Last week, seasoned WWE creative writer John Swikata ascended to the position of head writer for SmackDown, stepping into the shoes of Ryan Callahan, who amicably split ways with the firm.
As per information revealed by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Callahan, in spite of his undeniable talent, grappled with several issues including intra-personnel relations, and received harsh critique in connection to Jennifer Pepperman’s exit. Many believe Pepperman’s departure was related in part to area Mercedes Mone’s transfer to AEW.
Moreover, there were growing apprehensions that Callahan was proving inaccessible to emerging talents within the organization. His role’s inherent need for tact and the resultant strain probably played a part in his decision to step aside.
Meltzer made an observation, saying, “Information received suggested that Callahan, while acknowledged as an exceptional writer, wasn’t quite the popular group leader. He drew fire for Pepperman’s exit (though, personally, I believe Mone’s shift to AEW had more to do with it). He increasingly became hard to reach for talents on the lower rungs. He appeared to be in burnout mode, likely due to the strain and the constant diplomacy required by his position. The general consensus was that he simply wanted to script the shows without having to endlessly strive to appease everyone involved.”
Notwithstanding these obstacles, Callahan’s tenure as a leader was fruitful. Under his stewardship, WWE SmackDown regularly scored top spots on Friday night rankings and frequently managed to outperform other entertainment programs throughout the week, despite vying against network shows attracting larger viewer bases.
It felt that Callahan was more at ease playing the role of a precise, focused writer rather than dealing with the intricacies of personnel management. Multiple sources suggest that this preference played a role in his departure from the leadership role.