SmackDown star explains how LA Donovan was rejected before final NXT debut
Summary
– LA Knight said WWE once considered naming him LA Donovan before his NXT debut
– Knight strongly disliked the idea because he felt it would limit his character
– WWE eventually settled on LA Knight, combining his idea with the company’s suggestion
LA Knight’s WWE name almost went in a very different direction before he arrived in NXT.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Knight said WWE originally planned to introduce him in 2021 as Eli Drake, the name he had already used before signing with the company. That changed only days before his debut when Triple H wanted him to start fresh with a new identity.
Knight said the final name came together through a mix of ideas. The LA part came from him, while WWE added Knight, creating the name that eventually became one of the company’s most recognizable introductions.
Before that decision, WWE also considered LA Donovan. Knight made it clear that he hated the name right away because he felt it would lock him into the wrong kind of personality.
He believed LA Donovan sounded too limiting and did not fit the attitude he wanted to bring to WWE. For Knight, the goal was to have something short, sharp, and easy for fans to remember.
Once LA Knight was chosen, he did not feel the need to rebuild himself completely. He said the character was the same kind of personality that had already worked for him in TNA and NWA.
Knight described the persona as an amplified version of himself. That confidence helped him maintain the same energy as he adjusted to WWE’s bigger stage.
The decision clearly worked. LA Knight became a name fans could chant, remember, and connect with, while LA Donovan was left behind before it ever reached television.
