Kevin Knight Discusses Joining AEW, Dual Contract, And WWE Tryout Experience On Talk Is Jericho

AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) star Kevin Knight recently appeared on the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, offering insights into his decision to work with AEW, his contractual status, and a detailed account of a previous tryout experience with WWE.

Knight, known for his high-flying style developed in NJPW, explained why the AEW arrangement appealed to him, particularly its synergy with his ongoing NJPW commitments. “I think just the flexibility to be able to do this and with New Japan as well being on the American side, and still be able to finish it up, just everything I want to do with New Japan,” Knight stated. He summed it up simply: “It’s the best of both worlds.” When asked by host Chris Jericho if he holds contracts with both promotions, Knight confirmed, “Yes.”

A significant portion of the interview detailed Knight’s experience attending a WWE tryout at their Performance Center (PC) in Orlando. He was highly impressed by the facility’s resources and organization. “So walking into that PC, man, it was like seeing the behind the scenes of how everything goes… Got to see all the classes, how everything is so organized,” he recalled. “Man, the people there, I was telling them they have no idea how good they have it. They have everything laid out on a platter for them. You know, nutritionist, medical. It’s dope. It’s so cool to see.”

Knight contrasted this with his training at NJPW’s LA Dojo: “Just coming from the LA Dojo, we had those things, one person does all of these things. So it was cool to see that they have so many different people designated, and they have five rings. They have a bouncing ring in there, and they even do the tapings out of that same building.” He also shared a surreal moment from the visit: “So I walked in casually and walked by The Undertaker when I was there… I was like, this is so crazy. Like, if I told somebody about this, they would not believe me.”

Regarding the training itself, Knight worked with veteran producer and coach Fit Finlay. He noted the emphasis on performance details beyond athletic maneuvers. “[Finlay] really focuses on the details, working with a passion, working on emotion that you’re giving across,” Knight observed. “They don’t care about the moves that you can do. I’ve learned that early in my career, so I was just focusing on the emotion and having the fundamentals down.” He appreciated the focus on storytelling and motivation: “What’s the message that you want to get across on TV? Why do you do certain things? What’s the reason? The who, what, when, where, why, how…”

Knight also witnessed WWE’s highly structured creative process. “I got to work a match as well. I went to the extra ring and just saw how they brainstorm on ideas so closely with the coaches,” he said. “You know, they go so much into detail before anything even hits TV.”

He concluded by contrasting this meticulous planning with the environment he was accustomed to in NJPW. “So that’s just a different world than what I’m seeing,” Knight reflected, “because in New Japan, if you want to do something, you just go out there and do it.”

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Talk Is Jericho with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.

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