10 DUMB WWE Name Changes (That We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS)
7. Eli Drake > LA Knight
What did you think the first time you heard that ex-TNA and NWA man Eli Drake had been renamed LA Knight in early-2021? Be honest here. The name sounded like a TV show Vinnie Mac had watched back in the 1970s, and didn't seem to be a neat fit for the once-proud NXT brand.
Shade thrown at LA Knight's name change was wrong in retrospect.
Obviously, there's a caveat here. WWE rebranded Knight a second time as Max Dupri when they called him up to the main roster, and the dude had to fight hard to shed that moniker so he could return to LA (so to speak) and start showing his worth. Thank God he did, because Dupri certainly wasn't wrestling for World Titles on PLE.
Looking at things with the benefit of hindsight makes it clear that LA Knight is a far sexier name than Eli Drake. The unique thing about this one is that Drake is probs the kind of brand WWE chiefs would've come up with themselves.
Nah, Knight is a huge improvement.