LA Knight explains why Max Dupri did not work in WWE
LA Knight recently opened up about his short-lived run as the Max Dupri character in WWE.
After a successful year-long stint in NXT, Knight was repackaged as Max Dupri following his call-up to SmackDown in May 2022. The 40-year-old managed the Maximum Male Models (ma.çé and mån.sôör) tag team alongside his storyline sister Maxxine.
On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Knight was asked to explain the difference between Dupri and his current persona:
"Oh, boy, who? Night and damn day, very much so. You couldn't be more opposite ends of the spectrum."
Max Dupri just quit the MMM...
LA Knight is coming back!! 🗣YEAH! #SmackDown https://t.co/aTQu7PhvAo
Knight was willing to give the character transformation his best shot. However, he always knew he would be more successful portraying someone closer to his real-life self:
"There's an undeniable thing there where it's like you get told, 'Ah, well, if you wanna go legit, maybe you should think about trying this or that,'" Knight said. "In my head, I'm like, 'All right, let me just go ahead and do what I need to do to get ahead here,' so that's what I do for a minute. But at some point eventually I've gotta come to terms with the fact that I can't be anything other than myself."
The former NXT star's association with Maximum Male Models ended in September 2022. Shortly thereafter, the name Max Dupri was dropped, and he became known as LA Knight again.
LA Knight is preparing for a huge WWE match
In November 2022, Bray Wyatt headbutted LA Knight after he felt disrespected by the SmackDown star during a backstage segment.
The two-month storyline will continue this Saturday at the 2023 Royal Rumble when Knight and Wyatt face off in a Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match. The rules of the unique stipulation bout are currently unknown.
Get ready for the @MountainDew Pitch Black Match this Saturday as Bray Wyatt takes on @RealLAKnight at #RoyalRumble! https://t.co/3bHfyDd7mL
Earlier this week, Wyatt hit Knight with his Sister Abigail finisher on the 30th-anniversary episode of RAW after receiving assistance from The Undertaker.
Did you like LA Knight's short run as Max Dupri? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.