Cody Rhodes' next challenger, feud with top stable, and more - 4 directions for LA Knight following WWE SmackDown

WWE Friday Night SmackDown aired on the FOX Network last night, and it was a big-time show. SmackDown took place in Lyon, France, and was primarily focused on building towards Backlash tonight.

Despite that, SmackDown itself featured many exciting moments and matches. The show was extremely well received by fans, and those in attendance were extremely loud and into just about everything.

One of the stars who performed on the blue brand last night was LA Knight. The Megastar has been a staple of SmackDown for around a year and a half now, but really took off within the last year or so.

While some believed Knight would be RAW-bound this year, The Megastar was drafted to remain on SmackDown. Now the question becomes: What will he do on the blue brand moving forward? This article will look at a handful of possible directions for the former Million Dollar Champion.

Below are four directions for LA Knight following WWE SmackDown.

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#4. He could challenge Logan Paul for the United States Championship

Logan Paul is one of the most despised performers in WWE today. He isn't a typical pro wrestler, as he found success in various other sports and entertainment avenues, including YouTube, podcasting, and amateur boxing. He has been successful in sports entertainment too, however, having won the United States Championship.

The Maverick will not be competing at WWE Backlash France. His big-time match actually came at WrestleMania 40, where he managed to defeat Kevin Owens and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match.

Paul will need a new challenger for his United States Championship, and there is arguably nobody more fitting to fight him than LA Knight. Many believe The Megastar needs to win his first proper title on the main roster, and defeating Paul to win the United States Championship could make for a great moment.

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#3. LA Knight could feud with Santos Escobar and Legado del Fantasma

Legado Del Fantasma is a heel stable currently on the Friday Night SmackDown brand. The group is currently made up of Santos Escobar, who is the founder, plus Angel, Berto, and Elektra Lopez.

LA Knight is no stranger to this villainous faction. During WWE Friday Night SmackDown last night, Knight battled Angel in singles competition. He then had a verbal confrontation with Santos Escobar post-match.

While it could have been a one-and-done interaction, there is a very real chance that Knight will feud with Legado Del Fantasma and specifically Escobar moving forward. The two talented veterans both want to move up the card, so a feud between them could be an interesting test to see which one, or both, could climb the ranks afterward.

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#2. He could win the 2024 King of the Ring Tournament

The King of the Ring Tournament is a WWE classic. It was first established in 1985 and later became a yearly Pay-Per-View, at least for a while. The concept essentially vanished after 2002, only returning once in a great while.

Thankfully, it is back, but with a twist. WWE will host the King and Queen of the Ring later this month in Saudi Arabia. As the title of the Premium Live Event suggests, the show will crown a new King of the Ring and a new Queen of the Ring.

During Friday Night SmackDown, LA Knight threw his name into the hat to try and win the prestigious tournament. He will join the likes of Santos Escobar, Carmelo Hayes, Drew McIntyre, and Gunther, among others. The Megastar could potentially win the tournament and compete as King Knight moving forward.

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#1. The Megastar could step up to the WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes is WWE's biggest star at the moment. While John Cena, The Rock, and Roman Reigns could all be as big or bigger, none of the trio are currently around, nor are they full-time. Cody is, and he's taken the business to new heights.

The American Nightmare will have a big night in France. He will go one-on-one with AJ Styles with his prized Undisputed WWE Championship on the line. Supposing Rhodes retains the title, he will need a new challenger in the future.

The new challenger could be LA Knight. Many fans believe he should be in World Title contention as he's certainly very popular. If Rhodes needs a challenger, Knight could be the one to step up and go one-on-one with The American Nightmare.