How LA Knight’s AEW Deal Fell Apart at the Eleventh Hour

LA Knight almost jumped the guardrail. As in: two AEW contracts on the table, entrance music already sent in, pen basically hovering. Then it all went sideways, and he stuck with WWE. How we got there is a pretty good snapshot of how messy wrestling careers can look from the inside.

The AEW deal that was basically done (until it wasn't)

During a chat with What Culture Wrestling (via The Yeah! Revolution), Knight said that after he left Impact, AEW wasn't just sniffing around — they were ready to roll. He even handed over his entrance track. Then, apparently out of nowhere, the deal died.

"When I left Impact ... I had two separate deals ready to go with them, ready for me to sign. To the point where I had even sent them my entrance music. Like we were about to be a go and then some things fell through and it didn't end up happening. But yeah, they sent me one deal, we renegotiated, they sent me another, they were just waiting on my signature."

He also said he was close to joining the Tony Khan-led brand when "something just fell from the roof" — his words — and he pulled back. Translation: a last-minute glitch nuked it, and he decided not to jump.

Quick rewind: Eli Drake, Max Dupri, and a whole lot of whiplash

Before WWE, Knight made his name in TNA as Eli Drake — which, personality-wise, isn't far from the LA Knight we know now. He actually had a brief WWE run way back in 2013–2014, vanished for years, then re-signed nearly seven years later. In that in-between stretch, AEW and others tried to lure him, but he chose WWE.

That's when the creative rollercoaster started. He got bumped up to the main roster as Max Dupri, a talent manager for Maximum Male Models. If you know Knight's vibe, you know that gimmick fit like a tux two sizes too small. It drew heat — and not the good kind — and WWE eventually ditched it.

Even post-Dupri, a big chunk of the fanbase argued he wasn't getting the push he deserved. He's held the United States title, but when it comes to the world title chase, he's eaten a few key losses. The frustration pops up in weird ways — like a recent post shared by Wrestle Ops where a fan basically said "book him stronger or let him be a world champion elsewhere." Knight liked that post, which tells you plenty about where his head might be.

So why did he stay with WWE?

Short version: the company finally leaned into what makes him work. WWE recognized the fan momentum, stopped trying to sand down his edges, and handed him a cleaner runway on the main roster. His popularity surged across 2024 and 2025, he captured the United States Championship, and he shifted to RAW, mixing it up with top names like Seth Rollins. Between the organic crowd reactions and strong merch, recommitting to WWE made sense.

Now the clock is ticking. WWE has a hot act who can talk, draw, and sell — the question is whether they fully ride the wave. Does Knight end up a true locker room player in the mold of someone like Jey Uso or CM Punk? Or does he keep circling the runway while that world title window starts closing?

Where he's been, at a glance

• TNA/Impact as Eli Drake, then a short first WWE stint (2013–2014)
• Almost seven years later: returns to WWE after fielding offers, including from AEW
• Nearly signed with AEW — two deals offered, entrance music sent, last-minute collapse
• Main roster detour as Max Dupri (Maximum Male Models) — dropped after backlash
• Back to being LA Knight, fan momentum surges; former United States Champion
• Likes a fan post (via Wrestle Ops) saying either book him strong or let him be champ elsewhere
• Stays with WWE as the company leans into his persona; moves to RAW and tangles with Seth Rollins

Bottom line: he was a signature away from AEW, but WWE finally started meeting him halfway. If they go all-in, he's got the crowd to carry it. If not, that "elsewhere" conversation will come back fast.