LA Knight has heard the criticism before. Since his rise to prominence in WWE, some fans and critics have suggested that his popularity would eventually fade. Nearly three years later, Knight believes the results speak for themselves.
During a recent appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Knight addressed the notion that his popularity was merely a temporary trend and reflected on how long he has managed to maintain his connection with WWE audiences.
“There were a lot of people leaning on the idea that that was going to be a fad.”
Knight said that when his popularity first began exploding in 2023, many observers assumed the momentum would disappear after a few months. Instead, he continued generating strong crowd reactions regardless of wins, losses, or his position on the card.
“There were a lot of people leaning on the idea that that was going to be a flavor of the month.”
Even as his merchandise sales climbed and fan support grew louder, Knight felt some people remained skeptical that his popularity had staying power.
“People were waiting for it to cool off.”
Knight pointed to the passage of time as evidence that the support was genuine rather than a short-lived trend. Despite changes in storylines, championships, and WWE’s overall landscape, he continues to receive some of the strongest reactions in the company.
“Here we are, 2026.”
Knight also suggested that part of his success came from connecting with fans organically rather than being heavily manufactured. According to him, the audience ultimately decided they wanted to support him.
“You can’t force people to react the way they react.”
Over the past several years, Knight has become one of WWE’s most recognizable stars, earning championship opportunities, winning the United States Championship, and becoming one of the company’s top merchandise sellers. While some expected his popularity to fade, Knight believes his longevity has already answered those doubts.
“At some point, you’ve got to stop calling it a fad.”
