LA Knight has been floating around NXT since his debut in WWE, but now it looks like he may be getting the call-up to SmackDown. However, instead of sticking to the role he played on NXT as a wrestler, it appears WWE is planning on using him as manager to lead a new heel faction. While Knight got some opportunities on NXT to display his skills on the mic, he never got to truly display this special skill of his. With this newfound opportunity of managing multiple wrestlers on the SmackDown roster, Knight can allocate his time and energy toward the mic rather than in the ring. In fact, Knight can look to fill a role that WWE is severely lacking; credible managers. Currently, only a handful of managers like Paul Heyman and MVP are regularly on television, and it is clear how much value they bring for the superstars they manage. Therefore, WWE needs to recognize this and look to build up Knight to become the next great manager to make a mark in WWE.
LA Knight Can Elevate Misused Superstars
Knight's mic skills will provide a similar effect that MVP did with The Hurt Business. Relying on his mic skills, presentation, and presence, Knight will be able to create a new aura for the surrounding wresters, elevating their own status as a result. This is important, because many of the misused or underutilized superstars lack the strong mic skills needed to survive and thrive on the main roster. Knight can serve as the missing component for them, allowing them to focus on the in-ring to complete the partnership. Currently, Mace and Mansoor are the two wrestlers that Knight has introduced as new members of his new faction, which is fantastic because neither wrestler has successfully made much impact since debuting on the main roster. Not only can Knight act as the mouthpiece, but he can start to develop their individual characters and give them a purpose moving forward. In doing so, this should give the WWE Universe a reason to pay attention and ultimately care about these superstars that up this point have been relegated to dark matches or small segments with minimal impact on the product.
Related: Harry Smith & 7 Other Second Generation Wrestlers WWE Misused
LA Knight Has A Legacy Of Success On The Microphone
Before he came to NXT as LA Knight, Knight was formerly known as Eli Drake, appearing in other promotions like Impact Wrestling. Not only did he reach the main event scene, even winning their world championship, Knight earned admiration and praise from the fans for his work on the mic. He created catchy catchphrases, hosted talk show segments, played the roles of babyface and heel, and generally held his own against anyone in the company in a battle of words. The key is that Knight doesn't need to wrestle to serve an important role for the SmackDown product. After all, Knight is by no means a ring general, so why not pair him with other wrestlers who have strong in-ring ability and let Knight flourish in his role as the spokesperson for them?
LA Knight Needs To Be Given Less Scripted Promos
WWE has a tendency to over script their promos causing wrestlers to sound overly scripted and formulaic while cutting promos, resulting in a disconnection between them and the fans. However, when a talented star like Knight appears, WWE needs to be less cautious and give him more flexibility and freedom when crafting promos. Not only have some of the greatest promos in WWE gone off script, but some of the best wrestlers end up getting the lucky privilege of being unscripted which furthers their own career and make a better viewing product for the fans. Knight is a prime example of a wrestler that WWE needs to loosen the reigns on and give him a couple of weeks to cut promos that he comes up with on his own. Related: Gangrel Wants In On Edge's New Faction Not only is the success of Knight on SmackDown at stake, but also the success of other superstars. If Knight's promos fail to connect with the fans, this will have an adverse effect on the faction as a whole. If the end-goal of Knight's role as a manager is to get underutilized superstars on the roster more over with the fans, then he needs to be afforded the creative freedom that other established wrestlers like Edge get to ensure the faction gets over.
