4 Wrestling Personalities That LA Knight Gets Along With (& 4 That He Doesn't)

May 2024 · 7 minute read

Any time LA Knight picks up the mic, you can bet that sparks will fly. In his relentless pursuit of in-ring glory, Knight has shown no regard for any competitor that he rubs off the wrong way. Whether he's feuding with a WWE lifer like The Miz or a viral sensation like Logan Paul, Knight will confidently tell the entire universe whose game it is.

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Even as the Megastar grappled with hundreds of competitors in his 20-year career, he’s had his fair share of battles outside the squared circle as well. The intense individual that he is, it's no surprise that LA Knight has drawn the ire of wrestling personalities here and there. On the flip side though, Knight has also forged strong bonds with people in the industry who have come to respect his sheer competitiveness.

8 Doesn't Get Along With: Bill DeMott

Ten years before LA Knight became a must-see attraction on Friday nights, he was a developmental talent in the early years of Triple H's NXT. Like every other aspirant in the WWE Performance Center, Knight (going by the name Slate Randall) was entrusted to the tutelage of head trainer Bill DeMott. The former Hugh Morrus, however, was far from a cherished mentor in the eyes of Mr. Randall.

DeMott, of course, left his post in 2015 after several misconduct allegations were hurled his way. Apparently, Slate Randall also felt that DeMott's attitude left plenty to be desired. Years after the DeMott controversy broke out, the future Megastar recounted how the head trainer talked behind his back and refused to shake his hand. It's safe to assume, then, that LA Knight and Bill DeMott won't be exchanging Christmas cards any time soon.

7 Gets Along With: Jon Moxley

Though the phrase "my good friend and roommate Jon Moxley" sounds a little odd, it's something that LA Knight can legitimately say. During Knight's formative years in the Ohio-based Heartland Wrestling Association, he became buddies with Mox (who was in the infancy of his career as well). Knight—then known as Deuce—went on to room with Moxley for about two years.

Interestingly, there was a brief period in which both Knight and Moxley were under the WWE umbrella. They were far apart, however, as Moxley was already tearing it up on the main roster as Dean Ambrose while Knight was paying his dues in developmental. Knight has expressed interest in sharing the ring again with Mox if the opportunity arises.

6 Doesn't Get Along With: Scott D'Amore

All told, Knight had a pretty good run as Eli Drake in Impact Wrestling. He won multiple championships, shared the ring with some of the company's most iconic performers, and even had his own talk show segment. There's more than meets the eye, however, in his four-year Impact stint. While Drake drew the adulation of the fans, he caught the ire of some influential people backstage.

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In particular, Scott D'Amore doesn't seem to be on his list of favorite people in that company. During a 2019 episode of The Wrestling Perspective Podcast, Drake claimed that he was being booked "into oblivion" by Impact Wrestling's writing team—the very team led by D'Amore. That same year, shortly after Drake infamously refused to wrestle Tessa Blanchard, Drake was released by the company via an email message. Perhaps, if D'Amore and Drake had seen eye-to-eye on creative decisions, that email might have never been sent.

5 Gets Along With: Becky Lynch

Shortly before WrestleMania 39, a couple of photos got wrestling fans buzzing online. These photos showed LA Knight and Becky Lynch clearly enjoying each other's company. In one image, The Man is perched on The Megastar's shoulders as they both smile into the camera.

As the wrestling community debated whether these two did or didn't, LA Knight cleared the air once and for all. Did he date Big Time Becks once upon a time? No. Did they ever cultivate a friendship? YEAH. So that's that. (Lynch, of course, has been married to Seth Rollins for quite some time, and Knight's clarification can be read as a sign of respect for their marriage.)

4 Doesn't Get Along With: Jeff Jarrett

One of the highlights of Eli Drake's Impact Wrestling run came in August 2017, when he won a 20-man gauntlet match to claim the GFW Global Title. During his five-month reign, Drake was essentially Impact's world champion—the face of the company, if you will. Drake, however, didn't feel that he was held in the highest regard by the man running the promotion.

In an April 2018 interview with The Mirror, Drake voiced out his true feelings about head honcho Jeff Jarrett. "I don't think that Jeff completely trusted me at the time to be a flag bearer," said the future LA Knight. "I could still see the reliance on Lashley and some other guys and what not." Moreover, Drake was also rumored to have confronted Jarrett at an Impact Wrestling taping a year prior. The confrontation was supposedly rooted in backstage frustration that had been simmering for quite some time.

3 Gets Along With: Paul Bearer

Wrestling fans in the '90s fondly remember Paul Bearer as the manager of icons like The Undertaker, Kane, and Mankind. After the heyday of the Attitude Era, Bearer took his managerial act to the independent circuit for a few years. As fate would have it, he would cross paths in 2010 with an energetic lad named Shaun Ricker.

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During their brief time together, Ricker—the man who would become LA Knight—soaked in the wisdom of the revered veteran. Ricker and Bearer became good friends, and when Bearer passed away in 2013, Ricker delivered a heartfelt tribute to his mentor at a Championship Wrestling from Hollywood event. Ricker would later find out that, on his deathbed, Bearer bequeathed a number of his belongings to his young buddy. That's a tear-jerker right there.

2 Doesn't Get Along With: Kevin Nash

In the midst of LA Knight's meteoric rise on WWE programming, one particular voice of dissent was heard loud and clear. Speaking on his Kliq THIS podcast, Kevin Nash called Knight "an absolute ripoff of The Rock" and wondered aloud, "Does everybody have amnesia?" The WWE Hall of Famer would double down on his comments by making fun of Knight's age, as well as his long journey to prominence.

It's hard to construe Nash's remarks as constructive criticism, which is probably why Knight took a not-so-subtle jab at Big Sexy on live television. On the September 8th episode of SmackDown, The Megastar—while delivering his own verbal diatribe against The Miz—said this: "If I was a complete moron, I'd say 'Let's look at that adjective.' But I'm not a moron, so I'm gonna say, 'Let's look at that verb.'" In all likelihood, Knight was referencing a 1996 WCW promo in which Nash said that "play" was an adjective. Message sent, rebuttal delivered.

1 Gets Along With: The Rock

It's hard not to think of The Rock every time LA Knight lays the verbal smackdown on his opponents. Knight's charisma, and delivery and penchant for popular catchphrases appear to echo the persona of the People's Champion. Knight, however, no longer needs to daydream about the first time he ever gets to meet Dwayne Johnson, as they have already rubbed shoulders once upon a time.

In 2013, Knight—under his real name Shaun Ricker—appeared as a contestant in the reality series The Hero. The host of this program? None other than The Great One. Knight has since shared fond memories of his time with The Rock, including an anecdote in which Mr. Johnson did an impression of young Shaun in front of the other contestants. It's poetic, of course, that the man being jokingly imitated by The Rock would go on to channel his electricity as WWE's one and only Megastar.

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