From WWE’s 2025 Workhorse To World Champion: Predicting LA Knight’s 2026 Journey
Even before 2025 ended, LA Knight had emerged as WWE’s top workhorse, having competed in the most matches on the men’s roster.
But it was obvious that he was all over the place.
His journey was filled with rollercoaster moments, something that very few wrestlers have endured in recent memory. Another superstar who had a frustrating time was Drew McIntyre, but more on him later.
The shining light in otherwise LA Knight’s glum march was the backing he received from his loyal fans. Every time they felt ‘injustice’ was meted out to him due to a match outcome, they banded together and let the company know their true feelings.
Despite living out a year that was marked by near-misses and obstacles, there may still be hope for The Megastar in 2026. He was written off in early December after a severe beatdown at the hands of Logan Paul and Bronson Reed, but it only sets up a comeback story for the ages.
Is WWE Overlooking LA Knight Due To His Age?
LA Knight’s ride being rough due to his age (43 years) is debatable. It’s harsh if it’s true because he looks like a million bucks and is incredibly agile inside the squared circle.
On a positive note, fans can look at his 2025 struggles as a test that WWE put in front of him to determine if he is championship-worthy. Knight’s popularity among fans is undeniable, but that cannot be the sole metric to put the title on him.
Compare him to someone like Jey Uso, who is 40, and The Megastar shines much brighter. Jey evidently has a bigger fan following than Knight, and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship should have brought the wrestling world to its feet. But he fumbled. Knight endured and persisted.
He’s also so much better on the mic than most wrestlers, including Roman Reigns (40) and Cody Rhodes (40). His promos are sharp and witty, and his confidence is more pronounced. Knight keeps fans invested by explaining his losses as an opportunity, giving them hope of seeing him become a World Champion.
So Close, Yet So Far
In 2025, LA Knight competed in almost 70 matches, including dark matches and house shows.
He started the year without any gold on his shoulders, but that changed three months in when he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win the United States Championship in March.
However, that title reign lasted only a month and a few days before Jacob Fatu beat him at WWE WrestleMania 41. Since then, it has been one quest after the other for Knight.
By May, he was out of contention to reclaim the mid-card title and seemed to be headed for one of the world championships. He won the qualifying rounds of the Money in the Bank tournament but lost the ladder match at the namesake premium live event after Seth Rollins grabbed the briefcase.
His big win came at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XL when he defeated Rollins after the latter suffered an “injury” mid-match, which turned out to be a sham.
He hustled and soon found himself in a 4-man gauntlet match to determine the #1 contender for Gunther’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship. CM Punk won that match.
The Megastar was featured in other similar contendership and title matches involving other superstars, only to come close to winning, but someone else ran away with the prize.
Along the way, his losses to the likes of Bron Breakker and Logan Paul hampered his push, instead sending younger talents to a more significant spotlight.
Will 2026 Finally Be LA Knight’s Big Year In WWE?
All the signs are there for LA Knight to emerge as a bigger superstar than the one he was in 2025.
Bodyslam and Fightful reported that his beatdown at the hands of The Vision’s members was not a burial, as many fans claimed, but a step towards him returning as a top babyface.
While that may be a positive update, where does that take the 43-year-old as far as World Titles go?
Some insiders claim that WWE is looking at a hat-trick of Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns, with them headlining WrestleMania 42, too. On the other hand, CM Punk is expected to hold on to his title till then as well, continuing his feud with Bron Breakker.
So, it is likely that LA Knight will walk into the world title picture after The Show of Shows, in the meantime, staking his claim for the top spot. Watching him with the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia would be something, won’t it?
That said, Knight will have to be drafted back to SmackDown because Triple H & Co. will not put the title on him as long as he is on Raw. On the blue brand, Rhodes will at some point drop the title to someone like Drew McIntyre or turn heel, bringing The Megastar to the fore as the challenger.
On paper, Knight has all the characteristics that define a World Champion. In practice, 2025 has been a testing year for him, and it is safe to say that he has won the trust of the WWE higher-ups to win the gold.