How LA Knight could avoid another year of ‘almosts’ in WWE | Opinion
LA Knight is seemingly back on the path to being pushed in WWE this year. With revived issues with Roman Reigns and The Usos and fans still supporting him, Knight might find himself in a position to tackle the next step in his WWE career.
Over the past few years, Knight has proven that his popularity is much more than a passing trend as has remained one of the company’s most reliable stars despite falling short in several opportunities.
Ahead of Friday’s four-way King of the Ring tournament match, here’s a few things I want to see Knight accomplish in WWE in 2026.
A career-defining win with either King of the Ring or Money in the Bank
Last year, Knight was a fan favorite to win the Money in the Bank ladder match which Seth Rollins eventually won. However, season two of WWE Unreal revealed how Knight and Rollins were supposed to have a tiff before the latter grabbed the briefcase, highlighting that Knight was firmly in the mix for a major career move.
Nearly a year later, Knight remains one of the most consistently popular stars in WWE, but he has yet to secure a defining victory to cement him as a permanent main event player.
On Friday’s SmackDown, Knight will face Jey Uso, Royce Keys and Finn Balor to qualify for the King of the Ring semifinals. This would also prove an opportune moment for WWE to consider him to win and challenge for one of the two World titles at SummerSlam.
More importantly, a King of the Ring win amid the ongoing rapport with fans would finally give him the accomplishment before their cheers die down.
A potential Royal Rumble win seems distant, giving some urgency to capitalize on his momentum sooner than a lot later.
A World Heavyweight Championship reign
The undisputed WWE Championship already has a list of contenders lined up making Knight’s possible quest a lengthy one. However, barring Seth Rollins, Oba Femi and a handful others, there is a stronger chance of him challenging for the World Heavyweight Title on Raw instead.
Knight’s rise has been surrounded by overcoming doubts and exceeding expectations. A World Title reign would be WWE’s acknowledgement that he has earned a place among the company’s top stars and authenticate what he’s worked for.
Opportunity to survive The Bloodline war a second time around
Jey Uso’s issues with Knight stemmed from an accidental spear during a tag team match last year. Knight got his revenge a week later, but the tension between them remains heightened more than The Usos’ reunion with Reigns.
Knight called out the hypocrisy of the brothers running back to reunite with the Tribal Chief despite all that was said and done when they exited the group years ago.
With the faction looking to re-establish dominance, Knight’s resilience could play a powerful role in halting its rise before it fully takes shape. It would also take him a step further in a potential rivalry with Reigns for the World Heavyweight Title if the Tribal Chief decides to step in and take over control of the situation from Jey.
End the year with potential WrestleMania main event status
Knight’s popularity is no longer in question. He needs an ascent to validate his position set in place over the past few years and to ultimately be pushed as a possible WrestleMania main eventer, transitioning from a fan favorite to legitimate headline attraction in WWE.
To push that narrative, he needs more time in the spotlight whether it’s a defining moment or win, overcoming The Bloodline feud, or competing in a marquee match. If done right by the end of the year, fans could be left pondering his WrestleMania main event status over a World Championship win.
Instead of 2026 becoming another year of ‘almosts’, WWE must continue investing in LA Knight and build him into a genuine main eventer before the opportunity passes by.
Rosanne Raphael is a wrestling writer with over three and a half years of experience covering all things related to the industry. From a kindergarten teacher to PR Associate to turning her lifelong passion for the industry into a career, Rosanne is currently writing for F4W Online where she focuses on wrestling news, analysis, and storytelling.
Rosanne previously contributed to Sportskeeda as an Assistant Content Manager.
When not consumed by wrestling, Rosanne is a musician and an aspiring artist.