"WWE SmackDown" is set to experience a shake-up in the writers' room, as the company is reportedly making changes to their creative processes.
Paul "Triple H" Levesque's rise to power in WWE's creative department resulted in a massive internal overhaul of old McMahon-era traditions, but even with Levesque's ascension to Chief Creative Officer now years in the rear view mirror, it seems the locker room is still being restructured. According to BodySlam, "WWE SmackDown" will be onboarding an undisclosed amount of new writers in anticipation for "more enticing storylines," come 2026.
WWE is bringing new faces to the blue brand's writing team, with Road Dogg reported to remain the co-captain of "SmackDown's" creative vessel, alongside co-head writer John Swikata. These reported additions are intended to make the show "more enjoyable" in the near future, with BodySlam's report stating that "more enticing storylines" will come to "SmackDown" in 2026.
The change comes after WWE and TKO noticed fans' discontent with "a majority of the product" during 2025, with "SmackDown" often being at the brunt end of audience criticism. WWE and TKO are reportedly aware of the need to boost their shows' quality heading in 2026, despite record profits in 2025. The changes to "SmackDown" are presumably a move to improve the quality of the product.
Despite reported hopes for change, however, fans are skeptical. Most fans took to BodySlam's Patreon and Reddit posts to express their discontent with Dogg specifically, with most netizens naming him as the biggest detriment to "SmackDown." Netizens also blamed Levesque for "SmackDown's" Dogg problem, accusing him of keeping Dogg on WWE's creative team out of sentimental connections. As of writing, there are no plans to fire Dogg, Swikata, or any other writers from "SmackDown's" creative team.
Dogg originally came onto the "SmackDown" team during the program's brief stint as a three-hour show, back in early 2025. While "SmackDown" has since transitioned back to a two hour program, Dogg has remained in a senior position within the blue brand's creative team.
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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.
Category: General Sports
