'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
LA Knight has been on an upwards trajectory in WWE, and it is clearly evident from the crowd reactions that he is one of the most over talents in wrestling right now. His old rival from IMPACT Wrestling, EC3, recently reacted to Knight's rise and sounded glad to see him succeed in WWE.
Popularly known as Eli Drake, the 40-year-old star faced Ethan Carter III on various occasions as they were amongst the top names in the company.
Carter was happy that WWE wasn't wasting LA Knight and pushing him as a potential main-event superstar. EC3 shared the sentiments of the WWE Universe, who have also been impressed by Knight being the complete package, who can deliver both on the microphone and inside the ring.
"His talent got recognized. The guy can talk. He looks cool. He's got personality; he's got charisma; he's got athleticism," noted the former WWE star. "He's a good worker as opposed to a wrestler; not saying he is a bad wrestler, but there is a difference. Yeah, you're cut from the same mold." [29:00 - 29:15]
EC3 personally didn't have the best run in WWE, as he was released in 2020 after being seemingly mismanaged on the main roster.
EC3 realized Knight also faced hardships in WWE but has broken through the ranks to be viewed as a legitimate draw, especially after his SummerSlam Battle Royal win.
"It's good to see him break through because it got pretty ugly at one point; if I recall, it seemed like they were doing nothing with him. I don't know if he had a red solo cup and was chasing the 24/7 title run' bad, but like, he wasn't doing great, and he broke through, and talent rises. It's good to see." [29:16 - 29:32]
EC3 on LA Knight being compared to Attitude Era stars
LA Knight's charisma and effortlessness on the mic have been likened to The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, with some even accusing the WWE star of ripping off the legends.
EC3 didn't quite understand the hate against LA Knight and argued that having a persona that attracts the audience didn't mean he was copying the veterans of the business. Carter also addressed Knight as sounding like The Rock and didn't feel it was enough to be labeled a blatant gimmick stealer.
He added:
"I don't get all the Attitude Era stuff. So he has a personality, and he kind of talks like The Rock a little bit, and people are seeing this as a knock-off?" [29:33 - 29:40]
LA Knight recently commented about the comparisons to Ric Flair, Rock, and Steve Austin, and you can read all about that here.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video if you use quotes from this article.
