Why was LA Knight released by WWE in 2014? Exploring a decade of unbelievable change

LA Knight has become one of the biggest stars currently in the business and is also set to headline WWE Crown Jewel 2023 alongside Roman Reigns this Saturday, but fans may not know that he was once released from Titanland.

After being a part of the Maximum Male Models as Max Dupri last year, fans thought LA Knight might never climb the ranks to reach the main event. However, he shortly went back to his original gimmick and became an absolute star. If you're wondering why the company released him in 2014, we've got you covered.

The Megastar spoke about the topic in detail during an interview and revealed that the company letting go of him wasn't due to a lack of talent but due to the way he was being perceived.

"I was not released due to a talent issue. That was made very very clear to me. I was released because of a perception issue because I was perceived as, we'll just say a jerk, which was ridiculous. There was an issue with me and the head coach at the time and we just bumped heads. And I'm not, maybe I'm too proud of a man, I don't know. But, like, if I'm getting messed with, I'm gonna push back and that didn't go well. So, I ended up getting pushed out," he said.

Members of the WWE Universe will agree that their favorite star doesn't lack talent in any respect. Thankfully, he is now in the main event scenario of WWE SmackDown.

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Why did LA Knight refuse to get back into WWE?

Now that we know that the Stamford-based promotion let go of LA Knight in 2014, we should also know that the company tried to bring him back on multiple occasions.

The current SmackDown Superstar recently revealed why he turned down an offer from WWE after his departure in 2014. Knight stated that he was making more money outside the company, so he didn't want to risk his financial stability for a chance at greater fame.

"The issue was I was making more money where I was now at the time than they [WWE] were offering me to come back. Now, there's a game here to where I was [sic] was paying me great money, but I was close to the ceiling there. I was getting offered way less over here, but the ceiling is way higher on this one. But I wasn't ready to take that bet yet because I've been broke for ten years, all through my 20s," said Knight.

Thankfully, things worked out in the end from both sides, and LA Knight returned to WWE. At Crown Jewel 2023, he will attempt to dethrone Roman Reigns in the main event of the show.