNA is still reshuffling behind the scenes following Tommy Dreamer’s departure from creative. Road Dogg has been linked to a backstage role for weeks, making him one of the biggest names connected to the company’s ongoing overhaul.
For now, though, nothing is signed. TNA’s next television tapings are scheduled for the end of the month in Philadelphia, so if the two sides can finally hammer out an agreement, that could be the next time Road Dogg officially steps into the picture.
What do you think about Road Dogg potentially joining TNA? Is he the right person to help reshape the company’s creative direction? Let us know in the comments below.
