WWE Has Completely Dropped The Ball With LA Knight
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Few wrestlers have the ability to connect with an audience just through their presence and words. Triple H has talked before about the difference between wrestling and sports entertainment. Any wrestler can do the moves, but it takes someone special to be entertaining and tell a story that keeps fans riveted. LA Knight is one of those rare, unique talents. His charima and mic mastery quickly won him fans despite playing a heel, but for whatever reason, over the past few months, WWE has completely messed up his push.
As Eli Drake, LA Knight Made An Impact Before WWE
LA Knight is not a WWE creation. The ring name may have started there, but the man and his talent have been around long before he first debuted in NXT. Though Knight would have a very short, uneventful run in WWE over a decade ago as Slate Randall, the twenty-year veteran built himself up through promotions like NWA and Impact Wrestling. In the 2010s he would face names like Adam Pearce and Scorpio Sky. Once upon a time, he was even managed by Percy Pringle, better known as Paul Bearer in WWE.
It was his time in Impact where he'd really shine as Eli Drake. He won tag team gold with Scott Steiner of all people and even became a world champion. After leaving Impact in 2019, Drake went back to the reformed NWA. He was good in the ring, but it was in his promos that he set himself apart. Eli Drake was old school nostalgia on the mic. His voice and mannerisms drew comparisons to promo legends like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock. He oozed confidence. With that "it" factor so few possess, he was destined to go far.
RELATED: 10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About LA Knight
LA Knight Was The True Winner In His Feud With Bray Wyatt
When Eli Drake showed up in NXT as LA Knight, you'd be right to be worried. The odd name change sounded very WWE. Of course, he made it work, and within weeks it felt like he'd always been LA Knight. While he was never a champion in NXT and felt a bit out of place as the two decade veteran among so many young stars, a whole new group of wrestling fans were introduced to his style.
Then came his main roster debut on SmackDown. To say that it was disappointing is an understatement. Vince McMahon killed off LA Knight and in his place was Max Dupri, a man who ran his own modeling agency called Maximum Male Models. Oof. As bad as it was, Knight's star power made it work. Still, it was the best thing that could have ever happened for him when Triple H took over creative. LA Knight was back, and to top it off, he was picked to be a returning Bray Wyatt's first feud.
Everyone knew LA Knight was going to lose the feud in the end, but even though he lost their eventual match, he gained so much. Mainstream fans now got to see what Knight could do on the mic. Week after week, the reaction to him grew, with fans now cheering him despite the fact that he was the bad guy. They even joined in with him on his "Yeah!" catchphrase. In the end, he somehow carried the feud and came off looking better than fellow promo master Bray Wyatt. Then, after their disastorous Royal Rumble match, Knight disappeared. He went from having a rocket strapped to his back, with their being reports of him being a Money in the Bank favorite, to almost completely forgotten.
RELATED: LA Knight Talks About The Process Of Working Creatively With Bray Wyatt
WWE Is Ruining LA Knight's Best Shot At Being A Megastar
LA Knight was riding a major high going into the Royal Rumble in January. Almost three months later, and his push has crashed to Earth. He's barely been used on TV and couldn't even get himself a WrestleMania match. Lately, he's been stuck in a feud with Xavier Woods. Wood is one of the all-time tag team greats, but it does little for recovering Knight's singles push.
It makes absolutely zero sense for WWE to have forgotten LA Knight. He proved himself beyond measure in his work with Bray Wyatt. When critics grew bored with Wyatt's new direction, Knight was there to keep interest in their matchup going. He did everything right, and his reward was to be pushed aside.
There's still time to fix LA Knight's push. All it takes is simply putting him out in front of the fans and letting him talk. One great promo, one win, and he's back to where he was. He can win Money in the Bank. He can be a top heel or a top face. He can maybe even be a world champion. But at the age of 40, time is running out. LA Knight isn't a project. He's not someone WWE should take their time with. They need to use him now while they're lucky enough to have his talent. Yeah!
