"I was hated" - LA Knight makes surprise admission about his first run in WWE

LA Knight is enjoying life in WWE NXT now, but all wasn't so bright during his first stint with the company.

In 2013, he joined WWE as Slate Randall but requested his release a year later, seemingly due to a bad relationship with then-head coach Bill Demott.

Knight recently re-debuted on the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day pre-show and has already been involved in some big matches on the black and gold brand.

Welcome to #WWENXT, LA Knight. #NXTTakeOver #WeAreNXT @TheEliDrake @RealKingRegal pic.twitter.com/qmgr7LFofY

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 15, 2021

Speaking to Busted Open Radio, LA Knight explained how he was "hated" during his short first tenure in WWE. Knight stated it was a few months until he settled into the NXT locker room and his peers took to him.

“So now you see me carrying myself in a certain way; then you see what I do in the ring on a microphone, which is uber confident," LA Knight said. "And all of a sudden I’m not talking to anybody in the back and then people are like what ‘who the hell’s this guy think he is?’ When I got to NXT the first time here, I was hated for like the first three months. And it’s usually like a three month period before everybody kind of figures out like, ‘oh wait, this guy’s actually okay.’ Same thing in IMPACT when I first got there. There was big time heat in the locker room and then there was one magical night; there might have been some tequila and wine that helped me come out of my shell! Suddenly there’s a big baby face turn and we were good to go.”

If the current NXT roster enjoys LA Knight's work, particularly on the mic, as much as the WWE Universe does, it's very unlikely he's disliked this time around.

LA Knight is primed to achieve big things in NXT

LA Knight has the potential to become one of the black and gold brand's leading stars.

His in-ring work is as entertaining as his promo skills are enticing, and both have shone through since he emerged a couple of months back.

Let's do this. 🌟 #WWENXT #LAKnight @TheEliDrake pic.twitter.com/Jt1B2grxwK

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 18, 2021

Knight was part of the multi-man North American Championship No. 1 contender's match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver earlier this month. He looked strong in defeat as Bronson Reed went on to win.

He earned a massive win over Dexter Lumis on the most recent episode of NXT, though, so there could be some exciting plans for him.

Are you a fan of LA Knight? Who do you want to see him feud with in NXT? Let us know in the comments section below.

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