LA Knight Wants A Championship In 2024, His "Overnight" Success, Roman Reigns Match

LA Knight (@reallaknight) is a professional wrestler signed to WWE. He is also known for his time in IMPACT Wrestling and the NWA. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Hollywood, CA to talk about the incredible year that he had in 2023, what his plans are to top it in 2024, his goal to win a Championship, wanting to be "the guy" in WWE, being the top merch seller several months in a row despite only having a few pieces of merch in the WWE Shop, almost winning the Money In The Bank briefcase, his epic promo battles with The Miz, his rivalry with Logan Paul, his WWE Championship match with Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel, the various TV shows and commercials that he has acted in and much more!
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Quote I'm thinking about:
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. - Henry Ford
00:00 Intro
00:35 F3 Energy Taste Test
01:25 How the crowd fueled his success
03:48 Not having a t-shirt at first
05:22 Being a 20-year overnight success
09:02 Did he think his in-ring career was done with Max Dupri?
13:10 What were his highlights of 2023
15:29 Memories of Money In The Bank
17:30 Not winning a championship in WWE
20:35 His merch sales being the highest in WWE
24:35 Does he know all the lyrics to John Cena’s theme song?
25:49 Memories of working with John Cena
26:54 His promos with The Miz
30:10 People digging up his old acting work
35:38 Memories of Hollywood auditions
39:08 Going on The Rock’s reality show ‘The Hero’
40:16 Did he regret not going to WWE sooner?
43:00 He emailed Triple H asking for a job in WWE
47:00 3 Things LA Knight is grateful for
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#laknight #wwe #wrestling #royalrumble #BlueWireVideo

[@ChrisVanVliet]

Lemme talk to ya! A huge thanks to my favorite warm beverage MudWtr for supporting this episode. Get 15% off with the code CVV15 at mudwtr.com/cvv And also Rocket Money! Join Rocket Money today and experience financial freedom: rocketmoney.com/cvv

[@TimLoyalToWifeHaterFreeZoneA]

Love It CVVCLIPS Bro.

[@DjCp3o420]

Interview suggestions Sharkboy, ICP, Adam Copeland , Christian Cage

[@DjCp3o420]

Keep up the good work... YEAH!

[@michaelmengis5230]

9ONE QUESTION HOW WULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW FOR ME IS: WATS EASYER TO GET SUXES AS A FACE OR AS A HEEL

[@NikelisVierra-br1ud]

🖤🌟 *THANK u* manZ

[@alextheluchador]

I lost my voice screaming for this guy at Fastlane. He needs to win a title soon!

[@LenOliver-yz6os]

Yep!!!!!!

[@brendanjahoda5450]

​@LenOliver-yz6os i think you mean... YEAH!

[@BlakeAustin2011]

With CM Punk on board, and if MJF reveals at Rumble, I would be shocked if LAK gets a title. And that might drive him to AEW after his contract is up.

[@Theshortyjudge]

LA knight vs gunther

[@joemckim1183]

@@Theshortyjudge If they did a #1 contendership for IC Title in one of the Elimination Chamber matches it would set a great way for Knight to win the IC title at WM. But that probably means he'll have to come to the Raw roster.

[@thegreatczarn]

LA Knight is one of those guys whose charisma DEMANDS you react and cheer for him.

[@johndoe-fq7ez]

Not really you’re just a dweeb

[@Prestwich208]

I feel the same way his gimmick in impact sucked and so did his maximum male model bs but he won me over with this one he is a badass worked his ass off to get better and better I can't wait tell he gets gold

[@ryanpulliam8987]

YEEEAAHHHH!!!!

[@optimus2008]

​@@Prestwich208Honestly, Eli Drake was an amazing gimmick. That is basically what shaped his current character as a no f's given trash talker.

[@Lucarocks92]

His persona and straight to the point talking is so addictive to listen to.

[@andizzle2158]

LA Knight has really been the catalyst in hooking me back to WWE like it’s 1997. He deserves all the recognition and success coming to him! Man is the definition of perseverance.

[@honeyosweet3877]

What is the timestamp where La knight talks about his rivalry with Logan Paul

[@DarkUnicorn72]

overrated

[@jasonhaberski6843]

💯 agree

[@billybatson22]

Tell you what makes this extra special for fans of CCV and his show. There is a history of interviews where he put on guys like LA Knight and gave him a platform when he had NOTHING. I remember the video sometime during the pandameic where LA was floundering a bit, he had come off surgery for his voice, etc. and now look what happened! Glad to see LA Knight doesn't forget that about CVV!

[@4ndrew280]

YEAH!

[@stevenhernandeznon-profitf968]

That’s the CVV rub!

[@diluted8]

Hell yeah😊

[@shortesnameofalltime]

Yeah absolutely it’s also nice to know they are actual friends

[@atodamadre3197]

CCV=Chris Can Vliet

[@TZone671]

The chemistry between LA and Chris is off the charts, yeah. I can believe that they are friends. Great interview to start off 2024.

[@alexbusutil5726]

LA Knight makes wrestling fun again

[@Habib_ApaKhabar]

Another LA Knight Interview. I Actually Was Waiting For It.

[@TheSkidify]

LA Knight just seems like the guy who never stops betting on himself. Some people might see this as overconfidence, or cockiness, but he knows what he's worth, and he never stops trying to get what he deserves which IMO is the world.

[@sanjaimathewmampala4904]

His confidence is too good. Damn Vince for almost destroying his career.

[@bobateaboy04]

the difference is there are two types of overconfidence like the negative obnoxious kind and the chill kind and Knight is the latter. He seems like a cool person to have a conversation with

[@user-rl8gs3nl8g]

Knight admitted that he is an introvert. As an introvert myself Im getting encouraged

[@paballomolata8844]

It's LA Knight Yeah, it's a damn shame he isn't a champion

[@crisiskrow]

Yet. I see world heavy weight in his future for 2024

[@hooligan5381]

huge LA Knight fan i just wish he was more authentic he bites off Rock & Stone Cold too much his elbow drop looks like the people's elbow and the BFT looks like a stunner.

[@logwinch]

@@hooligan5381and what’s wrong with that?

[@hooligan5381]

@@logwinch originally will set him apart and put him on legend status. as much as Cena resembles Rock he never felt like a version of him. had his own swag & creativity i hope Knight can develop his own characters.

[@perceivedvelocity9914]

​@@hooligan5381 Stone Cold retired 20 years ago. The Rock moved on to Hollywood a long time ago. Nobody has been able to successfully recreate what they did. What LA Knight is doing isn't easy.

[@LewisCampbellTech]

I remember checking out WWE again randomly, on a whim, about this time last year. Saw this guy walk out to near silence, but his confidence and mannerisms and everything just screamed "star". Was so great seeing him get more and more popular in 2023. Screw The Rock, Punk, Orton, and Codys Story. I want this guy to win the big one.

[@kaiyregrady24]

10000%.

[@ishmael802]

Same. The fans having being waiting for a wrestler like this to arrive for 20 years

[@michaelsevilla3697]

so true

[@javonjordan789]

Agreed! YEAH! 🗣️🗣️

[@isaiamcmath791]

La knight deserves the world championship 100%

[@ryanpulliam8987]

YYYEEAAAHHH!!!!!

[@Epsilonsama]

Remember seeing Eli Drake on NWA Power and thinking to myself, God damn this guy's a star why isn't he in WWE. He has the looks, charisma, mic skills and ring work that fits perfectly with what they look for a star. Good to see LA killing it in WWE.

[@JacksonOwex]

I started watching him when he was in TNA!

[@trendmassacre8423]

Eli Drake should have been a star back in his TNA days, but kept him as a mid carder instead. For shame, TNA!

[@nikoladzhurov1800]

SHOES OF A CHAMPION!

[@DeukJK]

He's 41. GIVE HIM THE TITLE WIN HE DESERVES

[@reddotscope7408]

Hopefully LA Knight is a WWE Champion at some point 🙏

[@kadharefinley224]

LA Knight is such a throwback character like Austin and Rock. Dude is charismatic as all hell and pretty solid in the ring. I have no doubt he will become World Champion in the future but first I would like he to become US Champion, He can beat Logan Paul at WrestleMania 40. Then eventually he can go back after a World Championship. That’s not an insult that’s just a fact of life YEAH!

[@joemckim1183]

He'll get his 2ndPPV main event at Royal Rumble so he's definitely on the way. We gotta remember that Austin after the Austin 3:16 speech didn't win the WWE title for another 21 months.

[@markplstk]

We were just at the holiday tour in Vegas and all the kids around us were hands full of LA Knight merch. Dude is doing everything right. Wish him the best in 2024.

[@stevenjoseph6048]

I definitely think LA Knight will beat Logan at Mania for the US title. As he said in the interview, he can use it as a springboard to be the guy.

[@LenOliver-yz6os]

I would rather see him beat Seth Rollins for the WWE world heavyweight belt at Mania.

[@dreamusmenus3759]

@@LenOliver-yz6osfor some reason i doubt seth will be free

[@prisonmike3605]

@@dreamusmenus3759what makes you say that?

[@user-mu2mp8ll6c]

I'd love for him to have the us belt

[@rossf4196]

@@LenOliver-yz6osPunk is winning it at WM and then putting Gunther over Randy is winning the belt at the rumble so they can he can put Cody over at WM and free up Reigns for Head of the table clash with the Rock I have a bad feeling they’re going to waste LA Knight like they’ve wasted Nakamura :/ hope I’m wrong but I’m usually not

[@sophisticatedknuckledragge650]

Holy smokes if this doesn’t make you more of an LA Knight fan ! Give him the damn US belt if nothing else

[@presidentc4]

Megastar vs Megastar has to be the Mania match for Knight

[@Mandutumuch619]

@@presidentc4Logan Paul no megastar but I do want him to be us champ

[@presidentc4]

@@Mandutumuch619 hes a bigger star than 98% of the roster lol. The Paul Brothers are mainstream. "Megastar" is just a fun little nickname LA Knight

[@danlc95]

He's too big for IC. Give that to Cody or something. LA needs the WWE title.

[@presidentc4]

@@danlc95 lol that's asinine bro. CODY is too big for a midcard title. LA Knight could use any title at all rn

[@KenLantern]

Hope LA Knight gets a Good Title Run Soon!

[@TrialzGTAS]

When my buddy and I were at the bar, he’d go “yeah!” After every statement and I asked why. He told me about LA Knight. I haven’t watched WWE since 2009, but last spring I got back into the product and enjoyed so much of it. Thankful for that.

[@alexd2555]

I’ve been screaming from the rooftops that LA Knight needs to win the WWE championship, this is the guy and I can’t wait to see what he does with it. Stopped watching WWE back in 2005, LA Knight got me back into it.

[@danlc95]

Same here! He IS "The Champ".

[@storyguy9759]

Chris, you doing the “Max Du-PREE” repeatedly was hilarious 😆😆 LA hated it!

[@retroaesthetics3887]

I know people hate when LA Knight is compared to The Rock but there’s no denying that Knight has the charisma and everything it takes to get to that level.

[@DallasWB]

im glad LA Knight got huge in wwe. hard work pays off

[@crisdoesitall]

la knight is great in my opinion his charisma is great and his mic skills are top tier i even got my friends who don’t watch wrestling sayin YEAH

[@ChrisSantiagoProductions]

Had to get here the second this dropped! YEAH! 🗣

[@ChrisVanVliet]

YEAH!

[@wc76]

I'll never forget my introduction to LA Knight.. It was an episode on AP where a dude got eaten by his pet monitor lizards in his apartment.... LA Knight was the dude. YEAH!! 😂

[@thehaunted8055]

Fatal Attractions

[@danlc95]

What is AP?

[@wc76]

@@danlc95 Animal Planet! 🤣 It was an episode of Fatal Attractions from like 15 years ago.

[@streamcity5859]

I remember when he randomly kicked off an NXT takeover, I was shocked and so excited for him

[@JamesTheGiantPanda]

Him agreeing to the notion that he’s an overnight success is the most legitimately humble thing I’ve ever heard. Great man.

[@Almighty_S]

2:45 nah we ain’t never letting that LA Knight hype die ❤😂

[@ryanpulliam8987]

YYEEAAAHHH!!!!!!

[@richardsousa2625]

My fantasy booking for LA would be him and Damien Priest in a feud over a title. Two guys who were deemed two old in a race to the top with what time they have left.

[@positively_broad_st3780]

This interview was too short. The world wants more LA Knight!

[@ryanpulliam8987]

YEEEAAAHHH!!!!

[@SpaceWalkerReal]

YEAH! I can't wait to listen to this fully. Good work getting LA Knight again!

[@andykettler3301]

I love the last action hero costume LA Knight is rocking! YEAH!

[@dacobu1]

"SLA-TEEEEEER!!!" 😂

[@ransom6892]

I subscribed to Peacock just so I can see LA Knight win a title in the future 💯

[@TrulyKingShawn]

LA Knight is actually 2010 CM Punk if you think about it. He’s him and they need to put the title on him and give him character development. Gotta give him more screening time and push him.

[@1KQ_]

He gets more screentime than most the guys on the roster that have been there for a decade

[@DexterasVI]

Love LA Knight man. Dude's a work horse with a charm to him. I could totally see him being the face for a while

[@markdale1]

Give LA Knight the World title already

[@NateTheApollo]

Man its so cool to hear that his boots were inspired by the Concord 11s. I always thought they looked similar.

[@SenorTresleches_]

As much respect I have for Vince I can’t believe he almost ruined this

[@mikefitchNYC1971]

This was such a great interview Chris. I always love seeing you and LA Knight get together for interviews. Awesome job Chris!

[@sameerverma169]

Thanks Chris for bringing my favourite wrestling personality.

[@IbrahemAlbanawi]

LA Knight is a legend he's an amazing guy and I loved every second of this interview and to get to know more about him is wonderful makes him a lot more relatable wish him all the best and big thanks to Chris you always come with these amazing interviews

[@GreatWhiteSharpy]

This man deserves gold. But its nice he's in the main event spot at least!

[@AndrewCozzini-en9hb]

Another fantastic interview with LA, Chris! Been pulling for him since seeing his work in Impact circa 2017 or so and I remember thinking to myself, "Now, this guy would do great in WWE!" Anyhow, so happy for the year Knight had and am so hoping for him to be "the guy" sooner rather than later!

[@VarianNash]

I love these interviews with LA Knight. He's one of the best repeat interviews CVV has.

[@buffbeenstuffed]

Living in London I will say during the Money in the Bank weekend , London in general was so pro La Knight he could of run for Mayor and won. Loved his material with Roman they have chemistry.

[@seanstravelsandvlogs6233]

I first saw LA Knight on WWE during Christmas of 2022: in that segment with Bray Wyatt and the Undertaker. I knew he was going to be something big, and it's great that my instincts were confirmed. Just like when I first saw The Rock at 1996 Survivor Series: I had the same instincts about him.

[@THECHRISAL3X]

I love that. That’s a great sign man haha

[@seanstravelsandvlogs6233]

@@THECHRISAL3X Thank you.

[@danlc95]

I saw that clip in January last year, and after a week I thought the same thing. At first I thought he was a little jobber type, but it didn't take long for me to remove my comment and become a die-hard fan of the great LA Knight.

[@djayo851]

The brown leather jacket and red tee combo is giving Last Action Hero vibes and I'm here for that

[@pants989]

faced with challenging two of the biggest fan-favorites ever in wwe with Orton and Styles, it's really cool that Knight is still getting backed by fans

[@thadude556]

I was at the NXT Great American Bash in Austin and even though Knight wasn’t there, the crowd was doing the Yeah thing all night long.

[@NorieagaHDR]

I stopped watching wrasslin' so many years ago, but I tune in just to watch LA. And I bought some merch, too (something I haven't done since buying a Rock shirt in the late 90's. We love you, LA. YEAH!

[@armughankhan6077]

My first ever WWE show this year 12/1/23 Smackdown in Brooklyn, NY. When LA made a save for Randy, it was such a huge pop!

[@ClipsfromtheCulture]

Born in 1996.. I grew up on wrestling VHS tapes I watched smackdown and Raw Religiously from 2001-2008. I fell outta love with it for about 3 years til CM Punk started his rise in 2011. Fell back out and started kinda again from 2015-2018. LA KNIGHT Undertaker Segment on raw 30th Brought me back to Wrestling

[@phenompy]

If when LA Knight retires, I really hope you two get to make some sort of show together, you two have great chemistry and are pretty entertaining to watch you banter lol

[@KamoMustafaWWE]

LA Knight should beat Logan Paul for the United States Championship at WrestleMania. YEAH.

[@danlc95]

Roman for the WWE!

[@KamoMustafaWWE]

@@danlc95 YEAH right.

[@danlc95]

@@KamoMustafaWWE Nope. Knight is too great for the IC. Maybe Cody or Punk, but not Knight.

[@KamoMustafaWWE]

@@danlc95 The top belts are occupied at the moment.

[@sanjaimathewmampala4904]

Respect to this guy for putting himself over selflessly.

[@dabearcub]

I went to night 2 of WrestleMania, dude owns the crowd. They love him. I didn’t care about him all that much till I finally saw him in person…his personality was infectious. Huge fan now.

[@javonjordan789]

The Way The People Embrace This Man, He Can Only Be Compared To Stone Cold, & The Rock!! 🔥

[@emiliomarbanjr]

LA KNIGHT vs Logan Paul at Wrestlemania. Great interview as always Chris, appreciate the love and spotlight you always give to wrestling.

[@ChrisVanVliet]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Junil21]

I was proud to be apart of the key to the city and it was amazing to see all the people come out to show appreciation for LA Knight

[@danlc95]

Low hearing that! You're lucky to have him.

[@Sirbobo619]

Can’t wait to see LA get a title YEAH‼️‼️

[@LenOliver-yz6os]

LA Knight has become my new fav WWE superstar hes like the Hollywood version of stone cold Steve Austin to me the perfect WWE title for him would be winning the WWE world heavyweight belt held by Seth Rollins.

[@honestfan420]

I really hope fans stay behind him. We gotta keep demanding him. Word Champ 2024 YEAH!

[@TheVarietyVendor]

It's good that LA Knight came in dressed as Arnold from Last Action Hero. YEAH!

[@dquanissavage6287]

Chris And LA Knight Awesome Interview Today!!🔥🐐🐐💎

[@MPA888]

L . A . Knight is what we need. Old school with a new vibe. I wanna see LA Night vs Steve Austin Yeah!

[@joemckim1183]

I had heard the name Eli Drake years ago but didn't really pay attention to him since I didn't really watch TNA and NWA. I didn't really pay attention to him until he was coming to Smackdown. But its so fun to do a youtube deep dive for all of his old stuff. Its like a treasure chest of great stuff that you didn't know existed.

[@Indy-ty4qd]

Feels like his previous interview was not that long ago yet still this one managed to be completely fresh!

[@elvinthegengar2.039]

LA KNIGHT IS THE REASON I LOVE WWE IT'S HIS GAME WITH EVERYBODY SAYING LA KNIGHT YEAH

[@KingMePlz94]

A who’s game is it t shirt would be 🔥. They can do a chess type deal with the knight

[@ishyaboy2k24]

With everrrrry body saying, L.A. Knight ------ YEAHH.

[@tanvirahmed5372]

"Overnight" I see what you did there, Chris, you cheeky b

[@MatthewSaliba]

I was watching Brooklyn 99 the other night and I never realized LA Knight had a cameo in an episode. It was a non-talking role as this was years before WWE.

[@corymanning5425]

LA knight is what brought me back to wwe after 20 year hiatus

[@timothygonzales4145]

Same here. Proof that he’s doing something right.

[@TrueNeverSleeper]

Knight is so down to earth and a nice guy ...thats amazing...i love to hear him talk out of character

[@MickyT76]

2024 is LA Knight's year.. YEAH...

[@TrueNeverSleeper]

Man he deserves a title !!! Yeah

[@ricellispro]

Great as always, Chris! Loved what he said: "What you are thinking at 3 is not going to be the same as at 8."

[@TheIstrof]

Most entertainer wrestler on mic in and out the ring. He ido un the way to become one of the BEST in his era

[@brandonmeyer670]

Wikipedia already changed his birthday lol thank you CVV for the hard questions no one else seems to think about.

[@SaySci]

I remember when I flew 20 hours to LA for Wrestlemania 39, he was not in the card for both night unfortunately. I remember the YEAH chant before the events. Even when I was queuing for the toilet it was like "YEAH" in the toilet and someone shout "LET ME TALK TO YA" to the one in the toilet. 😂

[@PindaPeeler]

Awesome interview once again, I do want to point out however that in the chapters it says 'His promos working with The Mix' instead of the Miz.

[@gLobbZ]

He's seems to be very personable. What a down to earth guy, great interview!

[@CineMasochist]

OH LETS GO!!! LOVE your interviews with this dude, IMO same chemistry tier as Da' ZIGG MAN!

[@ChrisVanVliet]

Appreciate that!

[@EnricoPallazzoooo]

Knight seems like such a nice Guy man

[@AnnoyedGrunt]

As much as I love LA Knight, I think his moment has passed. He should’ve been the one carrying us to the “Road To Wrestlemania”. Now it seems they’re focused on the bigger names & preparing their respective stories for Mania. Hopefully there are larger plans for LA moving forward.

[@FRGNinthebuilding]

Give him the midcard title at least

[@loregasmic]

It should be Knight finishing his story not Cody, he's been killing him in merch sales and crowd reactions for months. And he didn't need Dusty Rhodes to be his daddy to do it.

[@daworstindaworld]

Thank You Chris For letting LA talk to Us 😂 YEAHHHH

[@xSirDudex]

Lemme talk to ya! LA Knight has got me watching WWE for the first time since the early 2000's. He's like a throwback to the old era by rolling so characters into one guy. He makes you feel involved in the show with his phrases. His matches are really good. Everybody knows whose game it is now.

[@curlyfm]

He’s the one who got me back into wrestling. All of the Sami and bloodline stuf. Without even mentioning Cody Roman rock drew. Then Going into that crazy wrestlemania

[@N3gativeR3FLUX]

Major props to Mr Knight for taking time out of his busy schedule to do this one. Awesome stuff. Also, thanks for sharing CVV, really enjoyed this one. Wonder if #mudwtr is available in Australia, sounds great. Turmeric has helped my stomach issues immensely and I've been looking for a good source of lions mane to try.

[@ChrisVanVliet]

MudWtr is fantastic. You’re going to love it!

[@ricogold_]

Happy af seeing la knight on Another interview with you bro, you’ve been doing this with him for a while and he’s at the top of wwe right now ✊🏽

[@mattc6045]

LA Knight is the Bill Burr of WWE when referring to the "overnight success"

[@GavinFromAutoglassRepair]

The first minute and half already got me laughing *Sips F3 Energy* “ŒEE”😂

[@nativerambler9818]

I got back into watching wrestling January 2023. The first ppv i watched live on tv ever was Royal Rumble 2023. I saw some LA Knight compilation videos and there was a clip with the C4 Corvette that was entertaining to watch. The mountain dew pitch black commercial with LA Knight was entertaining too. And all of that was what started me being a fan of LA Knight

[@ElArlequin]

Good looking ,speaks like a scolar, charisma, million dollar smile, untouchable in the microphone and a SOLID wrestler. The only problem? How PACKED of talent is the roster today. STILL, I am CONFIDENT that this man WILL wear gold this year. As he said; is well due.

[@CJ-mq5lp]

A major player in the Renaissance Era of wrestling

[@derekwaters8683]

The LA Knight Era YEAH

[@Hypno_BPM]

pro wrestlers really do hit their prime in their late 30s 😂 i’m glad he never gave up and kept at it.

[@TheAweman49]

Almost like baseball in a way years and years of developmental too