LA Knight will challenge Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE's Money in the Bank premium live event on Saturday, a match Knight himself has described as a do-or-die moment for his career. Unlike the other competitors on the card, Knight will not need to climb a ladder or grab a briefcase. He simply needs to defeat the man who has held the world title since beating CM Punk at WrestleMania 42.
Reigns has been dominant since that victory, declaring he would not take time off and turning back every challenger who has stepped forward. For Knight, the opportunity represents the culmination of a years-long pursuit that has repeatedly been derailed by Reigns and his faction, The Bloodline. Knight's popularity surged in 2023, propelling him into a top babyface role, but he could never find a way to beat Reigns when it mattered most.
At Crown Jewel in 2023, Jimmy Uso cost Knight the title. He was then placed in a fatal four-way match at Royal Rumble 2024, where Reigns pinned AJ Styles to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. Knight's path shifted after that, including a victory over Logan Paul at SummerSlam 2024 and a later loss to Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series: WarGames. But the shadow of The Bloodline lingered, even as Solo Sikoa briefly took over as makeshift leader.
Knight had to fight, claw, and even team with members of The Bloodline before earning another shot at Reigns. Earlier this summer in Paris, Knight declared himself «unchosen» and put himself back on the path to the world heavyweight title. «I may be unchosen, but every single one of you chose me,» Knight said at the time. «And more importantly than any of that, I chose myself, which means I do it my way, which means I get the job done. And I make you one single, solitary promise, which is I don't know how to quit. I don't know how to stop. I can't stop the undeniable kavorka and I can't stop being L.A. Knight.»
Doing it his way meant teaming with Sikoa and Royce Keys to defeat Jimmy and Jey Uso and Jacob Fatu at SummerSlam in August. It meant waiting for Reigns to retain his title that same night and then waiting for the winner of Reigns versus Penta in Mexico City last month. Now, the wait is over.
Knight acknowledged the stakes in an interview with TMZ's «Inside the Ring.» «So many people ask, like, how has LA Knight not been world champion yet?» he said. «It's almost like, put up or shut up, do or die. This is the time to do it. And if it doesn't happen here, it's just kind of like, where do I go from here?»
The question of what comes next looms large should Knight lose. A new contender will emerge from the men's Money in the Bank ladder match immediately, and the Raw roster is filled with championship-level talent, including Keys, Oba Femi, and Bronson Reed, alongside those in the ladder match such as Bron Breakker, Penta, and Je'Von Evans. Saturday night could be Knight's last chance to win the title.
At least one prominent voice is pulling for him. WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page told OutKick Dropkick he is putting it into the universe that Knight will win. «I would love to see that. I would love to see that … LA and I have been, because of our careers, even though he started wrestling in his 20s, our career took off in our 40s and I would love to see that,» Page said. «Do I believe it's going to happen? I'm going to say yes because I want it to be out in the universe for LA.»
Knight has recently noted that Reigns has been able to defend his title without the help of The Bloodline. Reigns sent The Usos on a quest to keep Fatu in line, but with the emergence of the 946, things have gone off the rails. Keys, Bronco Nima, and Lucien Price have sent pointed messages to The Usos and Fatu, leading to an all-out brawl. Jaida Parker then ran over Fatu with her car and signaled her allegiance to the 946. With The Bloodline preoccupied and Reigns seemingly rescuing Sikoa from the 946, speculation has grown about whether the 946 will enter the fray.
Two other routes for the match are possible. Knight could get help from the 946, with Keys potentially costing Reigns the title and evolving the feud into November's Survivor Series: WarGames. Alternatively, Sikoa could screw Knight over despite their supposed friendship. For now, Knight's fans will watch with bated breath to see if he can finally pull through.