"So for that perception to go away, you need to go away." - What officials told LA Knight during first WWE run

LA Knight is still massively popular among the WWE Universe. As 2023 draws to a close, The Megastar can boast of having gone from having almost nothing, to main eventing an international premium live event opposite Roman Reigns. He was even the final opponent of the late Bray Wyatt.

For those unaware, long before even his run as the leader of Maximum Male Models, he had a brief stint with WWE, but did not make it to the main roster at the time. In 2013, he was used as an enhancement talent in NXT.

Talking about a wide array of topics to Inside The Ropes, Knight also touched on why things did not work out the first time around with the global juggernaut. As narrated by The Megastar of WWE, the head coach at the time hated him from the get-go:

"Without getting too deep into the details, me and the, at the time head coach, from about day one, did not get along. I was pretty much told from day one that ‘I expect to hate you.’ At which point I’m thinking, why the hell am I here? So about a good 12 months, it was just me poking the bear and him hating me, it went back and forth until finally, my a** was out a year later," Knight said.

He continued:

"I was told on my way out, ‘We think you’re very talented. We would like you to come back at some point, but there’s a stigma around you. There’s a perception issue, we need that perception not go away. So for that perception to go away, you need to go away.'” [From 3:32 to 4:16]

After successful stints in TNA / IMPACT Wrestling and NWA, LA Knight re-signed with WWE in 2021. Two years later, he is one of the top stars of the promotion, and moreover, is cited as something special. Knight's ability to become the fastest rising superstar is singled out by fans and contemporaries alike.

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Road Dogg says LA Knight's rise in 2023 is similar to another top WWE Superstar who turned their career around

On his podcast Oh You Didn't Know?, WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg praised LA Knight, while also comparing the latter's popularity among the masses similar to that of the 2018 rise to superstardom of Becky Lynch:

"Sometimes, and LA Knight has done this lately, you become so undeniable that it's obvious when they're trying to deny you," Road Dogg stated. "You know what I mean? I think it was obvious during this time, and I think it was the right decision [to give Lynch more opportunities] too. You don't just throw the baby out with the bathwater. We got some plans. But hey, this star started shining bright really quick."

Last week on SmackDown, he teamed up with Randy Orton to defeat Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa in a tag match which main evented the show. He even stated at a recent live event that everyone should stand in line as Knight is still the top contender to Roman Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

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