LA Knight has had a standout year in WWE, maintaining his character consistently as LA Knight rather than reverting to his original main roster persona as Max Dupri.
Initially starting on the main roster in a managerial role for the Maximum Male Models, Knight confessed to Metro that his immediate reaction to the idea of returning to LA Knight was enthusiastic: “F Yeah.”
“Let’s make that happen,” was his response. “Because I don’t know who or what the hell Max Dupri is. Now, look, given the time, could I have done that? Could I have made it work? I’m sure I could have. Now, would it have ever been anything like we’re doing right now? No. Because at the end of the day, that wasn’t me. It wasn’t for me.”
LA Knight (Credits: WWE)
Knight moved on from the Maximum Male Models in September of last year, but his current character gained traction when he began feuding with Bray Wyatt.
This shift allowed him to embrace his true self, which Knight believes resonated with audiences. His approach has proven successful, as he has become one of WWE’s top merchandise sellers, received praise from John Cena, and headlined WWE’s Crown Jewel premium live event.
“Just the fact that I could go out there and make the most of my time. ‘Hey, you got 30 seconds to go talk about this,'” he said. “Cool! Well, that’s gonna be the best damn 30 seconds of the show.” He confidently added, “if anybody wants to argue it cool, but the proof is gonna be in the pudding.”
