WWE Hall of Famer JBL has pushed back strongly against criticism aimed at Road Dogg’s time on WWE’s creative team, arguing that many fans overlook the challenges involved in producing weekly live television and the success WWE achieved during his tenure.

Road Dogg departed WWE in March 2026, stepping away from his role on the creative side of the company. Following his exit, online debate quickly emerged about his contributions to SmackDown, with some fans questioning his booking decisions and overall influence behind the scenes.

During a recent Q&A for Something To Wrestle, JBL came to Road Dogg’s defense and blasted those who have criticized his work.

“These guys that are out there, they’re talking about Road Dogg didn’t do a good job, man fk you. It’s just bullst. These guys are selling out arenas all over the world, making more money , we never dreamed that people would make money like this. Road Dogg was one of the guys behind it,” JBL said.

JBL went on to explain that creative mistakes are inevitable in a business that produces live content every week, pointing out that even the most successful figures in wrestling history faced failures along the way.

“I can tell you all of the things that Vince failed with. I can also tell you that Vince bought a company from his father for a million dollars and sold it for $9.3B and somehow retained control. That’s Game Of Thrones s**t. But do you fail a lot? Absolutely. When you got 52 weeks a year live, no reruns, do you think you’re going to make some mistakes? I would hope so because if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying,” the Hall of Famer further added.

Expanding on his point, JBL noted that wrestling differs greatly from traditional television because there is no opportunity to reshoot scenes or edit performances after the fact. Creative plans can change instantly depending on how performers execute material in front of a live audience.

“This isn’t a TV episode show where you can do 13 episodes, and you film it, you put it in a can, and then if you don’t like it, you go back and edit it. This is live. You’re talking about people who may or may not deliver what you’re thinking they’re going to deliver. Sometimes they do something that is not what they’re supposed to do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. If it doesn’t work, you get the blame for that, too. There’s a lot of things going on.”

JBL also compared WWE’s demanding production schedule to other wrestling promotions, noting that producing multiple hours of live content every week presents a unique challenge.

“I love AAA, and I love working down there. I think it’s the hottest show in the world right now. It’s a lot easier what they’re doing, when you’re filming an hour a week, and you’ve got great stars, as compared to filming 50 hours a week or whatever WWE does. You’ve got great stars there too, but it’s just , it’s not even hardly the same business. It’s tough to do what they’ve done. I think Road Dogg did an excellent job. Those guys who are complaining about it, man, f**k you.”

Meanwhile, Road Dogg recently opened up about why he chose to leave WWE, revealing that the job had become more stressful than enjoyable. Speaking with Busted Open, he admitted that concerns about financial security kept him in the position longer than he wanted.

“I wasn’t having any fun. It got to be so much work, that it stopped being fun,” he explained. “I actually stayed longer than I wanted to just out of fear of unemployment. I didn’t do well with my money. I’m a drug addict and recovering alcoholic. I didn’t manage my money well. That fear of the unknown kept me for a long time. I was about to go into a meeting, and my wife told me on the phone, ‘I lived with you in a tent.’ I said, ‘I’m coming home right now.’ If you lived with me in a tent, I don’t need to pay the mortgage.”