IWC Scum — Deal or No Deal: Is WWE Sold on LA Knight as Mr. Money in the Bank?
Welcome back to the column that puts the incessant whining and complaining in IWC. I’m a juvenile journeyman known as SkitZ, and there’s a particular matter pressing on my temporal lobe that has me seeing double or nothing.
And no, this doesn’t concern a cowboy and bruv trading shots over a couple beers before their cup final. It pertains to the deja vu surrounding LA Knight heading into this year’s Money in the Bank PLE. Remember two years ago when The Megastar was really catching fire, and we were gaslighted into believing he’d pull down that career-altering contract? Only for WWE to smokescreen the everloving bejeezus out of us? Yeah, not an ideal evening for many. Worked out great in Damian’s case though!
Despite his rising popularity, I recall thinking back in 2023 “eh it feels a bit premature to put the briefcase on Knight right now”. Keep in mind, the dude had just escaped the soul-crushing clutches of the Max Dupri character 9 months prior. The former Eli Drake was no doubt on the verge of being released to free up the hush money being stashed aside for Vince’s mistresses. Ironically enough though, LA Knight managed to evade the chopping block, unlike the guillotine Janel Grant & Co. dropped on VKM’s cutthroat ass. The Megastar is one of the few victims who actually managed to survive Mr. McMahon’s creative weakness for miscasting his wrestlers. If the old hornball hadn’t been forced out a few years ago, Seth Rollins would be doing a full-blown transgender gimmick by now. And we’d be groaning over Breakker debuting on the main roster as an acrobat or gymnast or some other lame, ridiculous shit like that.
In hindsight, it’s clear to see that bestowing the Mr. MITB moniker upon someone else two years ago was in fact the correct decision. Had Knight pulled it off (or down rather) in ‘23, odds are the cash-in would’ve been wasted on an occasion like Crown Jewel that November with Roman retaining the gold, which was ultimately what happened anyway. He needed to undergo a journey full of highs and lows before ascending to that next level. From being thrusted into the main event scene fairly quickly, to working back up the card from the bottom whilst being stuck in the United States Title scene for an entire year. Knight finds himself in a much better position this go-around to handle business at Money in the Bank, but do the powers that be place the same stock in the guy who should be the next guy?
You also can’t help but wonder if these rumors about Solo winning the briefcase and cashing in on Jacob carry any weight. This wouldn’t even be an issue if the company had wrapped up Sikoa versus Fatu at WrestleMania, but now the inevitable turn and ensuing feud has stretched into the summer, and I already want it done and over with. Then there’s the fact that LA Knight can’t seem to escape the clutches of these goddamn Samoans who just keep multiplying. He’s scripted into segments involving – you guessed it – The Bloodline week after week after week, so let’s hope and pray that isn’t the same tired direction going forward.
Oftentimes, I have to stop and remind myself that Vince is no longer controlling the narrative. We’ve had the rug ripped out from underneath us so many times in the past that my confidence in today’s rising stars getting their due is as shaky as Braun Strowman’s knees. Does Knight winning MITB in LA seem a little too picture perfect? Yeah it does, because VKM’s conditioned me into expecting any hot babyface act to fall short when he’s fully prepared to spring forward. LA Knight has been on a gradual ascent over the past 3 years, but can we count on the company strapping a rocket to another veteran star like they did with Jey Uso?
No matter how shitty of a pitch SmackDown’s creative team throws at Knight, he slam dunks that shit time and time again in the clutch. Furthermore, The Megastar continues to draw bigger and louder reactions from live crowds. His promo game is always on point, but Knight’s made noticeable strides in his wrestling abilities as well. The guy has no problem keeping pace with the likes of AJ Styles and Drew McIntyre, so what more is there to prove?
He’s not getting any younger. We can sit here and pretend as if age doesn’t matter as much in pro wrestling nowadays, but it certainly does for a 42-year old midcarder who’s never reached the mountaintop before. Is that what’s holding WWE back from pulling the trigger? Because young studs such as Jacob Fatu and Bron Breakker make for far more attractive options? Cora Jade’s old flame would be a shoe-in to win the Men’s MITB this year had he not stepped into Seth’s shadow last month. Rollins winning it for the second time in his career doesn’t worry me nearly as much, since he has Team Palestine to contend with in the meantime.
With the rest of the field likely making up names like Penta and Carmelo Hayes, the path to LA Knight finally securing a World Title shot under his own terms is as clear as it’s ever gonna be. So then why the fuck am I feeling so iffy about the whole thing? Is this the part where Omos suddenly makes his return and appears during the men’s ladder match to claim the briefcase for himself? Maybe WWE management intends on elevating Fatu even faster than we all anticipated? Does Finn use his flunkies to do the impossible and actually win a big match for once? Or am I simply still traumatized because LA Knight’s the same dude Vince tried turning into this generation’s Rico?
Nah, my issue is the same one that plagues most wrestling fans — we love setting ourselves up for disappointment by pinning every last hope on a specific wrestler, and then raging out child style over any other outcome. The current Karrion Kross situation serves as a perfect example. People are endorsing him all across social media as the next Mr. MITB because he’s a nice guy in real life who’s patiently awaiting his big break in WWE. When in reality, Kross can hardly make it onto TV each week, so what makes anyone with a sane brain think Creative would even consider including him in a qualifying match?
The clock might be running out on Kross quicker, but LA Knight isn’t far behind. In regards to him reaching World Champion status before that window slams shut for good, the last time being now tagline is starting to fit The Megastar as well as it does John Cena. How awesome of a moment would it be to watch Knight cash in on the latter? Sure beats Captain Cody regaining his top spot over #17.