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NXT just got a lot louder as LA Knight, the man formerly known as Eli Drake, joined the Black and Gold brand during NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. He put the entire roster on notice in a quick promo and made his NXT television debut during last week's show.
In the middle of the ring, he said that he's the last of a dying breed and that he wasn't afraid of the likes of Finn Balor, Adam Cole, and Johnny Gargano. Knight also implied he wasn't looking to go down as a cliché in NXT history.
While it initially seemed like Knight would probably be a heel, it wasn't 100% clear until his first appearance on Wednesday Night NXT. After his promo was over, Bronson Reed's music hit, and the two had a staredown. Knight would then interfere in Reed's match, costing the Colossal One a victory. That is certainly how his NXT career will start, but who else should he cross paths with?
He could feud with Johnny Gargano because he holds a title, but Knight would more realistically feud with a face that was holding the belt.
With several options in mind, let's take a look at five possible opponents for LA Knight in NXT.
#5 Feud for LA Knight in NXT - Bronson Reed
This is clearly the direction for LA Knight's first feud in NXT. Bronson Reed entered the Capitol Wrestling Center just as Knight was finishing up his promo, but the latter left before any punches were thrown.
Later, Knight came down to interfere at the end of the match between Reed and Cameron Grimes. His distraction cost Reed the match and inevitably set in motion the first feud in NXT for the star formerly known as Eli Drake.
Reed has been in a strange spot since his return. He'll squash lower-hanging fruit but then lose matches to established stars like Cameron Grimes. Reed did lose because of outside interference, but if he's heading into a program with Knight, he'll most likely lose. If he does, it could even lead to a heel turn for Reed in the long run.
Knight needs a few tune-up opponents before an NXT Championship program and Reed is the first on his journey to the top of NXT. Knight should be an NXT Champion at some point in the next year or so, but he'll have to get by Balor and presumably Kross. Reed will not be an easy obstacle to overcome, but Knight is most likely winning his first feud in NXT.
#4 Feud for LA Knight in NXT - Kushida
The two main opponents for current NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano have been Kushida and Dexter Lumis. Gargano beat Kushida, albeit with some outside help. Since that melee, The Way has been entangled with Lumis and how the latter abducted Austin Theory.
Theory doesn't seem traumatized, and Indi Hartwell seems to be infatuated with Lumis. With Kushida out of the picture at the moment, he could ease into a feud with Knight after the latter battles the Colossal One. Had Kushida won the North American title from Gargano, it would have been good to have the belt transition to Knight after a few defenses from the Time Splitter.
After all, Kushida is a hard-hitting face and Knight is a loudmouth heel. The Time Splitter does his talking in the ring and Knight would sell the feud all by himself in terms of promos.
With the implosion of the Undisputed Era, the dynamics of NXT are slightly shifting. Adam Cole is again a top heel while Karrion Kross and his status will be dictated by the person against whom he feuds next. Knight could be another top-level heel for NXT and one that can spin a yarn on the mic.
A feud against Kushida would help LA Knight to move up the ladder and earn his status as a top heel.
#3 Feud for LA Knight in NXT - Kyle O'Reilly
One of the people that LA Knight referenced in his first appearance on Wednesday Night NXT was Kyle O'Reilly and guys like him that "hit hard". It's clear that the Undisputed Era is no more and that Cole is a heel. Perhaps O'Reilly and Roderick Strong are faces after Cole attacked both of them over the last month.
O'Reilly has really shown a lot of personality during the buildup of his NXT Championship matches with Balor. If he is to embark on a solo run since Bobby Fish is still injured, then he should cross paths with the new kid on the NXT block in Knight. O'Reilly can simply say "keep my name out of your mouth" and let Knight lead the dance and do the rest in his promos.
Knight can sell any feud he's in because he's that good on the mic. O'Reilly could be sarcastic in his promos or he could just say that he's already held titles in NXT. It's not a hard angle to write, especially once O'Reilly moves on from whatever happens with Adam Cole. Once the former members of Undisputed Era are done with each other, it will open up an opportunity for O'Reilly to feud with Knight.
#2 Feud for LA Knight in NXT - Dexter Lumis
This feud would be perfect to book in NXT due to the comedic possibilities between Dexter Lumis and LA Knight.
Lumis hasn't had to say a word to make things hilarious in his current feud with Gargano and the Way. The prevailing thought was that he abducted Theory and that Theory would be traumatized by the whole thing. That hasn't been the case at all. Instead, Lumis has come across as the one trying to get rid of Theory because he's the strange one.
The amount of insanity that Knight could get across in his promos against Lumis would be hilarious. Lumis doesn't speak, which gives all of the mic time to the loudmouth heel. He also stares at people, so there are more than enough physical ticks to make a list.
It's unclear if Lumis is being earmarked for the North American title since he was initially a part of the match where Damian Priest won the belt. Lumis got hurt and returned to NXT a little bit later. Will this lead to a title swap between Gargano and Lumis? If Gargano lost, it wouldn't hurt him because he's in the "Daniel Bryan territory" in NXT. It could also lead to a feud between Knight and Lumis for the title if the latter manages to wrest it from the hands of Johnny Wrestling.
#1 Feud for LA Knight in NXT - Finn Balor
While his name and previous work alone speak for LA Knight, the biggest way for him to make a huge impact in NXT is to go after the top dog. At the moment, that top name is NXT Champion Finn Balor. There's also Tommaso Ciampa, Karrion Kross, Kyle O'Reilly, and Johnny Gargano.
It won't happen right away. But if Balor is still holding the NXT Championship following WrestleMania 37 week, then he could be facing Knight at some point in the second half of 2021. The Prince has salvaged himself in NXT after being dispatched from the main roster by The Fiend. Balor may not have been earmarked for this current title run, but an injury to Kross forced the hand of NXT's decision-makers.
Knight called Balor out by name in his initial NXT promo, so the two men will face off at some point this year. The man who was formerly known as Eli Drake already thinks he's the greatest NXT Superstar of all time. For that perception to become a possible reality, he needs to battle and defeat Finn Balor.
Balor is atop the Mount Rushmore of NXT Superstars, so beating someone like him would do wonders for a performer trying to establish dominance in a new company. Balor vs. Knight might occur in the latter stages of 2021, but expect the two to square off this year.
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