Kevin Nash has been very popular with internet wrestling fans in recent years. Not because of his workrate or legendary matches, but because he is usually the coolest guy in the room, has a penchant for speaking his mind, and has spent the better part of the last 30-ish years being incredibly entertaining. He has shown a really good mind for the wrestling business, as well, delivering some great points about this and that in ways that you might not immediately think of, although you often have to sit through 50 f-bombs for him to deliver those points.
All it took was a single moment on one episode of his Kliq This podcast, though, for many of those people to turn their backs on him. In a discussion that wasn’t even originally about LA Knight, Nash would go on a mini-rant about how he feels Knight is an “absolute ripoff” of The Rock. With Knight’s popularity through the roof right now, it took all of six milliseconds for Nash’s comments to be discussed all over Alexandra Daddario’s internet.
Here’s the thing, though…
Big Kev is 100% correct.
Is it something that should prevent LA Knight from becoming a top star in the business? No. Of course not.
Is he doing it in a mean, malicious way, or in a way where he’s trying to sneak it past you? No. Not at all.
He IS “ripping off” The Rock, though.
Have you ever heard his speaking voice? I don’t mean the speaking voice of LA Knight, the wrestling character. I’m talking about the speaking voice of Shaun Ricker, the man behind the LA Knight character. He sounds a lot like The Rock, and he will be the first person to tell you that. Go on YouTube and look up Knight’s multiple interviews with Chris Van Vliet, where those similarities are discussed. He has a few stories about his time on 2013’s The Hero, which was a reality TV show hosted by none other than Dwayne Johnson, where numerous people on set would hear one of them talking without seeing who it was, and incorrectly guess which of them was actually saying something.
That’s the foundation of the comparison right there.
His promos are a throwback to the days of old, where he comes out and carries himself with a level of swagger that places him in rarified air these days. He talks trash, busts out funny nicknames, delivers one-liners, and puts himself in a position where he almost forces fans to cheer for him, whether he’s a face or a heel.
You know… just like The Rock did in the Attitude Era.
In the build for Money In The Bank, Knight cut a promo on Logan Paul where he hinted (in a more 2023-friendly fashion) exactly where Paul could stick the bottles of his Prime energy drink.
You know… just like The Rock has mentioned to just about every wrestler he has ever feuded with.
Go to WWE.com and look at LA Knight’s profile. Check out the picture the company is using for him. What do you see? He has his head tilted ever-so-slightly, with his right eyebrow raised.
You know… just like The Rock damn near trademarked with “The People’s Eyebrow.”
These aren’t things that can be denied. Whether you’re a fan of LA Knight or not, these are the facts. Here’s the thing, though…
It doesn’t really bother me.
LA Knight is right in the sweet spot when it comes to the age of people who grew up with the Attitude Era. He was two months shy of his 13th birthday when WCW had their debut episode of Monday Nitro, four months shy of his 14th birthday when “Austin 3:16” was born, a week after his 15th birthday when the Montreal Screwjob happened… you get my point. His most formative years as a wrestling fan happened when guys like The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Goldberg, the nWo, and many others were on top of the mountain. If he’s going to use, borrow, steal, rip off, or pay homage to anybody, it makes sense that it would be people in that category. He is about as perfect a throwback to the Attitude Era as there is in wrestling right now, where he can get himself massively over with his promos and his character work and doesn’t necessarily have to do so during his matches. That’s largely what the Attitude Era was. You might get a 20-minute promo segment on television, but hey, those matches seemed to all last less than five, and most of them ended via count-out or disqualification.
My problem with LA Knight isn’t that he’s a “ripoff” of anybody else. Pro wrestlers have been taking bits and pieces from the previous generation for decades, whether it’s moves, nicknames, promos, hairstyles, and so on and so forth. The best of the best… Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, The Rock, etc… all owe a large debt of gratitude to those that came before them for helping them become the stars they would become.
No, my problem with LA Knight is the hopes and expectations that many people are placing on him. You don’t have to look far on social media to see people making all sorts of wild statements. Nobody can deny how over the man is with live crowds all over the globe. To go from that Point A to the Point B of saying he should be the man to dethrone Roman Reigns, or that he should be carrying a brand on his back, is an Olympian leap. That’s where the modern day scene differs from the Attitude Era, because you can get over on the mic and with your character work, but at some point, you are going to have to back it up in the ring. In that area, you’re not going to convince me that LA Knight is one of the best in WWE right now.
I’m not saying he sucks. Far from it, actually. I just don’t have the desire to see him go 20-30 minutes with the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Edge, Finn Balor, AJ Styles, Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Sheamus, or anybody else that could be considered a “measuring stick” on the WWE roster. That’s what is required of the top guys in WWE these days.
Quick… what was the last GREAT match LA Knight participated in? For me, that was at NXT War Games 2021, when he was in the titular match, but it’s not exactly fair to say he was largely responsible for a match that featured ten competitors, two rings, a giant steel cage, and weapons. If you ask me what his best singles match is, I would probably say either his Million Dollar Title match against Cameron Grimes (and I am legally and contractually obligated to mention that he nearly broke my leg at an independent wrestling show several years back) at NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021 or their rematch at NXT TakeOver 36. Good matches. Really good, even. Great, though? Showcasing someone who is capable of being in a WrestleMania main event? No. Sorry, but I’m not buying that.
Right now, he is in the perfect spot to become a midcard champion. Smackdown is the home of LA Knight, but it is also the home of the United States Champion, Austin Theory. Theory isn’t exactly the most popular wrestler in the world right now. The WWE Universe is dying for someone to come along and take that title from Theory. Just imagine the pop that Lorenzo Alexander Knight could get if he shut Theory up in a promo, and then proceeded to become the new United States Champion. Like I said, it’s the perfect spot for him. He simply isn’t on the level of Reigns or Rollins at the top of the card, and he isn’t where he needs to be to end Gunther’s Intercontinental Title reign. I think he could do really well as the United States Champion, and that’s the type of role that can get him more television time, as well. At this stage, that seems to be the most important thing for him, as he doesn’t even get regular appearances and time on-screen.
Is he a “ripoff” of The Rock? Yes.
Does it really matter that he is? No.
Is he deserving of a lot more than he has been getting? Yes.
Does that mean he should be at the tippy top of the card? No.
It’s that simple.
I think a lot of you owe Kevin Nash an apology.
Weekly Power Rankings
FTR vs “Switchblade” Jay White & Juice Robinson: Now this was more like it! FTR got to do what they do best, but White and Robinson were finally made to look like big deals for the first real time since signing with AEW. One of the best televised tag matches of the year so far, and it sets up a major rematch, this time in a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match for the AEW Tag Team Titles on this week’s episode of Collision. Count me in.
Kenny Omega vs Wheeler Yuta: This is the version of Kenny Omega we should’ve been seeing in AEW from the beginning. I’m happy.
The Creed Brothers vs The Dyad: Julius and Brutus Creed continue to be some of the most entertaining in-ring performers you’re going to see in wrestling today. Whenever they’re wrestling, you’re going to see two badass dudes who are looking to throw their opponents all over the building, and how can you go wrong with that?
CM Punk vs Samoa Joe: Punk did it! Do you believe in miracles?!? After going 0-4-2 against Joe in singles matches, Punk has finally earned a victory over one of the biggest rivals of his career! The fact that the match was really good was merely icing on the cake.
AEW Collision: This has quickly become AEW’s best show on television, simply because it’s different. We see names that we don’t really see on Dynamite or Rampage. The show is paced better. We’ve been getting some really, really good matches that have had a lot of time to work with. Tons of fun. Now, if they could just do something about their viewership numbers, which are falling at a steep level. We’re only a few weeks away from Saturday nights being dominated by college football in America, which is going to pull even more people away from watching Collision.
Tyler Bate vs Mustafa Ali: It’s good to see Ali looking fully rejuvenated and motivated again. Wildly enough, all it took for that to happen was for him to be given time to show what he can do in the ring.
The Trial Of Roman Reigns: Just about 40 minutes of Smackdown was dedicated to the “trial” and to the fallout of what happened during the opening segment. The wheels just keep on turning with this story, and I’m captivated the entire time. Bring on Roman vs Jey at SummerSlam!
Rhea Ripley vs Natalya: A really physical match, with both women beating the hell out of each other. Obviously, it was much better than their previous match. The only thing working against this one was nobody in their right mind buying that Natalya had a chance of winning.
Orange Cassidy & Darby Allin vs Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland: You know… after a feud that has lasted for approximately 17 years, featuring the addition of random bums for no reason and then the swift removal of said bums… I think it’s time for Swerve and Keith Lee to go their separate ways now.
Edge vs Grayson Waller: After a few weeks of mic time while he healed from a leg injury, this was a good in-ring introduction for Waller in front of a main roster crowd. He has a really bright future. I’m talking “potential World Champion” future.
Gable Steveson: We got to see him throw some of the more beautiful suplexes you’re ever going to see, including a couple where he threw them and then nearly kipped back up off the landing in one swift motion. Insanity. However, there’s the… other stuff… that hangs over his head like a storm cloud. I’m currently working on a column about that other stuff. I’m trying to get it completed for next week, but I won’t guarantee it. There’s a lot to talk about.
“Hangman” Adam Page & The Young Bucks vs The Dark Order: One of the biggest upsets in AEW history. It doesn’t matter how or why it happened. The fact that it happened at all is worth talking about.
Seth Rollins vs Dominik Mysterio: Put the title on Prison Dom, you cowards!
Trent Beretta & Matt Sydal vs Brian Cage & Big Bill: Brian Cage and Big Bill are the tag team I had no idea I needed. They could be a lot of fun to watch as a regular team moving forward.
Roxanne Perez vs Blair Davenport: Davenport is definitely someone that the NXT women’s division could be built around. We already know the same can be said about Roxanne Perez. Fun stuff here.
This Week’s Playlist: “Stay” by Ghost & Patrick Wilson… “Dollhouse” by The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp… “Gone” by Atreyu… “WRONG END OF THE KNIFE” by Butcher Babies… “From The Inside” by Orbit Culture… “Attack” by Wolves At The Gate… “Send Me An Angel” by A Life Divided… “A Bullet Meant For Me” by Seventh Day Slumber… “Stars Burn Out” by Dead Tired… “Pay For It” by 2 Smooth & Tonio Armani… “Lovin’ It” by Little Brother & Joe Scudda… “Face In The Reflection” by The Foreign Exchange… “Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me” by The Foreign Exchange… “I Wanna Know” by The Foreign Exchange… “Return Of The Mack” by Zo! & Tigallo… “Africa” by Zo! & Tigallo… “Take On Me” by Zo! & Tigallo… “Something About You” by Zo! & Tigallo… “I’m Only Human” by Zo! & Tigallo… “All My Life” by Lil Dirk & J. Cole