Katz had worked as a creative producer for NXT from 2015 up until he was released by the company on January 5, 2022. Following his departure, he began co-hosting the “Oh, You Didn’t Know” podcast with Road Dogg. During the most recent episode, it was confirmed that Katz is headed back to WWE.
Road Dogg noted that he and Katz had both been released from WWE on the same day.
“We both got released on the same day not too long ago and I guess people have figured out by now, you are returning to the World Wresting Entertainment,” Road Dogg said.
Katz noted that he is not sure what he will be doing with WWE upon his return, however. He also mentioned that he was supposed to start on Thursday but his return has been pushed back.
“It’s going to be interesting because I’m still trying to figure out if that is exactly what I’m doing or not,” Katz said when Road Dogg asked if he would be back in his old role.
“I was supposed to start on Thursday, the day that this drops, but it’s been pushed so the timing of this, it’s all going to go kaput in a week,” Katz joked.
Road Dogg then praised Katz’s previous work in WWE.
“The job you did before, I don’t know if you had a billet or a title but you wore a ton of hats and I knew for a fact that when the regime changed, they’d have you back because I know the people who run the Performance Center valued you,” Road Dogg said.
Job Listing: Onlamp php/mysql developer. Experience with vbulletin and drupal/WordPress a plus. Email [email protected] with subject PHP DEVELOPER with resume.
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Monday News Update
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking WWE changes, Raw, a lot of other wrestling news and taking questions [email protected]
Raw is tonight in Toronto. The show will be a legitimate sellout with more than 13,000 fans at the Scotiabank Arena. WWE has only had a handful of sellouts for non-PPV shows this year. Edge vs. Damian Priest has been pushed for two weeks plus Trish Status will be there and Alexa Bliss & Asuka face Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai in the women’s tag team tournament.
Brian James, who was just begging for a job in AEW, was hired by WWE as Vice President of Live Events. The title is different but this comes right after Jeff Jarrett, the SVP of Live Events, was let go.
There will be a new team in the women’s tag team tournament. WWE just announced that Gigi Dolin was injured on Friday and they are out and there will be a four-team match on Smackdown on Friday to determine who faces Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah in their spot. Dolin reportedly suffered a concussion in Friday’s match. Dolin & Jacy Jayne were originally to be on tonight’s Raw show in Toronto to build up Friday’s match.
Independent promoter Graeme Keam of Canada has claimed that Levis Valenzuela (No Way Jose) had agreed to work a show for him, he sent him a plane ticket, found out that Valenzuela had switched the plane ticket to Orlando for this weekend and he ended up flying himself in for an AEW tryout instead. He wrote on Twitter, “No way Jose stole my money and flew to Orlando to appear on AEW Dark on my plane ticket. He lied to me all day.”
AEW matches for Wednesday in Cleveland include the CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley unification match, Will Ospreay & Aussie Open vs. Penta & Rey Fenix & Pac in the trios tournament, Dax Harwood vs. Jay Lethal, Britt Baker vs. KiLynn King and Billy Gunn vs Colten Gunn. Rampage tapings have Claudio Castagnoli defending the ROH title against Dustin Rhodes. They have sold about 400 tickets the last three days so tickets are moving with the Punk vs. Moxley announcement and are right now at just under 4,700.
Merab Dvalishvili was a guest of Ariel Helwani today and said that Jose Aldo told him after losing to him that this was his last fight. Aldo has not spoken of this thus far.
New Japan’s Rumble on 44th Street PPV show at the Palladium in Times Square basically sold out immediately this morning. They only had 1,025 tickets on sale and there are some platinum seats ($1,000) unsold but virtually everything else is sold. This was for the presale as actual on sale is Thursday.
They did a comedy sketch on BTE that came out today for a back story to make sense why Adam Page didn’t come out when CM Punk challenged him. He was training the Dark Order for their trios tournament match. Jeff Jones told him Punk called him out like it was happening (this was taped long after) and Page didn’t pay attention and told Jones to get out and he’s doing something far more important. They also noted Evil Uno is out as he’s doing a public appearance for AEW Games in Germany, and won’t be on Wednesday’s show taped for Friday. That would indicate the Friday Rampage match will be House of Black against John Silver & Alex Reynolds & 10, unless Page subs for Uno. Mark Sterling did an ad for position theft on the show because Stokley Hathaway took his spot. Mark Jindrak was used in the ad, since Jindrak was originally to be in Evolution years ago but lost his spot.. Also, the Young Bucks were heelish telling Kenny Omega he was the only one they considered as their partner and Brandon Cutler mae a face like everyone knows you asked Adam Page first. (thanks to Stephen Lyon)
Other Notes
Canadian wrestling historian Vance Nevada is releasing a book called “Uncontrolled Chaos” as a comprehensive history of Canadian wrestling.
–WrestleMax St. Louis from Saturday night in St. Louis for the David Lee Memorial tournament for the vacant River City title:
Mason St. Goodz b Ryu Kendrick
Mike Outlaw won four-way over Camaro Jackson, Marko Stunt and Darian Bengston
Karam b Mike Outlaw
JDX b Fuego del Sol
Davey Richards b Moses the Deliverer
Davey Vega b Rahim De La Suede
JDX b Karam
Davey Vega b Davey Richards
Sabotage Sam Logan NC Edvin Kudic
Marc b ATM
JDX b Davey Vega to win the title and tournament (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
–Defy from Saturday night in Seattle:
Cody Chuun b Alex Shelley
Guillermo Rosas won three-way over La Estrella (Dragon Gate) and Adriel Noctis
Killer Kelly b Ava Lawless
Coyote Azteca b Halcon Negro
Bobby Fish b Yuya Uemura
Ricky Gibson & Eddie Pearl (Midnight Heat) won the tag titles in a three-way over champions Christopher Daniels & Swerve Strickland and former champions Gurv & Harv Sihra to win the titles
Karrion Kross and Scarlett opened the show cutting a promo. Kross was scheduled to wrestle but WWE pulled him off the show, but he came to make an appearance and said companies like this helped him to reach his dreams and he pulled out a Defy T-shirt he had from three years ago.
Pro Wrestling Australia announced a tour from 10/1 o 10/26 in the Gold Cost,Brisbane, Victoria, Wollongang,Newcastle Sydney and Canberra featuring Jessica Troy, Robbie Eagles and Mick Moretti. (thanks to Paul Robinson)
–C4 Wrestling did a Canadian cancer society fundraiser on Friday night in Ottawa, ONT before about 600 fans:
Terra Callaway won over Addy Starr Cecil Nyx and Dan Berry to keep the Interspecies King of Crazy title,
Puf & Pretty Ricky & Sexxxy Eddy b TDT & The Butcher (AEW)
LuFisto b Jana Kai
Yoya won over Marcus Mathers and Akira
Junior Benito won Battle Royal
Evil Uno b Kevin Ku
Eddie Kingston b Stu Grayson. Was told the main event was great. Kingston said that a lot of people are going to regret doubting Grayson. He then called out the company owner and asked everyone to please turn off their cameras because he didn’t want this clip on social media. He told the owner to take his pay for the show and donate all of it to the Canadian Cancer Society. (thanks to Josiah MacDonald)
–EVE has Thursday night Riot at 229 The Venue in London, UK:
Alex Windsor defends the Eve title against Hikari Noa
Jetta & Millie McKenzie & Charlie Morgan vs. Emerson Jayne & Nina Samuels & Lizzy Evo
Road Dogg was working behind the scenes in NXT when he was released by WWE during a round of Performance Center staff cuts this January. He’s also formerly worked on the WWE main roster, including once serving as the head writer of SmackDown.
His return comes after Paul “Triple H” Levesque has gained more power in WWE following the retirement of Vince McMahon. Triple H is WWE’s new head of creative and executive vice president of talent relations.
Road Dogg and Triple H were both inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as members of D-Generation X in 2019.
“For a while there, it was hands off and I could just write the SmackDown I wanted to write — with help, of course. Then it got back to the old corporate ways,” Road Dogg said. “I would love to go back to NXT. I don’t think I want to go back to the main roster. I’d love to go somewhere that I have something to offer. I feel like what I have to offer is making the television show sweet. And I got a couple ideas about wrestling. But I feel like WWE has that. They have everything I have to offer in-house. So I don’t know that they would hire me back. Of course I would go back to NXT. It’s really cool down there. Shawn [Michaels] and the writers that I all worked with on SmackDown, a couple of them. So I got a great rapport with those guys. I’d love to go back down there. I just don’t know if I’m ready to do the ol’ Windsor knot again and try to fit back into those friggin’ suits I bought.”
Road Dogg also said on Busted Open Radio that he’d been “begging” Tony Khan for a job in AEW and wanted to know why Khan wouldn’t hire him.
“I’m not retired, I’m unemployed,” Road Dogg said. “That’s what I keep saying: ‘I’m not retired, I’m unemployed.’ And I see things on Tony Khan’s TV show that appall me. I could help with that. I have been begging him for a job on every platform I can and I want to know the reason why he won’t hire me.”
The 53-year-old revealed that he will be “sitting with” the company’s crew as they film the pay-per-view and television tapings the night after.
“I’ve got some future events I’m looking forward to,” he said on his Oh You Didn’t Know podcast. “I’m going to fly to Chicago in a couple of weeks and just sit with the Impact crew as they do their pay-per-view and their television taping and then the next week I think in Chicago, the top guy weekend for Ads Free. So, I’m looking forward to some upcoming events.”
Impact Emergence takes place on August 12 from Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois.
Road Dogg recently stated on Busted Open Radio that he has been “begging” Tony Khan for a job. After having been a producer for Ric Flair’s Last Match, Road Dogg was asked if he felt his chances at landing a role in AEW have improved.
“I’m going to change my tactic, watch this” he responded. “I don’t want a job, Tony. I’m good, thank you.”
“Truth be told, I’d love to work there because I do think I could make his television show better for the viewer. Having said that, I’m having a really good time right now doing the podcast, doing other people’s podcasts, doing stuff like this, doing the conventions and the signings and stuff. It’s so much fun and I get to spend time with my family. I’m in a really good place.”
Road Dogg also spoke about Ric Flair’s Last Match.
“I was interested to see how they put the match together and I knew the finish but I didn’t know the beginning or the middle or the end. It was exactly how I would have constructed it and exactly the way it should have gone.”
“You’re not going to run a bunch of spots, the guy is 73 years old,” he continued.
Former WWE producer Brian “Road Dogg” James is begging Tony Khan for a job with AEW.
Road Dogg, who was released from his behind-the-scenes role with WWE NXT this January, was a guest on Thursday’s episode of Busted Open Radio. At the end of the interview, Road Dogg stated that he’s been “begging” Khan for a job on every platform and wants to know why Khan won’t hire him. Road Dogg said he sees things on AEW television that he’s appalled by and thinks he can help with that.
“I’m not retired, I’m unemployed,” Road Dogg said. “That’s what I keep saying: ‘I’m not retired, I’m unemployed.’ And I see things on Tony Khan’s TV show that appall me. I could help with that. I have been begging him for a job on every platform I can and I want to know the reason why he won’t hire me.”
On his “Oh…You Didn’t Know” podcast last month, Road Dogg said AEW TV looks like “an indie show that somebody filmed with some nice cameras.”
Road Dogg formerly worked both on the WWE main roster and in NXT. He said on Busted Open Radio that he would love to return to NXT but doesn’t think he wants to go back to the main roster.
For a while there, it was hands off and I could just write the SmackDown I wanted to write — with help, of course. Then it got back to the old corporate ways,” Road Dogg said. “I would love to go back to NXT. I don’t think I want to go back to the main roster. I’d love to go somewhere that I have something to offer. I feel like what I have to offer is making the television show sweet. And I got a couple ideas about wrestling. But I feel like WWE has that. They have everything I have to offer in-house. So I don’t know that they would hire me back. Of course I would go back to NXT. It’s really cool down there. Shawn [Michaels] and the writers that I all worked with on SmackDown, a couple of them. So I got a great rapport with those guys. I’d love to go back down there. I just don’t know if I’m ready to do the ol’ Windsor knot again and try to fit back into those friggin’ suits I bought.”
Road Dogg was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of D-Generation X in 2019.
William Regal and Road Dogg are among the names released from WWE this afternoon as part of cuts at the WWE Performance Center.
Bryan Alvarez has confirmed that William Regal, Road Dogg, Timothy Thatcher, Danny Burch, Hideki Suzuki, Cathy Corino, Dave Kapoor (Ranjin Singh), Scott Armstrong, George Carroll and Ryan Katz are among the names that have been released from the company. PWInsider also reported that Chris Guy (Ace Steel) have been released.
“With the continued evolution of NXT 2.0, we’ve decided to part ways with some of the staff based in our Performance Center,” WWE said in a statement. “We thank them for their many contributions throughout the years and wish them the best.”
Regal had been working as a talent scout for the company. Prior to the NXT 2.0 relaunch this past fall, he had been the on-air General Manager of the brand. He had been part of WWE dating back to 2000, when he re-signed with the company as a wrestler following a previous stint in the late 90s. Road Dogg (Brian James) had been a producer and writer for WWE since 2014, and had recently moved to NXT.
Thatcher, Suzuki, and Burch had been on-air talents for NXT. Suzuki, known as Hachiman, had been on the January 4th edition of NXT, accompanying Roderick Strong to ringisde for his match against Carmelo Hayes.
Kapoor had formerly been a Senior Vice President of Creative for WWE and moved to Florida last year to work in NXT full-time. He was also The Great Khali’s longtime on-air manager. Ace Steel had been working as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center. Katz had been a creative producer involved in character development and vignettes and had been with the company since 2015. Armstrong had been a long time referee on WWE’s main roster before moving to NXT.
Corino, best known as Allison Danger, had started working as a coach for the WWE Performance Center last October. Carroll had joined the company last year as a producer and writer.
“Wanna give everybody an update. I just got the best birthday ever!!,” she wrote. “My husband has no blockages and he’s getting to come home today we still have some doctor visits to take him to but his heart is good. Thank you all so much for all the prayers I do believe in that.”
Brian’s brother, Scott Armstrong, also confirmed he was out of the hospital. “I’m happy to say my brother (@WWERoadDogg) is going to be released from the hospital today,” he wrote. “There’s still work to do but , as of today, there future is bright! TY again “Twitterverse” for all the positive vibes and prayers! For those who were negative…BLESS YOUR HEART!”
James, who is a producer for NXT, went to the hospital Thursday after coming back from the most recent XT tapings. At the time, it was feared that he had suffered a heart attack.
Brian James (Road Dogg) likely suffered a heart attack on Thursday.
James’ wife, Tracy, posted on Facebook this morning that he had likely suffered a heart attack after returning from Orlando for this week’s NXT tapings.
“I want to thank everyone for the prayers and text,” she wrote. “Brian most likely suffered a heart attack late Thursday night after returning from Orlando. He has had test run and we’re currently waiting for the results.he has also seen a kidney specialist and will have a stress test done. He’s always been on [blood pressure] meds for high bp. Just please pray all the test come back for something we can fix. I am a total wreck but I’m trying so hard to be positive! Please pray for Brian. He feels horrible and for God to please heal my husband so he can come hone ! Thank y’all all so much!”
She later provided an update, writing that kidney tests came back clear and a heart cath is scheduled for Monday.
Brian James currently works as a producer for NXT. Prior to that, he had been the head writer for SmackDown. He most recently assisted Shawn Michaels running the March 17 episode of NXT after Triple H was quarantined due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the WWE Performance Center.
More names have been added to next week’s Raw Reunion.
During commercials that aired tonight during Raw, the following names were listed for next week’s show:
Mark Henry
Mick Foley
Pat Patterson
Gearld Brisco
Lilian Garcia
Alundra Blayze
Kelly Kelly
Rikishi
Ron Simmons
The Godfather
Road Dogg
Sid
This is in addition to other names that were announced last night during Extreme Rules, which include Steve Austin, Sgt. Slaughter, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash/Diesel, Scott Hall/Razor Ramon, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Booker T, X-Pac, Eric Bischoff, Santino Marella, D-Von Dudley, Ted DiBiase, Kurt Angle, Jerry Lawler, Christian, The Boogeyman, Jimmy Hart and the Hurricane.
WWE is promoting the show as the biggest reunion in WWE history. It would also mark the first advertised appearance for Eric Bischoff, who is set to start with WWE full time as the executive director of SmackDown starting this week.
Raw Reunion will take place next week, July 22, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
WWE has finally made their first official announcement for this year’s Hall of Fame class.
After an advertisement about the news went around overnight, WWE announced via ESPN today that D-Generation X will be inducted into their Hall of Fame over WrestleMania 35 weekend. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and X-Pac will be the six D-X members going into the Hall of Fame.
“I think it’s the most meaningful for us all to go in together and to be recognized together,” Triple H told ESPN about both versions of D-X going into the Hall of Fame. “Because I think both groups were [just] as impactful.”
This will be Michaels’ second induction and the first for Triple H, Chyna, Road Dogg, Gunn, and X-Pac.
Chyna is being posthumously inducted nearly three years after her death. Triple H spoke to ESPN about her joining the Hall of Fame: “It’d be tough to pick a female that was more impactful on the business. She did something that was completely so out of left field that it wasn’t even being considered when we first brought it up for her to come in. It wasn’t even a consideration… it wasn’t an easy thing, and against all odds she did all of that. She earned everybody’s trust. She won over the fans. She won over the boys. She did all of it.”
“From that standpoint, absolutely 100 percent deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, and should probably be more than once — as a group, but individually as well,” Triple H said. “There’s more complexity to that than meets the eye, but here we are. I’m just happy that it’s here. I’m happy for her family, the people that she was close to, that hopefully this is super meaningful to them. I know it would be to her. It’s a great thing — very deserving.”
It was announced last month that Gunn is working as a producer for All Elite Wrestling.
Rick Rude, who was part of WWE’s Hall of Fame class of 2017, isn’t going in again with D-X.
The D-X name was most recently used on WWE television when Triple H & Michaels teamed against The Undertaker & Kane at Crown Jewel in November 2018.
This year’s Hall of Fame ceremony is taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, April 6. Tickets will go on sale this Friday (February 22) at noon Eastern time.
WWE is advertising that Jeff Jarrett will be wrestling on Raw for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Jarrett vs. Elias has been announced for Monday’s episode of Raw. Road Dogg will be in Jarrett’s corner for the match.
Elias laid out Jarrett and Road Dogg with guitar shots on this week’s Raw. The angle took place the night after Jarrett was a surprise entrant in the men’s Royal Rumble match. Elias and Jarrett were the first two entrants in the match, and it led to Elias attacking Jarrett as they were about to perform a duet. Elias ended up eliminating Jarrett after hitting a guitar shot.
Jarrett was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and has now returned to the company as a producer.
Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Finn Balor in a non-title match has also been announced for Monday’s Raw. Lashley and Lio Rush interrupted Balor on this week’s show, with Lashley laying Balor out.
Monday’s Raw is taking place at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Kurt Angle addressing his future in WWE is also set for the episode, along with Sasha Banks & Bayley facing Alicia Fox & Nikki Cross for Raw’s final spot in the Women’s Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber match.
Jeff Jarrett and Road Dogg will once again be paired together on WWE television over WrestleMania week in New Orleans.
As WWE continues to make announcements regarding this year’s class, it was confirmed today that Road Dogg will be inducting Jarrett into the Hall of Fame. Road Dogg debuted in the WWF as Jarrett’s roadie in the mid-1990s, with it eventually being revealed that he was the singer for Jarrett’s “With My Baby Tonight” song. The two later worked together in TNA.
WWE still needs to announce who will be doing speeches for Hillbilly Jim, Kid Rock, and Mark Henry before the Smoothie King Center hosts this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, April 6th. Here’s the updated Hall of Fame lineup:
Goldberg (inducted by Paul Heyman)
The Dudley Boyz (inducted by Edge & Christian)
Ivory (inducted by Molly Holly)
Jeff Jarrett (inducted by Road Dogg)
2018 Warrior Award recipient Jarrius “JJ” Robertson (award presented by Dana Warrior)
