Vince Russo Says WWE Creative Is “25 Years Behind” After Road Dogg Exit

Brian “Road Dogg” James stepping away from WWE creative has triggered discussion about the company’s internal writing structure as it prepares for WrestleMania 42.

James reportedly chose to leave the SmackDown creative team after receiving feedback during his annual performance review, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The longtime WWE veteran had been serving as a co-lead writer and had worked in various creative roles since returning to the company in 2014.

His departure comes during a broader reshuffling of WWE’s writing leadership. Alexandra Williams recently confirmed on LinkedIn that she has been promoted to Vice President and Lead Writer for Monday Night Raw after previously serving as a senior writer and producer.

Ryan Ward has reportedly taken on a larger role coordinating creative direction across both Raw and SmackDown, while Williams and Jonathan Baeckstrom continue overseeing the day-to-day direction of Raw. Meanwhile, John Swikata remains one of the key voices guiding SmackDown following James’ exit.

Former WWE writer Vince Russo weighed in on the situation and used the moment to criticize what he believes is a larger issue within the company’s leadership structure. Russo argued that many of the people responsible for WWE creative have been operating inside what he described as a “wrestling bubble” for decades.

“Guys, you’re not going to see a change in this company unless there’s a change at the top. The people that are in charge have been in their roles for decades, decades, decades, decades. They’re not going to change their stripes. They’re not going to magically get it. They’re not, bro.”

Russo continued by claiming that longtime industry figures are disconnected from broader cultural changes and modern entertainment trends.

“They are occupiers of the bubble. They live in the bubble. They reside in the bubble. They eat, sleep, drink professional wrestling in the bubble. And I hate to break the news to you, man, the bubble is about 25 years behind everybody else.”

He concluded his remarks by suggesting the wrestling business itself has struggled to keep pace with the rest of the entertainment world.

“If you want me to just be truthful, the wrestling business has been passed by. Society has passed the wrestling business by.”

Despite Russo’s criticism, WWE continues to expand its global reach through major media deals and international events, including its ongoing partnership with Netflix for Monday Night Raw. James’ exit marks another shift within the company’s writing team as WWE moves toward one of its biggest events of the year.

Do you think Vince Russo has a point about WWE creative being out of touch, or do you believe the company’s storytelling direction is stronger than ever? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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