AJ Styles Refuses To Back Down While Defending Former WWE Champion Who Quit This Year

AJ Styles is still standing by one former WWE creative figure, even months after that person decided to walk away from the company. During a recent episode of his Phenomenally Retro podcast, Styles looked back at one of the stranger storylines of his WWE Championship run and used the discussion to once again defend Road Dogg, whose creative ideas often became a topic of debate among fans.

The conversation centered around Styles' feud with Samoa Joe, a rivalry that produced several memorable moments. One angle in particular saw Joe show up outside Styles' home during an episode of SmackDown while the former WWE Champion watched helplessly from the arena. Styles revealed there were disagreements behind the scenes about how the story should be presented.

AJ Styles recalled a rejected idea that would have changed the Samoa Joe storyline

Styles admitted he never fully bought into parts of the home invasion angle. He remembered questioning some of the logic behind it and suggested that involving the police would have made more sense than what eventually aired on television.

According to Styles, Road Dogg proposed a different twist. Instead of actually broadcasting from his house, Styles would have been sitting in front of a green screen designed to look like his home. The plan would have allowed Samoa Joe to arrive at the property only to discover he had been fooled, opening the door for Styles to gain the upper hand once the action shifted back to the ring.

Styles said he has defended Road Dogg's work before and continues to do so because he believes the veteran came up with strong ideas that often deserved more consideration.

Vince McMahon reportedly shut down the concept before it could happen

Styles explained that Vince McMahon rejected the pitch because he felt viewers would not understand the green screen concept. The idea was ultimately scrapped, leaving the original version of the segment to play out on WWE television.

For Styles, the story became another example of a creative suggestion that never received the chance to develop further. Even years later, he still points to it when discussing why he feels some criticism directed at Road Dogg was unfair.

Road Dogg's WWE departure came after years in a creative role

The 57-year-old spent nearly 12 years working in a creative capacity for the company before deciding to leave. His frustrations with the process were visible in season two of the Netflix docuseries WWE: Unreal, where conversations about WWE's internal operations became part of the show.

Road Dogg also recently spoke about his decision on Busted Open Radio. During the discussion, he said WWE had become "business wrestling" rather than the "wrestling business," explaining why he no longer wanted to remain involved.

Styles' latest remarks show that, despite Road Dogg's departure, he still believes the former writer contributed ideas that deserved a better chance than they received.