Imagine being great at something. You know it, deep down in your bones. You have that spark, that unique talent, that you do better than almost anyone else. Now, imagine your boss tells you to stop doing it. To hide it. To act like someone you’re not.
That’s the story of LA Knight before he was the “Megastar” we know today. Long before the WWE Universe was chanting “YEAH!” alongside him, LA Knight, whose real name is Shaun Edward Ricker, was handed a gimmick so bland, so fundamentally wrong, that it nearly killed his career before it even started.
This isn’t just about a bad wrestling character; it’s about the relentless self-belief required to overcome creative handcuffs and forge own path to superstardom.
Early WWE Struggles as Slate Randall
Back in 2013, when WWE first signed him to a developmental deal, Shaun Ricker entered NXT under the name Slate Randall. At the time, NXT was rapidly transforming into WWE’s premier talent pipeline, churning out future legends like Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Bray Wyatt. It was the place where stars were made, but for Randall, it became a crucible of frustration.
Unlike those names, Randall wasn’t allowed to showcase his true strengths. The issue wasn’t just the name; it was the entire creative direction. WWE management asked him to play a generic, personality-free character. He was mostly featured as an enhancement talent, where he often lost to established wrestlers.
For a man whose greatest weapon has always been his electrifying mic skills, his ability to grab an audience and hold them in the palm of his hand, that restriction was devastating.
Reinvention as Eli Drake
But Shaun Ricker refused to let that happen. He knew his own value, even if others didn’t. In 2014, after parting ways with WWE, he made a crucial decision: he would reinvent himself on his own terms. He emerged on the independent circuit and later in Impact Wrestling as Eli Drake.
This was where his true voice roared to life. With his signature “Dummy, Yeah!” catchphrase, his swag in the ring, and razor-sharp promos, Drake quickly became one of the most recognizable and compelling talkers outside WWE.
His four-year stretch in Impact Wrestling (2015–2019) turned out to be a career-defining chapter. In 2017, he captured the TNA/Impact Global Championship in a 20-man Gauntlet for the Gold match. A moment that silenced any doubts about him being “just a talker” and cemented him as a true main-event player.
As Norman Smiley, a Performance Center trainer, once explained:
“Some people might interpret it as being cocky,” Smiley said. “But he was assured of himself [Referring to LA Knight], which is what you need in this big, big business. The Rock is not insecure. Stone Cold’s not insecure, Taker’s not insecure. Shawn Michaels is not insecure. So in order to be at the top of the mountain, you need to have confidence.”
Return to WWE and Rise as LA Knight
WWE came calling again, and in 2021, Ricker returned, debuting in NXT under a new name—LA Knight. This time, things were different. He had leverage, invaluable experience, and a proven track record as a champion and a top-tier talker.
His promos immediately stood out, drawing excited comparisons to legends like The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin for their unique cadence and unparalleled crowd connection.
In an interview with Justin at The Wrestling Classic, LA Knight reflected on his WWE return:
LA Knight said: “When I first signed back in 2021, I started writing out a bunch of goals, and things that I wanted to do – year one, year two, year three, year four, year five. Year one I had hit a goal that I didn’t even know was a possible goal. Who was going to think that the Million-Dollar Championship would be there, all this stuff with Ted DiBiase – so, um, that was just, I mean, crazy, crazy awesome.” (Timestamp: 11:15-11:31)
He went on to explain how his feud with Cameron Grimes and Ted DiBiase didn’t just give him the Million Dollar Title but also helped his segments dominate viewership at the time.
“I mean, on top of that, we were also doing the best numbers on the show every single week; I think we were still going head-to-head with AEW, and we were between Cameron Grimes, myself, and Ted DiBiase. Our segments, I think, were the only ones that were beating the competition during that time.” Knight recalled. (Timestamp: 11:31-11:50)
By 2022, LA Knight finally made the jump to WWE’s main roster. For a short stretch, he was repackaged as the flashy manager “Max Dupri,” a role that grabbed attention but never let him show who he really was. Fortunately, it didn’t last long.
When he returned to being LA Knight, everything fell into place. The crowd rallied behind him instantly. His “YEAH!” chants started shaking arenas night after night.
The Power of the “YEAH!” Chant
“YEAH!” isn’t just a simple catchphrase; it represents a man who walked away when the system tried to silence him, built himself elsewhere from the ground up, and triumphantly returned stronger than ever.
Today, when you see LA Knight owning every single moment, you’re not just witnessing a performer at the top of his game. You’re seeing the story behind it.
The setbacks that could have ended him, the quiet struggles that most never saw, the belief he refused to let go of, and the reinvention that brought it all together.
This is the same Shaun Ricker, the same “Slate Randall”, once told to hide his personality, now standing in front of packed arenas with thousands echoing his every word.
