LA Knight Works WWE SmackDown Dark Match As Manager, Reveals Potential New Stable

By Marc Middleton

LA Knight and MACE worked tonight's WWE SmackDown dark match in a tryout for a potential new alliance on the main roster.

We noted back in early April that WWE officials were discussing a potential call-up for LA Knight, which would bring him from WWE NXT to RAW or SmackDown. One WWE creative team pitch had Knight working as a manager on the main roster due to his highly-acclaimed mic work. There was no word on if the managerial role was favored over Knight being a regular in-ring talent, but the role was pitched.

In an update, tonight's pre-SmackDown dark match from the DCU Center in Worcester, MA saw Knight act as the manager to MACE, who defeated Erik of The Viking Raiders.

The match ended with MACE delivering a leaping leg lariat to Erik, which came after Knight caused a distraction.

Knight, wearing a suit, also cut a pre-match promo. He declared that he was launching Knight Model Management, and his first client is MACE. MACE was wearing a blazer and Air Jordans.

There's no word on if Knight Model Management will be brought to RAW or SmackDown after tonight's tryout process, but we will keep you updated.

Knight has worked just a few main roster matches before tonight. He took a loss to Odyssey Jones at the WrestleMania 38 Ticket Party last year, defeated Roderick Strong in a dark match before the January 21 SmackDown, and then defeated Cedric Alexander on the January 27 edition of WWE Main Event.

MACE had been teaming with T-BAR on the RAW brand, but he was sent to SmackDown in the WWE Draft last October. Since then he has worked just one match and that was the Thanksgiving Battle Royale on November 26. Knight has not been seen in NXT 2.0 since losing to Gunther at the recent NXT Stand & Deliver event during WrestleMania 38 Weekend.

It was reported back in January that WWE officials were "very high right now" on Knight, and that a post-WrestleMania 38 main roster call-up was being considered. There was also a time when officials were high up on MACE, the former RETRIBUTION member who also went by Dio Maddin.

Stay tuned for more. You can see a pre-show photo of Knight and MACE below:

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