LA Knight Thought Max Dupri Repackage Originally Was A Prank

LA Knight has been an up and rising star in the WWE Smackdown scene. The pro-wrestler has successfully established himself in the industry thanks to his in-ring prowess and charismatic personality. However, this was all made possible after getting rid of his gimmick as Max Dupri. Recently, LA Knight reflected on being told about his rebranding as Max Dupri.

In 2022, LA Knight was called up to the main roster as part of The Maximum Male Models, where he was repackaged as Max Dupri. The gimmick portrayed a manager who previously modeled and was starting his own modeling agency. However, the character was soon axed as Triple H took charge as the creative head for WWE.

Knight previously admitted that he was overjoyed when he ditched the gimmick, clarifying that the character simply didn’t represent who he was. Since then, Knight has risen to the top and is all set to compete for WWE Undisputed Universal Championship at Saturday’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.

While speaking to ESPN, Knight discussed his rebranding as Max Dupri. He initially thought the whole thing was a rib when he was approached with the idea. He also expressed his concerns over shifting towards the comedy territory, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a serious tone to elevate his position on the card.

“I thought they were ribbing me, I’m like, ‘What?’ They were like, ‘Yeah, you used to be a model, but now you have an agency. And I’m like, ‘f— is this? ‘It took a left turn of silliness, and I was just like, ‘this is not at all what we had talked about or discussed.’ And I don’t know whether that was on the wrestlers or what, but then I’m just like, I’m trying to keep it in a serious vein so we can move up the card. I mean, there’s a certain point where you get pigeonholed into just comedy and you’re stuck. You hit the ceiling pretty quick. I don’t want to be stuck there. … If it’s all comedy from start to finish, God, you’re dead.”

It should be noted, LA Knight has successfully managed to resurrect his character after his Max Dupri setback. Fans are delighted to see him back in his usual self. Meanwhile, Knight is all set to square off against Solo Sikoa on the January 26th edition of Friday Night SmackDown. Keep checking on Ringside News for more updates.

What’s your opinion on what LA Knight said? Are you glad he ditched his Max Dupri gimmick? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!