Road Dogg Believes AEW Could Be Booking Themselves Into A Corner

Booking is an art, not a science, and Road Dogg wants to make sure AEW isn't hamstringing their presentation with hard and fast rules for booking the finishes to matches.

"I think, when you have to have a clean finish in every match, I think that's more detrimental than throwing the match out because they fought outside," Road Dogg said on the latest episode of the "Oh...You Didn't Know" podcast. A member of the legendary Armstrong family, Road Dogg has a lot of experience with the ways that DQs and double count-outs can add to a rivalry's longevity, as it did in the territory days.

"Using the point system like they do in AEW," Road Dogg said, referring to AEW's strict win/loss records, "At some point you're going to book yourself into a corner there, because everybody needs to be able to be beaten, and everybody needs to be able to win."

"It's just not good for everybody," Road Dogg said of the company's penchant for clean finishes. "Can't we just tell the story and not do that?"

A former WWE Intercontinental, Hardcore, and Tag Team Champion, Road Dogg was a producer and writer for WWE from 2014 until his departure from the company in 2022. During that time Dogg (real name Brian James) was a head writer for "WWE Smackdown" before transitioning into a role at the WWE Performance Center in 2019. James was released in January as WWE began restructuring their NXT developmental brand, in where James was producing matches, teaching promo classes, and helping with character development. James thanked fans and WWE for his time with the company after his release, saying "It's just business!"

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the "Oh...You Didn't Know" podcast and give a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.