AEW touts itself as the promotion where “the best wrestle”, a brand the company has been able to build by assembling a locker-room comprised of some of the finest competitors from around the world. The All Elite Wrestling roster features talent fresh off the independent circuit, as well as those coming out of stints in other promotions, such as NJPW, CMLL, TNA, and especially WWE.

The same is true of AEW’s backstage and behind-the-scenes set-up. Several of the company’s coaches, such as Billy Gunn, Dustin Rhodes, and Serena Deeb, and producers like Dean Malenko and Josh Mathews, are prominent names once employed by WWE. Following “Road Dogg” Brian James’ abrupt and unexpected departure from the sports entertainment juggernaut recently, speculations have broken out that the veteran could be the next ex-WWE legend to jump ship, more than likely in a backstage capacity.

Arguments can certainly be made in favor of a growing wrestling company hiring a figure as experienced as Road Dogg. However, there are also a few reasons why Tony Khan should be wary of signing the 56-year-old- let us explore three of them.

#1. Road Dogg’s creative has been much-criticized by WWE fans

Back in 2011, the erstwhile Jesse James returned to WWE after nearly a decade away from the company. The former DX member made sporadic appearances on the promotion’s programming and eventually reunited with his tag team partner, Billy Gunn, even going on a brief and final run with the latter as The New Age Outlaws.

Since his return, James had also served WWE as a producer, and later in 2016, it was revealed that he had begun working as a writer on SmackDown. He was eventually promoted to head writer, though he reportedly resigned in 2019. Last year, Road Dogg was named one of the co-head writers of the Blue Brand, sparking widespread criticism from fans, who were less than satisfied with his prior performance on the show’s creative team. In fact, the criticism was loud enough to prompt AJ Styles to rush to the veteran’s defence on X/Twitter.

The audience’s dissatisfaction with the program’s writing seems to have been translating into analytics as well, judging from the recent decline in SmackDown’s viewership ratings. While this may not be Road Dogg’s sole responsibility, his work as a head writer has not left fans with a very strong impression. As such, signing him for AEW, especially in a creative capacity, may not be very advisable for Tony Khan right now.

#2. Road Dogg may not understand AEW’s booking approach

Despite sharing some of pro-wrestling’s most universal rules, AEW’s product arguably has not much in common with WWE’s. Whereas the Jacksonville-based promotion lays a heavier emphasis on the quality of in-ring action, the Stamford-based company is better known for the promotional hype generated for its matches, the latter including elements like video packages, vignettes, promo segments, interviews, and more.

Another way to contrast WWE’s booking philosophy to AEW’s is to notice how WWE’s biggest and most popular superstars get over with audiences generally through their character work, whereas in All Elite Wrestling, it is their credibility and uniqueness as a wrestler that ultimately ensures their connection with the audience. Understanding this distinction is undoubtedly crucial to contributing to either company’s weekly programming.

Despite being involved with and familiar with WWE’s system and culture for years, Road Dogg’s tenure as a booker has not been well-received by fans. Therefore, it may not be unreasonable to assume that the Hall of Famer might not be the best fit for AEW’s creative, an assumption which is no doubt strengthened by some of his previous remarks about the company’s booking practices.

#3. Road Dogg’s close relationship with Triple H should give Tony Khan pause

Jesse James has been friends with Triple H for well over two decades now. Not only were they allies and teammates as members of DX back in the day, but they also occupied significant backstage roles in WWE after beginning to wind down their in-ring careers. Many have even conjectured that his friendship with Road Dogg may have played a small part in the latter’s appointment as SmackDown co-head writer last year.

In fact, his bond with the WWE Chief Content Officer gives Brian James significant leverage in any potential negotiations with Tony Khan over an AEW contract. His connections in WWE do not automatically make Road Dogg a worthwhile acquisition for AEW, however, for the reasons discussed so far, among others.

This is not to mention the fact that if James returns to WWE after a brief stint in AEW, he would be able to provide Triple H at least an outline of the Tony Khan-led company’s operational structures, future creative plans, business and broadcast goals, etc., from his time being employed there. These and other considerations, even if hypothetical, could discourage TK from bringing Road Dogg to All Elite Wrestling.