L.A. Knight has taken pro wrestling by storm, and it finally seems as though the WWE is ready to give the superstar a big presence on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. While on the media circuit as the brand makes its way through Canada, he's spilling the secrets behind his persona. Many have praised the wrestler for the old-school Attitude-Era style he's brought back to the product, so I guess it's no surprise he recently revealed Dr. Dre as an influence behind one of his more memorable catchphrases.
In the midst of feuding with The Miz, L.A. Knight made his way to Breakfast Television to discuss his growing stardom in the WWE. Knight was asked about his catchphrase "With everybody sayin'," which then prompts the crowd to say "L.A. Knight" in response, and revealed it was actually a borrowed phrase from a Dr. Dre song:
'With everybody sayin,' actually comes from 'Let Me Ride' by Dr. Dre on The Chronic album. Yeah, it's the very last chorus. Just before the last chorus he says, 'With everybody sayin'.'
The cadence that L.A. Knight uses, emphasizing "everybody," is not central to the song. The superstar, who will likely be appearing heavily in upcoming WWE events, speculated that element might be related to something he heard on The Howard Stern Radio Show, but he couldn't say it with any certainty. In any case, it's cool to hear the origin of one of his catchphrases, and that it's someone who influenced the entirety of hip-hop in a way that the Attitude Era influenced pro wrestling's future.
L.A. Knight's popularity is red-hot with fans, but there are veterans in the pro wrestling industry who are critical of his style. WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash notably wrote him off as someone trying to be a carbon copy of The Rock, and it seems the WWE is leaning into the idea of him being a "knock-off" relic of the Attitude Era based on recent promos by The Miz.
There's no denying there's an inspiration in L.A. Knight's style, but I think what's undervalued is how well he's adapting and thriving with everything 2023 throws at him. There are far more limits on vulgarity and cursing in the modern era of the WWE than there were when guys like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were at their peaks, and leaning on that vulgarity can be a crutch to get the crowd riled up. Thus far, Knight has managed to do that without those crutches, and the crowd is responding in a big way to it.
L.A. Knight came just short of winning the Money In The Bank briefcase, but 2023 has been on an upwards trajectory ever since. He won the SummerSlam Battle Royal, and now he's in a high-profile feud with The Miz that is playing out on both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown each week. It seems like it won't be long before he's in the title picture, but we'll just have to wait and see if this plays out better than some of his past bookings.
Watch L.A. Knight on Monday Night Raw on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET and on SmackDown on Fridays on Fox at the same time. I'm ready to see him rise to the top of the WWE, but he'll have quite a few hurdles to climb with some of the brand's biggest performers standing in his way.
