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LA Knight qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament after defeating Santos Escobar at a WWE Live Event. Knight also made a proclamation after the match to hype up the crowd in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In the first round of the KOTR tournament, Knight and Escobar were matched up at a surprising venue, not on SmackDown like the other matches, but at a WWE Live Event in Tennessee. Knight picked up the win after hitting the BFT on the leader of Legado Del Fantasma.
After the match, the Megastar addressed the crowd, promising that he'll be crowned King of the Ring on May 25 at the Premium Live Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
"The King and Queen of the Ring go a long way around the world to Saudi Arabia, but let's not forget it started right here in Chattanooga. Yeah! ... When the crown goes on this head, I'm gonna say, 'Tell 'em whose ring, it is with everybody sayin'... (LA Knight) Yeah!"
LA Knight has a tall task ahead after qualifying for the quarterfinals of the King of the Ring tournament. Knight is set to face Tama Tonga of The Bloodline, a dangerous opponent considering the presence of Solo Sikoa and Tonga Loa. Tama Tonga made quick work of Angelo Dawkins in his first-round matchup.
WWE Hall of Famer on what's lacking from LA Knight
LA Knight is one of the top WWE superstars on the roster right now, and with the absence of several other stars, it might be time for Knight to shine. He's one step closer to winning the King of the Ring tournament, signaling a proper push he has been waiting for.
On a recent episode of the Grilling JR podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross praised Knight for his popularity and ascent into the upper echelon. However, Ross also pointed out the lack of character development of the Megastar.
"LA Knight is one of the favorites of the office. I haven't totally bought into his persona. Not to say it in a bad way, I haven't seen him do anything that I didn't like. I just gotta feel it more. They gotta do a little bit more character development to get me to buy into who this dude is and why I should give a sh*t. He's got a good future ahead, no doubt about that. [2:58 - 3:30]
Ross also suggested putting Knight as the next opponent for Cody Rhodes despite being both babyfaces. Rhodes went on to defeat AJ Styles in his first title defense of the Undisputed WWE Championship and is set to face Logan Paul at King and Queen of the Ring Tournament PLE.
