LA Knight Talks About The Various Influences On His WWE Career And His Critics

LA Knight has opened up about fans and former wrestlers criticizing him for copying the mannerisms of stars like The Rock and Steve Austin.

In an interview with "Daily Mail," Knight agreed with his critics by stating that he's indeed been influenced by numerous pro wrestling icons and that his character is a combination of all his influences.

"When I first started people would say he sounds like The Rock or he sounds like Austin, even I think my second set of gear when I was in Ohio, I had red and yellow. Oh, he's being Hulk Hogan! Everybody is going to make comparisons to some sort and I'm 100 per cent influenced by those guys, absolutely,"  said the WWE star. "I'm influenced by (Ric) Flair, (Randy) Savage, Jake the Snake. I'm influenced by other entities outside of wrestling. Musical artists, actors. All that stuff is in there."

LA Knight's stock has risen at a rapid pace over the last few months. But that success has come with its fair share of criticism as many have claimed that his character bears a striking resemblance to the characters of wrestling legends of the past, one of whom was Kevin Nash.

The "WWE SmackDown" star feels that people are finding fault in his character only because of his current popularity. "The bottom line is I'm probably getting called out because I'm a hot topic and people want my name coming out of their mouths because it'll get them clicks, so go ahead and use my name," said Knight. 

Knight star has had the crowd support behind him lately, which was evident by the incredible ovation he got at the O2 Arena in London, England. WWE reportedly has plans for Knight and is waiting for the right time to give him a push.