Since dropping his Max Dupri gimmick, LA Knight has become one of the most popular Superstars on WWE SmackDown.
Knight featured in a high-profile feud with Bray Wyatt which ended at the Royal Rumble, and crowd reactions to the star have only increased over the following months. On the most recent episode of SmackDown, Knight lost out to Xavier Woods after being caught up arguing with the referee.
Speaking on Sportskeeda’s Smack Talk, veteran Dutch Mantell ran the rule over Knight and tipped the star for big things calling him a “very valuable performer.” Mantell went on to compare Knight’s promos to those from WWE Hall of Fame Stone Cold Steve Austin.
“I think he’s a very valuable performer to them and they wanna take their time with him. I’d rather they take their time instead of trying to rush him. I think that helps him in the long run and that helps WWE… He kind of puts off a little bit of Stone Cold vibes to me. He goes, ‘Hey let me talk at you’ and people like that. I think he can go out there, and as the old saying goes, he can talk them into the building. You give him something hot and I think he’s gonna take off and run,”
Mantell explained that Knight is already so popular with fans that it’s simply a matter of when WWE decides to pull the trigger on his rise to the top of the card.
“I don’t think LA Knight has to worry about getting over because he’s already over. Now they can just use him however they want. I don’t think the crowd reaction is going to change. And when they do something with him, he’s going to be massively over. He really is. If they’re acting like this without him beating anybody, give him a push.”
WWE Reportedly Has Big Things Planned For LA Knight
In the lead-up to WrestleMania 39, it was reported that despite not having a match on the card, WWE has big plans for LA Knight.
The former NXT star got a huge reaction when he appeared in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown before WrestleMania and his popularity has continued to soar.
It has now been reported that Knight has been pegged as a “leading candidate” to win the men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match.
H/t to Sportskeeda