Exclusive update on Road Dogg’s TNA Wrestling status
It sounds like Brian “Road Dogg” James joining TNA Wrestling isn’t a sure thing.
Around the time of TNA’s Slammiversary pay-per-view in June, it was reported that James was expected to join the company for a behind-the-scenes role in creative. James was present at Slammiversary but did not attend the post-PPV tapings as he and TNA were still working out a deal. Now, Dave Meltzer reports that talks between the two sides have “stalled.”
“Talks with Brian James to come here [TNA] have stalled,” Meltzer wrote in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “He didn’t make a deal and right now they don’t seem to be close to a deal.”
The creative team in TNA currently includes Hunter Johnston (former ROH wrestler/booker Delirious) and Eric Tompkins (TNA Vice President of TV Production and Executive Creative Director). Tommy Dreamer had been a leading voice in creative prior to departing the company in June ahead of Slammiversary.
James worked in creative in WWE and was co-lead writer of SmackDown before deciding to leave the promotion earlier this year.
Upcoming TNA schedule —
TNA is currently building toward its Lockdown pay-per-view, which will be held in Chicago on August 23. The promotion had a live Impact episode and TV tapings in Philadelphia yesterday and will tape more matches there tonight.
After Lockdown, TNA has tapings in Brampton, Ontario, Canada at the end of August and San Antonio, Texas in September. October’s Bound for Glory PPV will then be held in Tampa, Florida.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.