The Next People's Champ: The Case For LA Knight and the World Heavyweight Championship

It feels impossible to think of a time in professional wrestling when Diamond Dallas Page wasn't over with the crowd, but during his initial period in WCW, DDP felt aimless and directionless, with no real momentum. It wasn't until Page, who began his career at 35, discarded the artificial aspects of his character and leaned into himself that he became undeniable during one of the biggest boom periods in wrestling, the man who defiantly stood tall against "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and the nWo.

Like Page before him, LA Knight began his time in WWE late into his career, pursuing a successful run in TNA before landing in NXT and crafting the character to near perfection, culminating in a popular angle with Cameron Grimes for the Million Dollar Championship. While the LA Knight gimmick was ready for prime time, the powers that be decided to try something new on, and LA Knight became Max Dupri, manager of the pompous and arrogant Maximum Male Models faction.

The WWE Universe was lukewarm to Max Dupri, and Knight wandered aimlessly through forgettable and silly creative, walking the direction of a release without being able to maximize his full potential. After seven months and the change of creative heads, as Paul "Triple H" Levesque took over from Vince McMahon, Dupri reverted to the LA Knight character that was so popular in NXT, and the odds changed in his favor.

Character Work Was The Key, Not Just A Catchphrase

After his fortunes changed for him on the main roster, LA Knight became a force in the WWE Universe, feuding with Bray Wyatt as a heel. Wyatt was the crowd favorite, but the more Knight talked, the louder his cheers grew, even as a villain. WWE noticed, and Knight suddenly seemed primed for greatness, skyrocketing up the roster and soon crossing paths with Roman Reigns during his record-breaking championship reign.

The same was true for the last wrestler who followed this path, as DDP was often criticized by his contemporaries for being inauthentic and overly reliant on his attitude and catchphrases. After he stripped away the layers, DDP became a bona fide megastar, the People's Champion in WCW. Once given the chance to prove himself, he delivered, showing he was more than just the glitz and glamour he presented; he did the necessary work to become the face of the company and was rewarded accordingly.

Knight had his detractors, those who said he was just a catchphrase in the realm of other talkers who may not fully commit once the bell rang, or that he was too unpolished a performer to hang at the top of the card. As DDP proved in the 1990s, and Knight proves now, charisma is a skill that's just as necessary as high-caliber in-ring work, and he possessed both.

The Rise Of The Megastar, LA Knight

Much like DDP in his pursuit of gold, the build and buy in took time, and LA Knight's feuds with Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns showed detractors he was more than just the "YEAH!" catchphrase and fancy vests; he walked the walk, too. It was his consistent three-point swishes from the top of the key whenever he was given the opportunity that made him undeniable, using his potential and his genuine persona to get him over.

Since changing direction, LA Knight has become a marquee star for WWE, headlining their major PLEs, becoming the new face of Slim Jim's marketing campaigns, and reaching the finals of The Last Time Is Now Tournament. After repeatedly proving his worth, WWE is overdue to reward him with the prize he wants the most: the World Heavyweight Championship.

LA Knight Deserves A World Heavyweight Championship Run In 2026

Throughout the latter half of 2025, LA Knight was involved in Monday Night Raw's main event scene, competing against Jey Uso, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins, who all have claims to the World Heavyweight Championship. While it feels like Knight's trajectory has stalled a bit these past two months, a recent report from Bodyslam.net indicates that The Megastar may have a major 2026 ahead of him, something that's long overdue and well deserved.

With Punk now holding the title and a pending challenge from Bron Breakker awaiting, Knight feels uniquely positioned to carry the Raw banner, potentially through WrestleMania season. Like Diamond Dallas Page in the 1990s, LA Knight is a once-in-a-generation Superstar who found himself at a crossroads and used his greatest talent to get himself over with the crowd: himself, and it's time to reward this momentum with WWE championship gold around his waist and anoint him the new, true People's Champion of the Netflix Era.