LA Knight On Why Second WWE NXT Run Was Better Than The First

A fresh set of faces and a second chance were all LA Knight needed.

In a new interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, the WWE star opened up about his initial run with "NXT" and how his second stint was so different. After being released by WWE in 2014 following a brief stay with "NXT," Knight eventually returned to WWE in 2021 and re-debuted at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.

Knight, who previously wrestled for Impact Wrestling as Eli Drake, told Yahoo! that he enjoyed his second run with "NXT" a lot better than the first. And no wonder: Knight was largely used as a jobber during his first "NXT" run, putting over future WWE stars such as Baron Corbin and Mojo Rawley, Knight later said that he believed he was let go because he didn't get along with WWE trainer Bill DeMott, who was later fired himself in the wake of abuse accusations by former wrestlers.

"'NXT' was a fun and wild ride," Knight told Yahoo! "Obviously this was my second time around. The first time, I butted heads with the former head coach, but now coming back this time around, it was just a better understanding of each other and who I was and who I was working with I guess to some degree. This time things were just streamlined and it made the process in 'NXT' really good and flourish creatively, if you will."

Knight moved up to WWE's main roster earlier this year, performing as Max Dupri on "SmackDown." He went on to reclaim his LA Knight identity in the second half of the year, joining a trend of WWE stars who have reverted back to their original names following Vince McMahon's retirement.