40-year-old popular SmackDown star claims he still has "a lot to prove" in WWE

A popular WWE SmackDown star recently claimed that he still has much to prove on the main roster.

LA Knight emerged from his feud against Bray Wyatt earlier this year as the more popular superstar, despite losing the first-ever Mountain Dew Pitch Black match at the Royal Rumble. The 40-year-old has not been booked as a star by the company, but the WWE Universe refused to let the Megastar fade away. Knight qualified for the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match on July 1st, and many fans are hoping to see the veteran capture the briefcase.

During a recent interview with Digital Spy, LA Knight noted that he has a lot of goals to accomplish in the company, and WWE Money in the Bank is a good time to start doing so:

"I rolled in here about two years ago or so and I had a lot of goals in mind. I had a lot of things that I wanted to do. Then there's some goals that popped up that I haven't even considered, that I didn't even know were possible. The Million Dollar Championship, that happened, I was on top of the ladder. So now we roll into 2023, another ladder match. So with all those goals in mind, I've got a lot to do still. I've got a lot to prove both to myself and the world and so the O2 is a good time to make that happen," he said. [H/T: Digital Spy]

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LA Knight on his time as Max Dupri in WWE

LA Knight is a veteran of the professional wrestling business and has overcome many obstacles to get to where he is today.

Before signing with the company, he performed as Eli Drake on the independent scene, Impact Wrestling, and NWA Wrestling. He had a short stint in WWE a decade ago, and a fan recently uploaded footage of his tryout promo in NXT.

He debuted on the main roster as Max Dupri, leader of Maximum Male Models. However, the gimmick change didn't last, and his WWE name was reverted to LA Knight a few months later.

During a recent interview with Inside the Ropes, Knight revealed that the company was considering making him a manager due to his age, and that is why his character was changed. He added that Max Dupri was "not his cup of tea" and is glad to be no longer portraying the character:

"It was not my cup of tea. I don't think it was for me, but somehow there I was. Some things happened that we don't need to go into, and then eventually LA Knight was back," said LA Knight. [01:46 - 02:04]

The Men's Money in the Bank ladder match will take place at the premium live event next weekend in London. It will be fascinating to see which superstar emerges victorious, and which title they will go after in the weeks ahead.

Who do you want to win the men's ladder match at WWE Money in the Bank 2023? Let us know in the comments section below.