Internal Reaction to Kevin Knight After Signing with AEW

Kevin Knight’s AEW debut may have caught fans by surprise, but behind the scenes, company officials were more than ready to lock him down.

According to Sean Ross Sapp during a recent Fightful Select Q&A, Knight is “well liked” backstage, and AEW is pleased to have secured his signature.

“They expected to have plenty of competition when working to sign him and were very happy to land him,” Sapp noted. Tony Khan and Rocky Romero reportedly went the extra mile, holding a two-on-one meeting with Knight to emphasize AEW’s connection with NJPW — a move that ultimately paid off when Knight chose AEW over WWE, TNA, and MLW.

Knight’s path to AEW wasn’t a straight line. His contract with NJPW expired in January during Wrestle Kingdom week, leading to serious interest from WWE. One WWE Performance Center staffer mentioned, “I’m not sure what more they needed to see. He wrestled in New Japan, CMLL, AEW, Ring of Honor, MLW, and TNA. There are looks at this guy on every other stage but ours.”

Despite WWE’s interest, AEW’s approach clearly resonated with Knight. He officially debuted on the March 29 episode of AEW Collision, facing Jay White in a high-profile match that marked the start of what AEW hopes will be a standout run.

With AEW viewing Knight as a top priority, the question now is whether the former NJPW standout can live up to the hype and deliver on the big stage.

What do you think of AEW’s decision to lock down Kevin Knight? Could he have been a bigger star in WWE, or is AEW the perfect fit for his skill set? Share your thoughts in the comments below!