AJ Styles defends new WWE SmackDown co-lead writer Road Dogg amid fan criticism
AJ Styles thinks fans should give new WWE SmackDown co-lead writer Road Dogg a fair shot before criticizing him.
It was revealed over the weekend that Road Dogg is now SmackDown’s co-lead writer, working alongside John Swikata in the role. The news received criticism from some fans online who did not enjoy the product when Road Dogg was a head writer for SmackDown in the late-2010s.
Responding to that criticism, Styles tweeted that fans should not judge Road Dogg on his past performance — because that was during the Vince McMahon era when writers would have their worked picked apart and the final product would not resemble their original vision.
“Before judging this guy from his past performance as the head writer. Just know that there was a man who picked it apart to the point that it was no longer his ideas anymore,” Styles wrote.
Styles did not directly mention McMahon by name in the tweet.
After spending a few months out of action with a foot injury, Styles returned to action in the Royal Rumble earlier this month. He’s moved over to the Raw roster, where WWE has teased Styles as a potential challenger for Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker. Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio is taking place on tonight’s Raw episode.
Road Dogg is a WWE Hall of Famer, having been inducted as a member of D-Generation X in 2019. He was released from his behind-the-scenes position with WWE in 2022 but returned just months later when Paul “Triple H” Levesque gained more power within the company.
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.