LA Knight Not Working on WrestleMania 39: Why He Stopped Working?
by Ushapriyanga
Updated Jul 01, 2023
Who is LA Knight?
Shaun Ricker, born on November 1, 1982, is an American professional wrestler known by his ring name LA Knight. He is currently associated with WWE and performs on the SmackDown brand. Previously, he competed in Impact Wrestling under the name Eli Drake.
Ricker embarked on his wrestling journey in 2003, starting on the independent circuit. In 2010, he joined Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, which was affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) at the time. After departing from the promotion in 2013, he signed a developmental contract with WWE and wrestled in their developmental territory NXT under the name Slate Randall. However, he was released from the company in 2014. In 2015, he joined Impact Wrestling and achieved considerable success, capturing titles such as the Impact Global Championship, TNA King of the Mountain Championship, and the Impact World Tag Team Championship alongside Scott Steiner. Ricker also won the Feast or Fired briefcase on two occasions during his time in Impact.
Following his departure from Impact Wrestling in 2019, Ricker joined the newly revived NWA. During his stint there, he won the NWA World Tag Team Championship alongside James Storm. However, in 2021, he chose to return to WWE and signed a contract. Under the new ring name LA Knight, he once again competed in NXT before transitioning to the main roster in 2022.
Initially, he was repackaged as Max Dupri, a talent agent managing the Maximum Male Models group. However, he eventually betrayed the group, reverted back to his LA Knight persona, and resumed his role as an in-ring performer. He quickly gained popularity among fans due to his impressive promos and in-ring skills.
Outside of wrestling, Ricker appeared on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's reality series, The Hero, in 2013. He also made a guest appearance on the television show Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2015.
La Knight Not Working On Wrestlemania 39
SmackDown Superstar LA Knight recently expressed his disappointment about not being included in WrestleMania 39, which took place in Los Angeles. In an interview with Haus of Wrestling prior to Money in the Bank, Knight shared his perplexity over WWE's decision to leave him off the event's card.
He questioned how it was possible to have a WrestleMania in LA without including LA Knight, emphasizing that he was not only speaking for himself but also considering the sentiments of the city.
Knight pointed out that many people had traveled to Los Angeles specifically to witness his presence at WrestleMania 39. The anticipation and excitement surrounding his potential participation were palpable, evident during events such as SmackDown the night before and the Hall of Fame ceremony. Knight believes that by excluding him, WWE missed an opportunity to deliver an even more captivating experience for the fans who had eagerly flocked to the city.
In his closing remarks, Knight expressed his hope for better luck in future opportunities and suggested that WWE should reconsider their decision-making process to ensure they make the most of their talents and meet the expectations of both the performers and the audience.
Why LA Knight Stopped Working on WWE?
LA Knight, a prominent figure on SmackDown, has recently revealed that due to his busy schedule, he will not be able to provide motion capture work for the upcoming WWE 2K video game, specifically WWE 2K23. Knight has been actively involved in acting out the mannerisms and movements of various wrestlers for the popular gaming series in recent years. However, fans will not see any new animations featuring Knight in the game's character entrances and move sets.
After leaving WWE's NXT developmental system and spending several years away from the company, Knight returned and re-signed with WWE in 2021. During his hiatus from WWE, he continued his involvement with 2K by working on motion capture content while wrestling for other organizations.
Unfortunately, Knight's hectic schedule has now made it impossible for him to allocate time for motion capture work for WWE 2K23. As a result, fans will have to experience the game without any new animations specifically depicting LA Knight's character.
This announcement highlights the challenges faced by professional wrestlers who have demanding schedules that involve both in-ring performances and additional commitments such as video game collaborations. While Knight's absence from WWE 2K23 may disappoint some fans, it underscores the complexities of balancing various professional endeavors and the limitations it can impose on individual contributions to projects like video game development
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., known as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion that has expanded its reach into various forms of media and entertainment. Alongside wrestling, WWE has ventured into film production, American football, and various other business ventures. The company also licenses its intellectual property for video games and action figures.
Originally established in 1953 as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), WWE began as a Northeastern territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Following a dispute, the CWC departed from the NWA and transformed into the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in April 1963. After rejoining the NWA in 1973, the WWWF was renamed the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979.
In 1983, the WWF severed ties with the NWA permanently. Vince McMahon, a third-generation wrestling promoter and the current executive chairman, holds a majority ownership of WWE, with 38.6% of the outstanding stock and 81.1% of the voting power. The company was initially incorporated as Titan Sports, Inc. on February 21, 1980, in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
However, it later reincorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law in 1987. In 1982, Titan acquired Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd., the holding company for the WWF. The company underwent name changes, first becoming World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. in 1999, and then World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. in 2002. Despite rebranding itself solely as WWE since 2011, the legal name has remained unchanged since 2002.
La Knight Not Working On Wrestlemania 39-FAQs
WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment.
The promotion was founded in 1953 as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), which later became the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and eventually transformed into World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
LA Knight is the ring name of professional wrestler Shaun Ricker. He is currently signed to WWE and performs on the SmackDown brand.
LA Knight expressed his disappointment because he was not included in the card for WrestleMania 39, which took place in Los Angeles. He believed that as an LA-based wrestler, it was fitting to have him participate in an event held in his hometown. Knight highlighted the excitement and anticipation of fans who had traveled to witness his presence, suggesting that WWE missed an opportunity to enhance the experience for those in attendance.
WWE, or World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., is an American professional wrestling promotion. It was founded in 1953 as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), which was initially a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).