The WWE-UFC merger put forward a hard time for many since several WWE employees and talents were recently fired. Mace and Mansoor also fell victim to the mass release of the promotion. However, they’ve now revealed that one of the current WWE superstars was previously very close to getting fired who is none other than LA Knight.
WWE showcased an unbelievable mass release following its merger with the UFC. Among all the superstars released, Mansoor and Mace of Maximum Male Models have also been released from the promotion. Following their release, the duo talked about their time at the company on Twitch.
On their appearance, they mentioned that WWE Superstar LA Knight was once “this close” to getting fired from the Stamford-based promotion. The reason is the fact that Vince McMahon apparently “hated” his performance as Max Dupri. According to Mace, McMahon wanted Knight’s character to be softer.
A few months ago, LA Knight revealed that he thought he would be fired by WWE before becoming Max Dupri on SmackDown.
Mace/Mansoor revealed last night that LA Knight was “this close” to getting fired “because for whatever reason Vince McMahon hated his Max Dupri performance.” pic.twitter.com/16ztwcWGIb
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) September 22, 2023
Not only that but some months ago, Knight himself stated that he was afraid that Vince McMahon would fire him from the Stamford-based promotion. This was before the fan-favorite WWE Superstar became ‘Max Dupri’ on WWE SmackDown.
LA Knight was thereafter given the role of ringside manager, who led the Maximum Male Models. He was given the ring name Max Dupri. However, he later gave up the role and took up his current persona. With this persona, he went on to create wonders.
What happened to the Max Dupri persona of LA Knight
LA Knight is currently one of the most popular superstars in WWE. It won’t be too wrong to say that he is a fan-favorite star in the Stamford-based promotion. However, before LA Knight took up his current persona, he went through several other personas. He performed under the ring names Slate Randall and Max Dupri.
Knight primarily stepped foot in the Triple-H-led promotion in 2013. He showcased his in-ring skills under the ring name Slate Randall; however, he was released the following year. Later on, he again ventured back into the promotion in 2021 and got promoted to the main roster the next year.
On the main roster, he portrayed the role of Max Dupri, managing the Maximum Male Models. However, moving forward, he betrayed the group and gave up his Dupri persona. He then acquired his LA Knight persona and started rising to prominence.
Thus, giving up the Max Dupri persona was probably one of the best decisions made by Knight. Following that, he showcased his on-the-mic skills, which gave him an enormous amount of fan support. Knight got a decent push from the promotion since then; however, fans are still waiting for a massive push for the WWE Superstar in the upcoming days.