Former WWE Talent Reveals LA Knight Almost Lost WWE Job in 2022

LA Knight, who has recently risen to prominence in WWE, nearly lost his job during his stint as Max Dupri, a gimmick initiated by former WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.

Knight made his main roster debut in May 2022 under the Max Dupri persona, a departure from the name fans had previously associated with him. Shortly thereafter, Dupri introduced the wrestling world to the Maximum Male Models tag team, featuring Mace and Mansoor.

Despite being allotted time for promos and fashion vignettes on Smackdown, the Max Dupri and Maximum Male Models gimmick failed to connect with the WWE audience.

The concept was the brainchild of Vince McMahon and when he stepped aside from WWE in July 2022, Paul "Triple H" Levesque assumed the role of Chief Content Officer, bringing a fresh approach to WWE's creative direction. The change in leadership was a boon for LA Knight, among others, as the Max Dupri gimmick was promptly discarded. Knight parted ways with the Maximum Male Models and was given a new lease on his wrestling career.

During a conversation about their WWE departures on Mace's Twitch stream, Mace and Mansoor light-heartedly talked about conflicts within the company. They also disclosed that Vince McMahon was highly critical of LA Knight's portrayal of Max Dupri and had considered letting him go. However, the unfolding of Vince McMahon's scandal shifted the focus, and the subsequent takeover of the creative department by Triple H effectively saved Knight's WWE career.

"Mace: Who do we have heat with?

Mansoor: LA Knight. Should we shoot on LA Knight? Mr. big star getting his hand raised by John Cena. Mr. most over man in the company. Fair play. You really made it work. You did it. [Sarcasm]

Mace: Yes, congratulations. We started in the same place and we clearly went the wrong direction. The L is on us. [Sarcasm]

Mansoor: There is no heat with LA Knight. He was going to get fired. He was this close to getting let go because, for whatever reason, Vince hated his Max Dupri performance.

Mace: He wanted him to be softer.

Mansoor: Like a scummy agent. It was never the right role for him. I was always saying ‘let me be Max Dupri.’ I begged them. ‘Let me talk, let me be someone’s manager.’ I can talk, nobody knows that I can talk. It’s just not how it worked. No heat with him. He took the best of a really bad situation, strapped himself onto his own rocket, and shot up when nobody was helping him."