NXT Star Debuts On WWE SmackDown With New Gimmick
A former champion on NXT TV no longer goes by his developmental name...at least for now!
NXT's LA Knight is no more.
WWE repackaged Knight as "Max Dupri" on Friday's episode of SmackDown - Dupri told authority figure Adam Pearce that he's the CEO of an agency called "Maximum Male Models". His main goal on WWE's main roster? To recruit those who can headline fashion week in Paris and main event WrestleMania next year.
Typically, announcers Michael Cole and Pat McAfee didn't discuss Dupri's run in NXT. It's almost like that never happened, but fans must be used to that sort of ignorance by now; WWE likes to pretend that NXT doesn't exist sometimes, which annoys those who do care about the third brand.
Pearce told Dupri that it was actually Sonya Deville who signed off on his SmackDown contract. She's no longer an authority on the show, so Max's future is already up in the air. Surely WWE won't cancel this new gimmick after just one week?
The artist formerly known as LA Knight had been working as a manager during dark match segments before episodes of SmackDown in recent months. It's believed he'll be strictly used as a non-wrestler for now.