LA Knight has secured his place in the finals of the “Last Time Is Now” tournament after a victory on WWE Raw. On the December 1 episode, Knight defeated fellow fan-favorite Jey Uso to advance one step closer to potentially becoming John Cena’s final opponent.
Following the bout, Knight appeared on Raw Talk to discuss the atmosphere in the arena. When asked if he was concerned about how the fans would react to him pinning Uso—specifically if he worried about the crowd turning on him for beating another popular star—Knight admitted the thought crossed his mind. He noted that he “definitely have thought about that in the sense of, ‘Man, are we splitting the audience, are we making the people choose?’”
The Crowd’s Response
Despite the potential for a divided crowd, Knight felt the energy in the building was positive throughout the contest. He explained that while he was out there, “it felt like the people weren’t necessarily choosing, so much as just kind of enjoying every moment.” The reaction suggested that the WWE fans were invested in the competitive nature of the match rather than strictly picking a side between the two babyfaces.
Competitive Respect vs. Blood Feud
Knight went on to elaborate on why the match worked without a traditional heel and babyface dynamic. He pointed out that he and Jey Uso “don’t have necessarily an overtly personal issue” and that while they are definitely competitors who both wanted to win, “it wasn’t a blood feud or anything.” This lack of animosity allowed the audience to appreciate the athleticism and the stakes of the tournament without the baggage of a bitter rivalry.
A Clean Contest
The “Megastar” also suggested that the clean nature of the match helped the audience digest the result. He believed the fans were able to enjoy it because “nobody was out to physically injure the other person beyond ‘Hey, I want to get a three-count and go on.’” He added that this approach made it easy for the people to enjoy the bout. However, he noted that the dynamic would have been different if the intent had been malicious, stating, “Now, if one of us would’ve gone out there and tried to hurt the other one, then maybe we’ve got something to talk about.”
Tournament Finals Ahead
With Jey Uso now in his rearview mirror, Knight turns his attention to the finals of the “Last Time Is Now” tournament. He is expected to face GUNTHER on this Friday’s episode of SmackDown. The winner of that match will earn the honor of facing John Cena in his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit WWE with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can watch WWE Raw on Mondays on Netflix.
