WWE's Growing LA Knight Problem

For a prime example of a WWE star whose popularity doesn't match their push, look no further than LA Knight.

The beloved loudmouth has largely been relegated to the midcard scene despite being a natural fan favorite. Although he's flirted with world championship contention in the past, he's never seemed to stick at an elite level.

It's no through fault of his own, however, as Knight has consistently delivered in high-profile positions. He's far from the best wrestler on the roster, but his charisma and mic skills alone should have earned him a permanent spot toward the top of the card years ago.

Triple H's slow-paced style of booking has been an issue with several Superstars as of late, but few have been more damaged by it than the two-time United States champion—yet he remains over with the audience in spite of management and the countless questionable calls they've made with him.

WWE has a growing LA Knight problem, and the longer the company goes without addressing it, the more difficult it will be to fix.

Never Winning When It Matters Most

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The biggest mistake WWE has made with LA Knight over the years has been not allowing him to win whenever it has mattered most.

Of course, he has two reigns as United States champion to his credit as well as two WrestleMania wins over AJ Styles and The Vision, but he's racked up way more losses than he has wins in matches of actual importance. His four shots at world title were all unsuccessful, and he's primarily been utilized as a stepping stone for everyone else on the show.

His standing with the fans has shockingly never wavered as he always generates a raucous reaction every time his music hits, but WWE may see that as evidence that he doesn't need to win anything substantial in order to maintain his popularity.

It's been a recurring pattern with Knight since he started on the main roster, and there's no reason to believe that's ever going to change. He can't be considered a legitimate threat to a top title if he struggles to win even the most insignificant of matches.

It doesn't help that a majority of his losses have come at the hands of the same two or three factions, either.

Being Stuck in the Bloodline and Vision Vortex

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LA Knight wasn't exaggerating when he recently said that he's spent the better part of the past three years with either The Bloodline or its remnants.

After falling short in his crusade against the group at the end of 2023, he shifted his focus to feuding with AJ Styles, chasing Logan Paul for the United States Championship and defending the star-spangled prize in 2024.

That was when he still appeared to be on the ascent, until he ran back into the roadblock that was The MFTs at the onset of 2025. That hindered whatever momentum he had at the time, and once he made the move over to Monday Night Raw, he basically became a punching bag for The Vision.

Ultimately, his rivalries with The Bloodline, The MFTs and The Vision were never resolved. He certainly never avenged most of the losses he endured from their many members.

He continues to call out The Bloodline every week on Raw, but his latest feud with the faction won't amount to anything if he stays in the same spot. It shouldn't be such a foreign concept for him to flesh out his character beyond the Bloodline lore and have an extended storyline with just about anyone else on the roster.

The Money in the Bank Curse

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Anyone expecting LA Knight to get his just due in the form of the Money in the Bank briefcase later this year clearly haven't been paying close enough attention the last three years.

It made sense in 2023, 2024 and 2025 for Knight to become Mr. Money in the Bank and go on to cash in the contract to win a world title. Damian Priest was a fine choice to win it instead in 2023 considering the success he'd subsequently have, but prioritizing Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins over Knight in 2024 and 2025 respectively was a waste of the concept.

Sadly, Knight is almost in the exact same spot he was in going into the 2023 men's Money in the Bank Ladder match, except he was a hotter commodity at the time. If WWE hasn't had him win it by now, the 2026 installment shouldn't expected to be an exception.

If higher-ups insist on keeping Money in the Bank an annual event, it should be used to elevate someone who's ready to the next level. Knight has been ready since being called up to the main roster, yet he's always being overlooked in favor of fresher faces or the tried and true.

WWE has no shortage of new blood they can build around, and so at this point, it might be too late for the Money in the Bank route to be a realistic option for Knight.

Fans Will Only Wait for So Long

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"Great things come to those who wait" was what Triple H said during the 2023 Money in the Bank post-show press conference in regards to the surge in fan support for LA Knight that summer and why he didn't win the Money in the Bank Ladder match that night.

That was over three years ago, and fans are still waiting for those "great things."

As noted, it's not as if Knight hasn't experienced any measure of success in those three years, but he should be much further along than he is currently. At the age of 43, Knight shouldn't be put on the back burner having to wait his turn for a possible push at the main event level when he's much closer to the end of his in-ring career than the beginning.

Since becoming the head of WWE's creative direction, Triple H has demonstrated that he prefers to take his time with certain stars and stories instead of striking when the iron is hot. The "Let it play out" excuse doesn't work when it's been nearly three years and there's no obvious endgame in sight.

Patience is paramount, but in the defense of fans, they can only wait so long before they lose hope and interest. Knight has somehow avoided the audience giving up on him completely, but we're rapidly approaching that point if something significant isn't done with him soon.

In typical WWE fashion, they might wait until Knight is as cold as he's ever been to finally make him a main event player, and when fans inevitably aren't invested, WWE will refuse to take accountability for waiting so long to pull the trigger on him.

Why a Heel Turn Isn't Necessarily the Answer

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While still super over most weeks, LA Knight has unquestionably cooled off to a certain extent, at least compared to where he was a few years ago. An argument can be made that he's hit his ceiling as a babyface in WWE and that a heel turn could be worth a shot.

After all, Knight has done some of his strongest work as a heel over the course of his career. He's always excelled in the role and only made for a great babyface in WWE because his popularity was too much to ignore.

Turning him heel could be his last shot at singles stardom, but even then, there's no guarantee he'd be in any better of a spot on the card. Not only would it be an uphill battle getting fans to boo him, he might then be utilized exclusively to elevate the newer names.

Theoretically, it'd make a handful of big matches possible with the likes of CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, but it's highly unlikely he'd emerge from those feuds on the winning end. Regardless of whether he's a babyface or a heel, he'll still have the same restrictions simply because of how he is and forever will be viewed internally.

Triple H Will Only Ever See Him at a Certain Level

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Triple H is credited with orchestrating LA Knight's return to WWE in 2021 as well as giving him his gimmick back after an awful run as Max Dupri under Vince McMahon. That's what makes it all the more puzzling that he hasn't done more with him in the last three years.

If Triple H sees someone as a star, he will push them accordingly. Knight has been slotted at the midcard level for so long that there can't be any other explanation than Triple H not seeing him as anything more than that.

In the eyes of officials, Knight is over enough to occasionally serve as a credible contender to one of the top titles, only to be knocked back down the card once he loses. WWE has made that painfully apparent by now based on how he's been booked, but fans refuse to accept that as the reality.

Knight has done everything imaginable to break through that barrier and prove himself as an attraction, right down to being a serious merchandise mover, but nothing will change until the company's perception of him does.

Every Superstar will only get as far as WWE wants them to, and Knight spinning his wheels for so long without any upward trajectory indicates his fate has already been sealed.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.