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The SmackDown roster has many promising talents who could potentially be WWE main-eventers in the near future. However, according to Dutch Mantell, LA Knight might not make it to that level.
The former NXT star debuted on the main roster as Max Dupri in January and was pushed as the manager of Maximum Male Models under Vince McMahon's regime. The superstar returned to his LA Knight gimmick following Triple H's appointment as the creative head and has since slowly been getting a push as a singles star.
While LA Knight has showcased his well-rounded abilities, Mantell felt that the 40-year-old star would be a great addition to the midcard but might not break into the main event picture. Here's what the wrestling veteran said on this week's episode of SmackTalk:
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"I don't think we'll see him anywhere close to the main event. He is locked into that midcard, more or less, but you've got to find your spots. Not everybody can be right up here, and not everybody can be on the bottom. He is going to fit right in that midcard, and I think he is a good addition." [26:01 - 26:40]
Dutch Mantell was aware of LA Knight's exceptional skills on the microphone as they briefly worked together in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling.
The legendary manager was a fan of the former Eli Drake's promo work but noted that having the gift of the gab wasn't always enough to sell tickets.
"But there is no question about it; Knight can talk. LA Knight, even when I was with him in TNA, he always had that ability to talk. Now, having the ability to talk doesn't mean you can sell one ticket. But I think he is a good add-on to the roster." [25:39 - 26:00]
You can watch the full interview here:
Dutch Mantell on LA Knight's victory over Ricochet on WWE SmackDown
The former Million Dollar Champion is slowly forming a winning streak as he beat Ricochet in a singles match on the latest episode of WWE SmackDown. LA Knight rolled his babyface opponent up by the tights and used the ropes to pick up a tainted victory.
Dutch Mantell admitted that he expected Knight to go over Ricochet and urged WWE to come up with more creative ways to get heat on their heels.
"Even though there was nothing between those two guys, it was still a good match. I expected him to get the win, and it got me thinking, well, should he have held the rope? But I think that's what he should do because he needs to give the people a reason to dislike him; that is done so rarely in WWE that the heel actually cheats to get the win." [25:00 - 25:38]
Do you agree with Dutch Mantell's views on LA Knight? Share your reactions in the comments section below.
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