LA Knight has now missed two consecutive episodes of WWE Raw, and a backstage report has filled in why.
Knight’s last in-ring appearance was the WWE WrestleMania 42 Night One opener on April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where he and The Usos beat Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and IShowSpeed. His last television appearance was the April 20 WWE Raw After WrestleMania, where he had a backstage confrontation with Gunther that pointed toward a feud. He was absent from the April 27 WWE Raw and again from Monday’s go-home WWE Raw for Backlash from Omaha.
The Gunther program is no longer happening. BodySlam+’s Cory Hayes reported Tuesday that Knight had been penciled in for a short program with Gunther coming out of WWE WrestleMania 42, and those plans were scrapped when WWE pivoted Gunther into a feud with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on SmackDown. The on-screen pivot played out on the May 1 WWE SmackDown, when Gunther jumped Rhodes after Rhodes’ singles match with the debuting Ricky Saints, taking the champion out with a sleeper hold and standing over him with the title.
Hays added that Knight is still with WWE. He spent part of the weekend on a company assignment in Minnesota, including a May 2 appearance at the Mall of America’s Huntington Bank Rotunda alongside Maxxine Dupri to promote WWE SummerSlam, which takes place at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on August 1-2. Knight has not been linked to any of the recent WWE talent releases or contract restructuring.
The Gunther program is the second high-profile feud Knight has been connected to that didn’t materialize. Earlier in the spring, Knight was rumored as Brock Lesnar’s WWE WrestleMania 42 opponent, a spot that ultimately went to Oba Femi. Femi beat Lesnar in under five minutes on Night Two in what appeared to be Lesnar’s retirement match.
Knight, real name Shaun Ricker, is a two-time WWE United States Champion. He is 43 years old and has been on the WWE main roster since 2022. WWE Backlash 2026 takes place Saturday from Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.
Update On LA Knight, Scheduled Program Being Shelvedhttps://t.co/OUmQGQp0Bc
— BODYSLAM.NET | WWE & AEW Wrestling News (@BodyslamNet) May 5, 2026
