[PHOTO] AEW star shares throwback picture of LA Knight from over a decade ago

LA Knight has taken the wrestling world by storm in recent months, but that is not to say that he did not have a long road to travel before reaching the height of popularity that he is currently at. A throwback photo recently posted to Twitter gives a little bit of insight into the tenuous journey The Megastar has been on.

Prior to joining WWE only a few years ago, Knight competed for several promotions, most notably TNA/IMPACT Wrestling and NWA. However, if one were to turn back the clock even further, a lesser-known Shaun Ricker can be found touring the indie scene alongside current AEW star Brian Cage.

The duo, known as Natural Selection, were active between 2009 and 2011. In many ways, this spell of both men's careers gave fans an indication of what they could expect to see from them over the coming decade, although both Cage and Ricker have developed tremendously.

An X account named The YEAH Movement recently took a stroll down memory lane and shared a photo of the team alongside their manager, Percy Pringle III, better known as Paul Bearer.

In turn, Brian Cage reposted the throwback picture.

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LA Knight's meteoric rise in WWE

Having debuted back in 2003, LA Knight is by no means a rookie in the wrestling business. However, he only recently ascended to the top of the industry despite being around for so long.

His repeatable catchphrases, attention-grabbing promos, impressive physique, and athletic in-ring style make LA Knight the perfect fit for WWE's programming, and he has been flexing his talents on SmackDown every Friday night.

Critics have accused Knight of being a "rip-off" of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. But that hasn't stopped The Megastar from selling tons of merch and garnering thunderous crowd reactions. The people have spoken, and the YEAH Movement is in full effect.