LA Knight recently shared some insights into the original name WWE considered for him before his NXT debut in 2021. Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Knight revealed that he was initially set to debut as Eli Drake.
They planned LA Donovan at one point — I was like “that’s awful. Uh, no, that’s so awful and terrible.”
Knight felt that LA Donovan would restrict his character and not align with his persona. He considers a simple name essential for an effective wrestling identity.
