How is Bray Wyatt continuing mind games on LA Knight? Here's what you might have missed on WWE SmackDown

Bray Wyatt and LA Knight ignited quite the feud, which leaned well on each of their careers. Following the former Universal Champion's return at Extreme Rules last year, Knight was on the receiving end of a series of mysterious attacks. Wyatt denied any involvement in the matter, but his associate, Uncle Howdy, seemed to always be present at the scene of the assault.

This culminated in the two clashing in the first-ever Pitch Black match at Royal Rumble. In the aftermath of their bout, Wyatt initiated a rivalry with Bobby Lashley with WrestleMania 39 seemingly being the final destination of their feud. However, plans escalated due to the former Universal Champion reportedly suffering an injury. In the past few weeks, LA Knight's luck seems to have run out. This week on SmackDown, he suffered defeat at the hands of Xavier Woods in a match that spanned just over a couple of minutes.

Following the loss, Kayla Braxton attempted to get LA Knight's thoughts on the bout, but he taunted Rey Mysterio nearby, mocking his decision to decline Dominik Mysterio's challenge for a WrestleMania match. During Knight's interview, the Bray Wyatt logo was spotted in the background. This raised some doubts in everyone's mind that the former WWE Champion still had something up his sleeve as far as his Royal Rumble opponent was concerned. Despite the nature of Wyatt's injury being unknown, his companion Uncle Howdy might pick up where Wyatt left off with the mind games.

The former Million Dollar Champion briefly feuded with Ricochet before going head-to-head with Bray Wyatt. The 40-year-old debuted on the main roster under the Max Dupri moniker where he managed a team of Maximum Male Models, featuring Mace and Mansoor. Later, when he returned to his NXT gimmick, his sister Maxxine Dupri appeared on the scene and took over the faction.

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What's next for LA Knight if he's not involved in a WrestleMania match?

LA Knight has become a fan-favorite since his NXT days. Given his ability to connect with the wrestling world within a year of his main roster run, he has not yet been confirmed for a match at The Showcase of Immortals. With matches building up, it remains to be seen what WWE has in store for the 40-year-old.

Recent reports suggested that WWE approached wrestling legend Stone Cold Steve Austin for a match with Knight. However, there has been no confirmation on the matter. The Texas Rattlesnake returned to in-ring action last year to teach Kevin Owens a lesson for running his mouth.

Despite being not being a part of WrestleMania 39 yet, rumors are afloat that Knight is bound for a major push post the event. His calm demeanor, professionalism, and fulfillment in the build-up to and match against Bray Wyatt garnered much acclaim from the WWE administration.

With the uncertainty on the extent of Bray Wyatt's injury and recovery period, it might be a while until we see the two pick up where they left off in their rivalry.