Ricker departed TNA in 2019 and rejoined the NWA, winning theNWA World Tag Team Championship (withJames Storm). He re-signed with WWE in 2021 under the ring name LA Knight and won theMillion Dollar Championship once. Ricker was thenrepackaged as a manager and renamedMax Dupri in 2022 but later reverted to his original ring name. He gainedincreased popularity in early 2023 and won the WWE United States Championship twice, firstly atSummerSlam the following year.
Outside of wrestling, Ricker appeared on the reality television seriesThe Hero and the comedy seriesBrooklyn Nine-Nine. He has providedmotion capture for other WWE wrestlers for theWWE 2K video game series and voiced a fictional character inWWE 2K22.
In December 2010, Ricker moved to work forNWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. He joined forces withBrian Cage, forming The Natural Selectiontag team and winning theNWA Heritage Tag Team Championship from The RockNES Monsters on December 8.[9] After holding the titles for over 200 days, The Natural Selection lost them to The Tribe when Cage missed the event, causing the match to become ahandicap match.[9] Ricker thenfeuded with Cage for several months, staying even on victories until he defeated Cage to end their feud in late 2012.[7]
Ricker would lose the championship toScorpio Sky in a Loser Leaves Hollywood match later that night; this match was scheduled to air on June 2, on tape delay, but was never aired due to the controversial finish.[11] After the cameras went off, Ricker got on the microphone and thanked all of the fans for coming out, saying it would be the last time he would be seen in a ring for Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. All of the wrestlers came out from the back and gave Ricker a standing ovation. However, he made one more final television appearance, defeating Sky's fellow Experience members Big Duke and Xtian Cole.[7]
In May 2013, Ricker was one of many independent wrestlers undergoing the necessary medical testing required to be signed byWWE before he reported to theWWE Performance Center.[5][12] He had previously made sporadic appearances in WWE over the years; he teamed withJonathan Good in a losing effort againstBig Show in adark handicap match in May 2006,[4] teamed withGene Snitsky in a losing effort againstCryme Tyme (JTG andShad Gaspard) onECW in 2008,[4] and played a security guard during a segment featuringCM Punk andKevin Nash onRaw in August 2011.[13]
Upon signing with WWE, Ricker was given the ring nameSlate Randall and made his debut by defeatingYoshi Tatsu in a dark match during an October 2013 taping ofNXT.[7] Following that victory, he competed as anjobber forNXT, losing to names such asBaron Corbin,Mojo Rawley, andMason Ryan.[7] He was released from his WWE contract on August 1, 2014.[14]
After his release from WWE, Ricker returned to wrestling on theindependent circuit and began competing under the ring nameEli Drake. On September 5, atFull Impact Pro'sFallout, he participated in a trios tournament along withMason Ryan andMichael Tarver, but they were defeated by the Full Impact Puerto Ricans (Lince Dorado,Jay Cruz, and Jay Rios) in the semifinals.[15] On November 21, Ricker defeatedKenny King at FSW Luck of the Draw.[16]
On January 26, 2016, Drake won theFeast or Fired match and the briefcase that contained a title shot for the futureTNA King Of The Mountain Championship.[28] On the February 9 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake was attacked byGrado, who had been fired after his Feast or Fired briefcase contained thepink slip. Later that night, Drake interrupted him backstage, telling him "he better shut up about whatever he thinks he knows" and attacked Grado again, having him escorted out of the building through the tunnel.[29] On the following episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake lost to Grado, who was masked as Odarg the Great.[30] On the March 15 episode ofImpact Wrestling, he faced Grado in aladder match with Grado's career on the line, but was defeated.[31]
Drake (left) formed an alliance withChris Adonis in 2017
On the May 31 episode ofImpact onPop, Drake cashed in hisFeast or Fired briefcase for his shot at the TNA King of the Mountain Championship, defeatingBram, who was just viciously attacked byLashley, winning his first title in TNA.[32] He successfully defended the title against Bram on June 12 atSlammiversary.[33] On the June 28 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake hosted aFact of Life segment, invitingJames Storm as his guest and insulting him; Storm eventually hit Drake with theLast Call, igniting a feud between the two.[34] On the July 5 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake defended the King of the Mountain Championship against Storm, but intentionally disqualified himself to save the title.[35] On the August 4 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake lost the championship to Storm.[36] He entered theImpact Grand Championship tournament, defeating Godderz in the first round but lost toAron Rex in the semi-finals.[37][38]
AtBound for Glory on October 2, Drake won the Bound for Gold Gauntlet by last eliminating Tyrus.[39] After this, Drake started a feud againstEthan Carter III.[40][41] On the November 10 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake cashed in his Bound for Gold opportunity, but failed to win theTNA World Heavyweight Championship fromEddie Edwards.[42] On the November 24 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake faced EC3 in a title shot vs. voice match where if Ethan lost, he would lose his heavyweight title shot, and if Drake lost, he would not be able to talk for the rest of 2016; EC3 won by submission.[43]
AtOne Night Only: Live! on January 6, 2017, Drake and Tyrus unsuccessfully challengedThe Broken Hardys for the TNA World Tag Team Championship.[44] Tyrus helped Drake take the red case during the Race for the Case on the January 19 episode ofImpact Wrestling.[45] On the February 2 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake cashed in his Race for the Case briefcase for a match against Ethan Carter III, but lost. After the match, he and Tyrus attacked EC3, but were assaulted by theDeath Crew Council.[46] On the following episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake abandoned Tyrus during their handicap match against The Death Crew Council, causing them to lose.[47] A match was scheduled between Drake and Tyrus two weeks later, which ended in a disqualification victory for Tyrus. After the match, Drake proposed more money to Tyrus for keeping him as a bodyguard, which Tyrus accepted.[48]
On the May 11 episode ofImpact Wrestling, with help from Tyrus andChris Adonis, he attacked Impact Grand ChampionMoose after his match againstMarshe Rockett.[49] On the June 1 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake failed to win the Impact Grand Championship from Moose.[50] AtSlammiversary on July 2, Drake and Adonis lost to Moose andDeAngelo Williams.[51]
On the August 24 episode ofImpact!, Drake won a 20-man gauntlet match, as the second entrant, to win the vacantGFW Global Championship for the first time; it was later renamed to the Impact Global Championship. This was Drake's first world title reign from a major wrestling promotion in his career.[52] He would retain the title againstMatt Sydal onImpact,[53] and againstCody Hall in Japan forPro Wrestling Noah.[54] Drake successfully defended the title againstJohnny Impact atVictory Road on September 28,Bound for Glory on November 5 and atGenesis on January 25, 2018 in a Six Sides of Steel match also involvingAlberto El Patron.[55][56][57] He lost his renamed Impact World Championship on the February 1 episode ofImpact Wrestling against the returningAustin Aries, ending his reign at 146 days.[58][59] On the February 15 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake failed to regain the title from Aries.[60]
On the March 15 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake won a briefcase during the Feast or Fired containing an opportunity for anImpact World Tag Team Championship match, which he refused as he no longer had a tag team partner.[61] He defeated Moose for his World Championship briefcase on the April 5 episode ofImpact Wrestling after interference fromOhio Versus Everything.[62] AtRedemption on April 22, Drake and his tag team partnerScott Steiner defeatedThe Latin American Xchange to win the Impact World Tag Team Championship.[63] On the April 26 episode ofImpact!, Drake and Steiner defeated LAX in a rematch to retain the titles.[64] Two weeks later, Drake cashed in his World Championship briefcase againstPentagón Jr., but failed to win the title.[65] After losing the titles to D&E (DJZ andAndrew Everett) on the May 17 episode ofImpact Wrestling,[66] Drake and Steiner had a match on May 31 atUnder Pressure, which Drake won after a chair shot.[67]
On the June 7 episode ofImpact Wrestling, during hisFact of Life segment, Drake ranked Moose number one in his top five dummies in Impact. Moose confronted Drake later and challenged him for a match to determine the number one contender to theImpact World Championship atSlammiversary XVI. Drake accepted the challenge and attacked Moose.[68] The following week atHouse of Hardcore, Drake lost to Moose.[69] On June 25, Eli Drake signed a new contract with Impact Wrestling.[70] On the July 12 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake flirted withGrado's girlfriend,Katarina, during a backstage segment. This led to a match between Drake and Grado later that night, which was won by Drake. After the match, he tried again to flirt with Katarina, but Drake was stopped byJoe Hendry.[71] On the August 2 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake aligned himself with the Cult of Lee (Trevor Lee andCaleb Konley) and defeated Hendry and Grado.[72] Drake issued various open challenges by this time, including one atBound for Glory.[73] At the event on October 14, Drake defeatedJames Ellsworth. After the match, Drake asked for a new challenger, a "Hall of Fame material" which resulted inAbyss, the newestImpact Wrestling Hall of Fame member, showing up and hitting him with a chokeslam through a table.[74]
Feuding with hardcore wrestlers and departure (2018–2019)
On the October 18 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake "sued" Impact Wrestling management for "unsafe working environment" after the attack of Abyss at Bound for Glory.[75] On the November 8 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake betrayed his lawyerJoseph Park after a low-blow. The following week, Drake criticized hardcore wrestling before being confronted byTommy Dreamer.[76] Two weeks later, Drake lost to Dreamer via count-out after walking away from the match. However, the match was restarted by Impact Wrestling management and became a No Disqualification match, which Drake won.[77] On the January 3, 2019 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake was confronted and attacked by Dreamer andRaven.[78] AtImpact Wrestling Homecoming three days later, Drake defeated Abyss in aMonster's Ball match.[79]
On the January 11 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Drake confrontedEddie Edwards, talking down about his hardcore style, leading to a match on the February 22 episode ofImpact Wrestling, where Edwards defeated Drake with a roll-up.[80] Shortly after, Drake formed a tag team with Edwards,[81][82] challenging theLucha Bros for the Impact World Tag Team Championship on the April 19 episode ofImpact Wrestling in a losing effort.[83]
During this time, a match was booked between Drake andTessa Blanchard atUnited We Stand. However, he legitimately refused to partake in the match and criticizedintergender wrestling, and was replaced in the match byJoey Ryan. After his comments, as well as statements he had made disparaging Impact's booking of him, Drake was fired via email on April 7, ending his four-year tenure with the promotion. Following this, Impact tried to lock him into a non-compete clause due to breach of contract.[84][85][86][87] On June 4, Drake released a statement speaking positively about his time at Impact and announced that he was now a free agent.[88]
Knight aligned himself withTed DiBiase on the May 25 episode ofNXT after attackingCameron Grimes during their segment.[96] This culminated in aladder match between the two for the re-introducedMillion Dollar Championship atTakeOver: In Your House on June 13,[97] which was won by Knight.[98] During the championship ceremony on the following episode ofNXT, Knight turned on DiBiase, attacking him before being driven off by Grimes.[99] On the June 29 episode ofNXT, Grimes challenged Knight for the title atThe Great American Bash, which he accepted on the condition that if Grimes lost, he would become Knight's personal butler.[100][101] At The Great American Bash on July 6, Knight retained the title against Grimes, who became Knight's butler per the stipulation.[102] On the August 10 episode ofNXT, Knight agreed to defend the championship against Grimes atNXT TakeOver 36 on the condition that DiBiase would replace Grimes as Knight's butler if Knight won.[103][104] At the event on August 22, Knight lost the title to Grimes following interference from DiBiase, ending his reign at 70 days.[105]
Knight made his first main roster appearance on the January 24, 2022 episode ofRaw, participating in a backstage segment withThe Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler andRobert Roode).[113] In a dark segment before the April 15 episode ofSmackDown, Knight appeared as a heelmanager by announcing his new stable, "Knight Model Management", and became the manager ofMace andMansoor.[114][115] The angle went to television on the May 20 episode ofSmackDown, when he made his televised debut on thebrand under the ring nameMax Dupri, adopting the character of a talent agent.[116] On the July 1 episode ofSmackDown, Dupri announced Mace and Mansoor, under the tweaked names "ma.çé" and "mån.sôör", asMaximum Male Models.[117] Later that month, he was joined by his storyline sisterMaxxine Dupri.[118] Dupri ended his relationship with Maximum Male Models on the September 30 episode ofSmackDown.[119] The following week, he beat down Mace and Mansoor and reverted to his LA Knight persona.[120]
After a brief feud withRicochet,[121] Knight became involved in a feud withBray Wyatt in November and lost to Wyatt in aMountain Dew Pitch Black match at theRoyal Rumble on January 28, 2023; this was Wyatt's final WWE match before his death seven months later.[122][123][124]
Over the next few months, Knight’s popularity stayed with the fans even though he had a poor win-loss record.[125][126] On the June 2 episode ofSmackDown, Knight defeatedMontez Ford to qualify for the men'sMoney in the Bankladder match.[127] At thenamesake event on July 1, the match was won byDamian Priest, who threw Knight off the ladder to grab the briefcase.[128] On the July 28 episode ofSmackDown, Knight was confirmed to be an entrant in theSlim JimBattle Royal match atSummerSlam on August 5,[129] which he won by last eliminatingSheamus.[130] Two nights later onRaw, after months of performing as atweener, he turnedface when he began a feud withThe Miz.[131] AtPayback on September 2, Knight defeated Miz withJohn Cena as the surprise special guest referee.[132] Two weeks later on the September 15 episode ofSmackDown, Knight defeated Miz in a rematch, ending their feud.[133]
On the September 29 episode ofSmackDown, Knight assisted Cena againstJimmy Uso andSolo Sikoa ofThe Bloodline, replacingAJ Styles who had been injured by Jimmy and Solo.[134] AtFastlane on October 7, Knight and Cena defeated Jimmy and Solo after Knight pinned Uso.[135] Three days later, Knight returned toNXT as the special guest referee for theNXT Championship match betweenIlja Dragunov andNXT North American ChampionDominik Mysterio.[136] Knight would then enter into a feud withUndisputed WWE Universal ChampionRoman Reigns, leading to a title match being announced forCrown Jewel on November 4,[137][138] where Knight lost to Reigns after interference from Jimmy.[139] AtSmackDown: New Year's Revolution on January 5, 2024, Knight facedRandy Orton and Styles in a triple threat match to determine who would face Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship atRoyal Rumble, which ended in a no contest after The Bloodline took out all three competitors. SmackDown General ManagerNick Aldis then announced that Reigns would defend his title in a fatal-four way match against Knight, Styles, and Orton at the Royal Rumble on January 27,[140] which Reigns won by pinning Styles.[141]
On the November 15 episode ofSmackDown, Knight retained the title againstBerto, after which he was attacked by a returningShinsuke Nakamura.[156] AtSurvivor Series: WarGames on November 30, Knight lost the United States Championship to Nakamura, ending his reign at 119 days.[157] He received his rematch for the title on the January 10, 2025 episode ofSmackDown, winning via disqualification after being attacked byTama Tonga andJacob Fatu of The Bloodline (led bySolo Sikoa, who replaced Reigns' leadership in mid-2024). However, Nakamura remained champion as titles do not change hands via disqualification unless stipulated.[158] AtRoyal Rumble on February 1, Knight entered his firstRoyal Rumble match at number 29, where he eliminatedDamian Priest before being eliminated by the returning AJ Styles.[159] On the March 7 episode ofSmackDown, Knight defeated Nakamura in a rematch to win his second United States Championship.[160] On Night 1 ofWrestleMania 41 on April 19, Knight lost the title to Jacob Fatu, ending his second reign at 43 days.[161]
Many fans have favorably likened Knight's brash gimmick and promo style to that ofThe Rock or"Stone Cold" Steve Austin, complimenting his recognizable catchphrases and considering his charismatic trash-talking character a throwback to theAttitude Era. The same comparison has also been made in a negative fashion, notably by former wrestlerKevin Nash.[162]
Knight began to gain a notable amount of popularity in early 2023; despite his feud withBray Wyatt being written to re-establish the returning Wyatt as a monster character, Knight's ability to hold his own verbally throughout the feud led fans to start siding with him. In an interview withChris Van Vliet, he stated that he first noticed how fast his popularity was growing when the crowd cheered loudly as his entrance music began upon walking out to confrontDrew McIntyre andSheamus onSmackDown on March 3, 2023.[163]
Since early 2023, fans and critics alike have been vocal about WWE's poor booking of Knight; this includes his high rate of losses since joining the main roster, not appearing atWrestleMania 39 despite WWE promising an "LA Knight moment" at the event, and losing the2023 Money in the Bank ladder match after WWE acknowledged him as the clear favorite to win by allowing him more promo time than the other competitors in the weeks leading up to the match. Many former wrestlers and wrestling personalities, such asKonnan[164] andJim Cornette,[165] have been critical of WWE's poor treatment of Knight and failure to capitalize on him despite his popularity continuing to grow among fans.Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE'schief content officer and the head of its creative team, acknowledged Knight's popularity during the Money in the Bank post-show press conference and said that "great things come to those who wait".[166] Cornette named Knight his "Wrestler of the Year" for 2023.[167]
In 2015, Ricker appeared in theBrooklyn Nine-Nine episode "Boyle-Linetti Wedding" in a non-speaking role as Mario, a male bodybuilder who is getting married in a gym with Detective Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) officiating.[168]
In January 2020, Ricker shot scenes for the fourth season of theNetflix dramedyGLOW as a character named DJ Henderson, but the show was cancelled before the season could air.[169][170]
In 2021, Ricker appeared in a CarShield commercial as The Overcharger, aheel wrestler dressed like an automotive repair technician and defiantly bragging about how nobody can stop him from unfairly charging used-vehicle-owning customers for repair work. He is instantly struck down byRic Flair, the ad campaign's star andpitchman.[171]
As well as voicing "Paragon Jay Pierce" in the MyRise mode ofWWE 2K22, he performed themotion capture for other WWE wrestlers in many of theWWE 2K games.[172]
^abSchelle, Crystal (June 5, 2013)."Holding out for 'The Hero'".The Herald-Mail. Herald-Mail Media. Archived fromthe original on May 12, 2023. RetrievedMay 11, 2023.Hagerstown native Shaun Ricker believes he might be the next American hero.
^Garretson, Jordan (June 15, 2021)."WWE NXT results, June 15, 2021".WWE.Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. RetrievedMay 12, 2023.The coronation of the new Million Dollar Champion ended in a way no one expected: with LA Knight savagely attacking "The Million Dollar Man." Cameron Grimes ran out to fight off Knight, but not before Knight appeared to do significant damage to the WWE Hall of Famer.
^Garretson, Jordan (July 6, 2021)."NXT Great American Bash results: July 6, 2021".WWE. Archived fromthe original on July 13, 2021. RetrievedMay 12, 2023.With Grimes barely able to stand, Knight landed a soul-crushing BFT to ensure his rival would now suffer the unenviable fate of being his butler.
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