LA Knight has significantly climbed the WWE ladder over the past two years, returning to the persona that initially made him a standout in NXT following a brief run as Max Dupri. Currently reigning as the WWE United States Champion for three months, Knight has successfully defended his title five times, solidifying his status as a fan favorite.
A key factor in Knight’s popularity is his undeniable charisma and exceptional promo skills. However, his off-the-cuff speaking style occasionally clashes with WWE management’s preference for structured dialogue. In an interview with SPORTbible, Knight admitted that his improvisational approach has sometimes landed him in hot water.
“Sometimes I get myself in trouble because I like to work a little more off the cuff, and sometimes they [WWE management] like a little structure. I try to meet them in the middle on that. For me, I want to listen and react instead of thinking of all this prefab. It didn’t feel right to me.
If I want to be as authentic as I can be and connect with everybody out there, I need to listen. Instead of going out there pre-planned, just being able to be authentically me has been a godsend. Sometimes I have to meet them in the middle, but for the most part, they’re like, ‘We’ll let you do your thing, but just don’t push it!’”
Knight, a prominent member of the SmackDown roster, recently defended his United States Championship at Crown Jewel. In a thrilling triple-threat match, he defeated Carmelo Hayes and Andrade to retain his title, further cementing his place as a top-tier WWE superstar.
