LA Knight

[6.0] "LA Knight has a great charisma and a great look. He's also incredibly over with the fans. That doesn't happen by accident. In the ring, he peaks at good. He is very prone to a botch in ring and on the mic. I would say he is overrated."

[7.0] "He's in a weird position, too good to be a true midcarder but not good enough to be a main eventer, so yeah, he's stuck inbetween. He deserve more but at the same time, i don't see him more than that, so it's complex. They should pull the trigger at least one time tho."

[10.0] "Yeah! LA Knight should have been World champion already, should have won money in the bank instead of damian priest in 2023, he should have won last year instead of Seth. he is underappreciated right now in wwe and hope that he starts getting what he deserves soon and he's a great guy as well."

[8.0] "Previously known as Eli Drake, LA Knight always had bucket loads of charisma, regardless of where he was performing. But over the past couple of years, he has been undoubtedly amongst the most popular names across the wrestling industry thanks to his captivating abilities with a microphone. On top of that, while he's never been a ring general, LA Knight can more than hold his own in-between the ropes and have entertaining matches with a simple but effective moveset and adequate selling. He's the kind of guy every company loves to have, as a versatile talent that can be slotted anywhere on the card, as a face or heel, and get a response."

"Perhaps the most underused, underappreciated guy both by the bookers of WWE and by the fans. He does everything you'd want a guy that leads a company or brand to do. He's charismatic, great on the mic, solid in the ring at a minimum, and he gets the biggest "pops" night in and night out. I think WWE knows this, but they are too scared to really push him. That's why he's always featured in a variety of moments or scenes with the #1 main event guys in the company, but is never booked like one. That's not to say they get an excuse however, because their booking of him particularly in the build with the vision, taking him out of wargames after feuding the entire summer and fall with them, and them putting him right back in a feud with them afterwards was egregious. He's my favorite star on the roster right now. I really hope they finally pay him off. There is alot of potential for a storyline which essentially transforms him into a super baby face in the build to Money In The Bank. They can tell the story of how 3 times in the past he had been so close to winning the briefcase, but had ultimately failed at the last moment."

[8.0] "LA Knight is amazing, he's fantastic on the mic, good in the ring, had a decent catchphrase, and the fans love him. How has WWE not utilize on him yet?"

[8.0] "ENGAGER: 10 STRIKER: 7 CRAFTMASTER: 6 AERIALIST: 7 POWERHOUSE: 7 EXTREMIST: 7 ENTRANCE: 10 NARRATIVE: 7 GIMMICK: 9 ANGLE: 8 GRUDGE: 8 ELOCUTION: 10"

[8.0] "Knight has the full package: good build, good skills in ring and on the mic, and has a gimmick that resonates with fans. He puts this all together to be one of the best and most entertaining stars on the modern roster, and it's a shame he's not won a world title in the WWE."

[7.0] "LA Knight deserves better than the cards he's been dealt. For someone's who consistently able to get a lot out of his opponents and always seems to have the crowd on his side, he's had a major lack of confidence placed in him by the WWE, who've let guys like Jey Uso and Damian Priest pass him by. Still can't believe they didn't strike when the iron was hot with Knight back in 2023. Has always been a reliable and steady hand. With everybody saying... L A KNIGHT, YEAH!"

[5.0] "I think the reason he doesn't get pushed is the gimmick infringement. Obviously throughout history there have been guys to borrow gimmicks and styles but it's cringe how obviously he's going for a Rock/Austin hybrid. HHH worked with both of those guys his whole career, so he might not be able to see past or unsee it like maybe someone else would. He performs it well and it is catchy but goddamn man it's just so unoriginal. Also FFS he's in his mid 40s, what do we need to push him for?"

[10.0] "One of my favourite superstars to watch on WWE. Extremely good on the mic and good enough in the ring, La knight is a true success story, going from one of the worst gimmicks after having already been tna champ, to one of the most over superstars of the modern era."

"One of the best mic workers of all time and an excellent wrestler who brings that old school feel back to matches! I hope he gets a world title, i gope he becomes a grand slam champion cause he is in my mount rushmore of current wwe roster wrestlers. YEAH!"

[9.0] "This guy is magic, man... he's the most organically over dude WWE has hade for over a decade and yet they haven't put the world title on him. In-ring skills, stage presence, mic skills and aura all together he's a fit for the main event arena, which at this point he's a consistent part of but also getting exploited and not given any meaningful wins or reigns."

[5.0] "LA Knight is overhyped by the fans, and honestly, I don't get the appeal. To me, he comes across as boring and not particularly entertaining. Sure, I'll give him credit where it's due -- he's solid on the mic, but not to the level that justifies the kind of attention and push he's getting. His promos often feel repetitive, and he hasn't shown much versatility in storylines. He talks a big game, but when it comes to delivering something truly memorable or fresh, he falls short. Overall, he's decent, but far from the main-event level hype he's riding on."

[9.0] "an extremely good talker, chock-full of charisma, and very solid in the ring. Too bad the WWE seems to be allergic to booking him to win any matches recently."

[9.0] "This man gets the people going. I get that the higher-ups don't like it when the fans choose their champion, but this man is CHOSEN BY THE PEOPLE."

"An absolutely amazing wrestler who has the looks, the charisma and the in-ring skills. Absolutely astonishing how he hasn't won the world championship yet."

[9.0] "Current rating will likely change based on how his run as a main eventer goes. The man is good in the ring, great on the mic, and has a connection with the fans most wrestlers can only dream of. Despite being called a ripoff by less talented wrestlers(looking at you, Diesel) he has the swagger of an attitude era guy."

[6.0] "LA Knight is a charisma machine--there's no denying that. The man can light up a microphone like few others in modern wrestling. His promos are sharp, commanding, and drenched in that old-school bravado that instantly grabs attention. Whether he's in the opening segment or closing a show, he gets people talking. The crowd reactions speak for themselves--"YEAH! " has become a full-on phenomenon. But here's the thing: wrestling is more than just talking, and that's where the score takes a hit. Knight's in-ring work is serviceable but undeniably limited. His pace is slow, his offense feels dated, and he often struggles to keep up with more dynamic opponents. He's not a bad wrestler, but he's not the kind of performer who elevates a match with his athleticism or ring IQ. His matches tend to follow a formula, and when that formula wears thin, there's not much else to fall back on. To be fair, LA Knight knows his strengths--and he leans into them hard. That's helped him stay relevant and even thrive in certain storylines. But if we're talking complete packages, especially in 2025 when the bar in-ring is so high, he lands at a solid 6.0. Great talker, average worker. A fun act--but not quite top-tier."

[4.0] "I don't get the hype for him. He's very charismatic, sure, but that's where he ends. He doesn't put on great matches, usually botches, and all he has good are his mic-skill. His character never tells a story, he just yells "YEAH" and roasts his opponent. I think that you could really call him a Temu The Rock. He's a good midcarder but he's sooo overrated, the most overated in the last years."

[8.0] "He's one of my favourites of current WWE. Knight just has IT. He's undeniably Charismatic and not only has a hot catchphrase, but he also is capable of cutting great promos. His ring work is what stops him from being my absolute favourite as there are a lot of guys that are more athletic and just overall better than him. But Knight is Solid in the ring at worse. Really love the guy"

[8.0] "He's got so much charisma and his mic skills is so great, he can handle main-event in which I waiting him to be"

[9.0] "I've been a fan of his for years, but never expected him to get himself over to this point. The only hinderance is the booking - they could very easily have him winning a world championship with his talent and how much the fans are invested in him"

"La Knight has good charisma and a good finish. He is one of the best on the mic. He is also pretty good in the ring. LA KNIGHT is very good all around. He gets cheered easily. YEAH!"

[9.0] "What more can be said that hasn't already been said? He's got a great look, good in the ring, one of the best and unique guys on promos in years, and to top it all off, he's on Smackdown every week (made the most amount of appearances for WWE this year currently)"

[8.0] "I had him at a 7, it's time I bump it up to an 8. This guy is genuinely good, an all-rounder, someone you want on your roster always. Very often people, even fans of Knight, say that "he's not that good in-ring but he's very entertaining in his promos, charisma, etc." I think I've seen enough to say that's not fair to Knight. This guy IS good in-ring, and it's been very interesting seeing how when he started wrestling on the main roster, his matches were pretty boring. But somehow, at 42 years old, he's tapped into something that has really upped his workrate. He's just so fun, there are people who are indeed better at workrate than him, but I would say that quite a bit of them aren't as fun to watch even though that's true. His promos and the way he carries himself is self-explanatory, he is undeniable in those."

[7.0] "better on the mic than a lot of guys working today and looks like a million dollars but man, i really hope LA Knight gets more chances to actually shine in the ring because he feels so hit-or-miss in there. i don't even know if i can necessarily say it's that he only can work with super experienced guys who are good at carrying because that's not quite the case, it just feels like sometimes he gets these really fun and dynamic matches and sometimes his role is doing three moves a couple of times and it ends up really boring. i can say, though, that despite people's general opinion that he's essentially on death's door as an ancient 42 year old, he has gotten better in the ring with the push he's had as of late, and i hope to see him break out past the midcard sooner rather than later."

"My Rating: 9.2 In modern day wrestling guys are too afraid to say what they think on the microphone. LA Knight is still cool even on PG era. Might have not stand out 25 years ago but now he is the most interesting thing of current WWE tv shows."

[9.0] "Il devient une valeur sûre de Smackdown, un midcard en marche vers le main roster... Il perd 1 point pour le manque de fond que Hunter et les scénaristes n'ont pas encore assez travaillé."

[8.0] "As someone who followed the former Eli Drake all the way back in 2016 when he was working under TNA, it's very cathartic to see this man finally receive a push and get his flowers from the fans. The guy's promos are some of the best WWE has to offer and he gets reactions like the superstar he is. It is amazing how stars are made when you allow wrestlers to truly be themselves and let them cook for lack of a better term."

[10.0] "La Knight... My current favourite superstar, sorry Megastar! In WWE. Everything from the entrance music, to the promos, to the catchphrase. Everything about Knight is amazing to me. His promos give me vibes of Rock, and Stone Cold while still having his own flare. WWE needs to really push this guy, he's been over for a long time, and he needs to get out of the mid-card championships. I know a lot of people call him a bad wrestler, and while he may not be a Daniel Bryan, I think he's good enough to get that main event push that he needs. We need that main event push with everybody saying, L.A Knight! Yeah!"

[7.0] "It just feels like his career will never get started, they're always building and building and nothing comes of it. His best match is with Logan Paul. He was one of my favourites about a year ago but its getting hard for me to care"

[4.0] "He does not do it for me. A chant and nothing else. Very dull in the ring for the most part and I never feel emotionally connected to his promos, never feel the desire to cheer for him or really engage with him on a deeper level. I really don't like the chant which is a real damning quality when that's all he's really got on the main roster."

[8.0] "One of the best on the mic currently in WWE, I really liked his recent reign and I feel like he needed to show more since it was a bit short for me, his quality in the ring is good and he has the bearing of an incredible superstar"

[7.0] "He does everything so well... aside from the actual wrestling part. I think he's a great character and somebody WWE needed, as he's just fantastic on the mic and has a great look. But once the bell rings, yeah... it's all downhill from there. He speaks a certain way, and in your head you can tell he's definitely somebody who should be in the upper midcard/main even scene, but he wrestles like somebody who should be on the lower card side of things. I don't think he'll get any better in-ring, considering his age and the fact if you look back at his TNA stuff and whatnot, he just wrestles the same. He doesn't have it in him to be a great in-ring wrestler, but he has all the tools needed to be a big star. **02.02.2025** LA Knight has definitely found his ceiling. Whilst he is a good talker, in-ring wise he still hasn't stepped his game up since getting that push last year. Still keeping him at a 7 because he's not awful, but he's not great either. His charisma makes up for everything else."

[2.0] "I know this isn't the most popular opinion, but LA Knight is NOT "good on the mic." If blatantly copying legends makes you a "good promo, " then where's Jay Lethal's props for the Ric Flair/Macho Man impressions? There's also his over-reliance on catchphrases, another issue I had with The Rock's promos as well. Be honest: aside from the "YEAHs" and the "NAH NAHs, " how often does the audience actually pay attention to his words? There are times where he'll stumble over his words a lot, stuttering and messing up mid promo. But promos aren't the only thing he botches at, because when you watch his matches? It's even worse. I think more people will agree with me when I talk about him not being good in the ring, so to put it shortly: He botches a lot, has a boring moveset (primarily consisting of punches and kicks), all with a finisher that looks stupid."

[8.0] "He's good in the ring, and also incredibly charismatic, his 2023 was inconsistent, but he remained charismatic and over with the fans, and that shows how great he is, and in 2024 he improved even more, and he got awarded finally with a WM Moment and a US title run, which was good, he is currently one of the best in WWE"

[5.0] "one of the most overrated wrestlers in WWE in my opinion. In terms of wrestling, it is ordinary. On the mic he's good but there are much better wrestlers on the mic. I never got attached to his character. I said to myself maybe champion, he could give a good reign but no."

[4.0] "LA Knight himself said his wrestling Mt. Rushmore consists of The Rock, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair. These influences are easy to see in his character and in-ring work. I'm basing my review of LA Knight based on his rise to becoming a "Mega Star" in WWE during 2023-24 and will be using Bret Hart's metrics of judging a wrestler by look, promo skill, and in-ring ability. Starting with look, he certainly has the appearance of a WWE superstar. He's in great shape and has a cool modern take on traditional ring gear. However, he truly made his mark on the industry with his promo skills. He has great charisma and knows how to engage an audience. He's clearly a call back to the Attitude Era with his multitude of catch phrases, but to paraphrase Roman Reigns, he seems like he wants to push the industry backwards rather than forwards. It's jarring when a storyline is evolving only for LA Knight to sneak in all his catch phrases during a segment that is supposed to be heated and serious. Although LA Knight showed he could cut a meaningful promo during his feud with The Miz, he still relies too heavily on simplistic catch phrases that get old fast. I enjoyed listening to LA Knight as a mid-carder, but once he went toe-to-toe with the likes of Roman Reigns, it was clear he wasn't on the same level once his opponents got to lay into him with his own humiliation tactics. Roman's line to LA Knight where he stated he's out here "cosplaying a red neck version of my cousin" was one of the greatest burns on the mic in 2023. Also, Miz's impersonation of LA Knight was also infinitely more funny than any of LA's generic insults, as it showed how one-dimensional LA Knight's character truly is. Finally, LA Knight's in-ring ability is just average. He can work the sports entertainment style well, but there's nothing memorable about his matches in terms of storytelling and emotion. This is disappointing as most wrestlers that spent as many years in the indies like he did have a bit more flavor to their match style. Like many WWE matches, his are filled with powerful slams and suplexes, but nothing that stands out above the rest. Despite that, it's easy to root for LA Knight. He's a veteran journeyman that never gave up to rise to the top of pro wrestling. However, his callbacks to the Attitude Era conjure up "been there, done that" feelings for this wrestling fan."

[7.0] "He gets carried by his mic work and overall presence. He is a bit disappointing in the ring, however. The crowd loves him, but I'm not sure he'd be able to keep up higher in the card."

[7.0] "A fine enough worker and insanely charismatic. Sure, he may not have the in-ring skills to challenge at the top, but his work on the mic ends up compensating for that and makes him a great contender for any more secondary title. He's currently the United States Champion and I'd say that's a fair position in the card for him."

[5.0] "Insanely charismatic and the crowd adores him. Pretty standard in terms of in-ring skills but personally I really dont feel any connection to his character but im obviously in the minority on that. Not my cup of tea but I definitely understand why so many people really like him."

[7.0] "While he is an utterly despicable person outside of wrestling, in terms of his work solely inside of wrestling he is probably the best celebrity wrestler of all time. Surprisingly good in ring, obviously good on the microphone. While he is nothing superb if you looked at him as a wrestler who has been wrestling his whole life, considering how long he has been in wrestling, it is very impressive how good he is."

[7.0] "LA Knight is a wrestler who I genuinely thought would fizzle out after the initial hype wore off, but to his absolute credit he has managed to stay a consistent highlight of whatever show he's on. Confidence and charisma will take you far in this business and Knight has it in spades. He might never be a world champion in WWE considering he's approaching middle age, but he's more than proven himself as a solid worker for the roster and absolutely deserving to be the United States Champion."

[5.0] "LA Knight is just average as a worker. A low-ceiling, high-floor kind of guy.. He is over and that will always justify his place on the card, but there isnt anything in his ring work that is going to wow you. Its all pretty unremarkable and just doesnt do anything that grabs me."

[5.0] "I'm glad his deserved popularity led him to defeat that awful Logan Paul for a deserved secondary title. Does he deserve a more prestigious one? I don't think so. The character is cool, his mic skills are cool, but his in-ring is boring. His movepool is very limited and I honestly don't think he's up to the level of a place higher than his. I don't understand the hype, but I'm delighted for him that he's benefiting from this success. Curious to see what happens next. He could be an excellent manager, able to wrestle sometimes. I think it could be a better place for him after his reign."

[10.0] "He is a good enough worker, he can get the job done, is entertaining to watch and imo he can have some great matches if given time but where he really shines is, his charisma, he is amazing on the microphone as far as stylistic and confident talking goes but the way he connects to the crowd is truly amazing and is the definition of an organic megastar, if he started wrestling very early and went to WWE much earlier I guarantee you he'd have been a many time world champion due to his mic work and charisma, but in a few years I see him as a world champion anyway unless the crowd gives up on him which they won't."

[6.0] "a guy i dont really get to be honest, he got charisma and amazing mic skills, but as far as being a full package wrestler, hes very boring, there isnt really nothing memorable of LA knight not even his promos are memorable, and especially his in ring work, hes a very boring wrestler to watch, usually when he comes on i go to the bathroom or something, he makes childish jokes that somehow get reactions, the YEAH chant is one of the most annoying things besides the WHAT chant, hes just boring that i dont get, hes an influence to other children and other Adults, but hes just boring as hell."

[9.0] "YEAH! YEAH! YEEEEAAAAAH! At first in NXT he was good, but when he first came to the main roster I thought he would get released within 2 months, but now hes everybody favorite. 9/10"

[7.0] "Analyzing his work and experiencing him since his meteoric rise full through, the only flaw in his game is his in-ring work. He is completely reliant on a "YEAH" from the crowd from his Cody Rhodes-like jabs, his predictable head smashes in the table, and any hit he performs. Besides that mediocrity, he is one of the most gifted and hilarious promo artists of this generation. The only wrestler we might ever see that can harness both Stone Cold AND the Rock in his promo. Simply unbelievable. I mean, 22 years of experience is attributed to that framework, but it's simply remarkable."