Positive Sign For LA Knight's WWE Future

By Liam Crowley

LA Knight is arguably the most over act in professional wrestling. The self-proclaimed megastar has been riding a groundswell of fan support that has increased exponentially since January. After shedding the critically-panned Max Dupri gimmick, Knight slowly became more featured on WWE programming, specifically getting the opportunity to shine during his feud with Bray Wyatt. While he would be ultimately left off the WWE WrestleMania 39 card, Knight's popularity only rose. This led to him getting a spot in the titular ladder match at WWE Money in the Bank earlier this month where he was the overwhelming fan favorite to win the briefcase. Damian Priest ended up leaving the O2 Arena with the contract, resulting in the London crowd emphatically expressing their displeasure.

Even though Knight came up short at WWE Money in the Bank, recent statistics point to Knight having a big future in WWE. According to Wrestlenomics, Knight was the fourth-highest merchandise seller for WWE in June. The only stars to outperform Knight were Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

While this metric is no guarantee of a push, WWE tends to feature its biggest merchandise movers on company programming more often. Past naturally over acts like Zack Ryder (Matt Cardona), Bray Wyatt, and Enzo Amore and Big Cass saw an increase in television time when their merch was performing well.

Speaking at the WWE Money in the Bank post-show press conference, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque offered a simple "good things come to those who wait" when asked about Knight. There is no word on what WWE has planned for Knight in the long-term future, but fans have already begun speculating that the former Impact World Champion could challenge WWE United States Champion Austin Theory for his title at WWE SummerSlam.

Knight has not been specifically advertised for WWE SmackDown tonight, but it is probable that he will feature on the blue brand's show in some capacity. Tonight's broadcast promises to be a big show, as The Usos are set to hold tribal court for Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and WWE Hall of Famer Edge will be making his return to television when he guests on The Grayson Waller Effect.

WWE SmackDown goes down from Madison Square Garden tonight and will air at 8 PM ET on FOX.

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