Road Dogg recalls a big, scrapped idea.
Recent reports indicated that Brian “Road Dogg” James had been named as a co-lead writer of WWE SmackDown. The WWE Hall of Famer held a similar position when he joined the SmackDown writing team in late 2016, before later being promoted to head writer. James stepped down from this position in the wake of WWE WrestleMania 35, an event he initially envisioned a different outcome for.
While appearing on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, James revealed a storyline idea he had that never materialized at WrestleMania 35.
“It worked out exactly how it was supposed to work out, but I was wrong. I wanted Big E to win the title at KofiMania.” James said. “I thought Big E was the guy, and a guy on my writing team who now writes for NXT said, ‘You’re wrong, boss. You’re wrong. It’s Kofi.’ And I didn’t realize that Kofi had such a personal connection with the fan base. I was just looking for who’s the next guy and I didn’t think oh, the guy’s sitting right here. I was trying to make this guy over here and, yeah, never been so happy to be wrong though. What a moment.”
After Mustafi Ali suffered an injury ahead of the Elimination Chamber event, WWE named Kofi Kingston as his replacement. This wound up setting a path, albeit challenging, for him to eventually face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 for the WWE Championship. With the WWE Universe and New Day partners behind him, Kingston later dethroned Bryan on the grand stage, bringing the KofiMania movement to a ceremonious end and Kingston’s reign to a beginning.
“You can go back in time and fuss about what happened the next week or the next year or whatever. Who cares? Kofi won the title at WrestleMania, and nobody can ever take that away,” James said. “Big E had his moment. It was gonna come around, just it wasn’t time yet. I saw something that it was there. It just wasn’t time yet. The timing was Kofi. It was Kofi time. Have I never been so happy to be wrong. Couldn’t be more happy for the guy it happened for too. If I was writing again, we’d do it one more time, because I think it would work again. I 100% think it would work again.”
As James alluded to, while WrestleMania 35 was all about Kofi Kingston, Big E eventually had his own crowning moment in September 2021. On this occasion, Big E successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship.
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