WhenLA Knightwalked ontoWWE’s main roster in early 2022, he had long been established as a potential breakout star. After a successful stint in NXT, the fans had been anticipating his arrival. And although he was originally given an awkward gimmick, he eventually reverted to his old character and began lighting the promotion on fire.
Knight’s promos were especially effective, as the crowd picked up quickly on his ‘YEAH!’ catchphrase, and they absolutely exploded when they heard his theme music kick in. In short order, the self-described ‘Megastar’ seemed poised to be the next big thing in the WWE, with reactions and merchandise sales driving his ascent to the main event and, likely, a World Championship run.
However, WWE never fully pulled the trigger on LA Knight. In recent months, he’s been mired in mid-card feuds and had a couple of forgettable reigns as the United States Champion. After losing that title to Jacob Fatu atWrestleMania 41, it left many in the WWE Universe to wonder: What happened to LA Knight and his push?
LA Knight Entered WWE With Much Anticipation
A Failed Gimmick Helped Him Eventually Be Reborn On The Main Roster
Knight was once a failed WWE ‘experiment’ in the early days of their developmental process, only to see him later thrive in both TNA and the National Wrestling Alliance. In the meantime, he also did some acting. The Ohio native fully embraced his West Coast lifestyle, and because of that, he found his niche as a pro wrestling character. In short, he rebuilt himself as more than a wrestler and transformed into an all-around entertainer.
Knight’s original gimmick on the main roster defies explanation. After building his current persona up to the point that it was over with the audience, then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon decided to change things up, turning Knight into ‘Maxx Dupri’, a talent agent who led an arrogant, heel faction called ‘Maximum Male Models. The entire premise was ridiculous, even if the talent involved did their best to deliver, creating some fun and entertaining moments. Luckily, when the WWE Universe rejected the character and the group, Knight attacked the other members and announced that he was going back to basics, adopting his current and more popular moniker.
In the beginning, that energy from the audience caught the attention of the powers that be, and he was jettisoned to the top of the card. He found immediate success on the main roster, even challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship at major PLEsCrown JewelandRoyal Rumblein 2023. While unsuccessful at both attempts, it was widely believed that this was a precursor to Knight eventually winning a world title at some point. That path seemed to start with a high-profile feud with Logan Paul, which resulted in LA Knight winning his first title, the United States Championship.
LA Knight Has Fallen Out of Main Event Status
Both Old and New Stars Are Surpassing Him in the Pecking Order
LA Knight’s last title reign was just a little over a month, and it doesn’t seem as if he will be getting that United States Championship back anytime soon. Fatu is one of the performers who has been earmarked by WWE to be a major star, so it’s more than likely that he will have a tight grip on the gold.
Meanwhile, Knight slips one more notch down the card following hisWrestleMania 41loss. And it’s not like he’s standing behind a bunch of jabronis: the main event scene is stalked by iconic names like CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns in the pecking order. That’s just a short list of names who currently dominate WWE television, making the ceiling that much harder for Knight to break through.
What’s more worrying, perhaps, is thatLA Knight’s character, once hailed for the excitement level he produces, has grown stale. And while he’s been lauded for his promos in the past, it seems as if the WWE Universe is getting tired of the act. Beyond the catchphrases, his time on the microphone just doesn’t seem to be a ‘must-watch’ anymore. Some fans have always criticized Knight for taking too many pages from Stone Cold and The Rock’s books, and adding too little of his own. While the two great stars of the Attitude Era always delivered original promos full of creativity, recently, it’s hard to remember anything that LA Knight says beyond “Yeah!”.
What’s Next For LA Knight?
Will The Megastar Remain the Same or Make a Major Change?
It must be said, however, that the formula of “over catchphrase + merchandise sales” has worked really well for Jey Uso, who won his first World Title atWrestleMania 41, without being particularly better than LA Knight in the microphone or in the ring. It’s clear that, while Triple H and the company decided to “strap a rocket” to Jey’s back, they never fully pulled the trigger on Knight. There must have been multiple reasons for that, including perhaps bad timing and his “forced” title matches with Reigns (apparently requested by the Saudi partners), but the fact remains.
At this point,Knight needs to find a new formula for success. He has a well-established character, but it might be time to slap a new coat of paint on it. Perhaps a run as part of a successful tag team is the right move to mix things up. Or, maybe a heel turn would provide a harder edge to his persona, as his current one seems to be more of a stand-up comedy act than a credible champion. At least, that’s what it’s been like lately.
Knight, 42, was a late arrival to WWE after spending years on the indy circuit and a solid run as the TNA World Champion. And while performers seem to be wrestling later and later in their years, he’s running out of time if he truly wants to forge a championship legacy in World Wrestling Entertainment. He’s someone who could be a potential Hall of Famer, but he’s going to have to start building that resume soon, before the clock starts ticking on his tenure as a full-time performer.
It will be interesting to see what the rest of 2025 has in store for LA Knight. While his time in WWE has certainly not been a failure, he’s also never fully grasped the brass ring. Whether that’s through fault of his own or just a shift in the promotion’s plans, he’s getting dangerously close to having an underwhelming career in the world’s biggest pro wrestling promotion.
