LA Knight

Knight made his first main roster appearance on the January 24, 2022 episode of Raw, participating in a backstage segment with The Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode). In a dark segment before the April 15 episode of SmackDown, Knight appeared as a villainous manager by announcing his new stable, "Knight Model Management", and became the manager of Mace and Mansoor. The angle went to television on the May 20 episode of SmackDown, when he made his televised debut on the brand under the ring name Max Dupri. He would announce Mace and Mansoor, under the tweaked names "ma.çé" and "mån.sôör", as Maximum Male Models. He would then be joined by his storyline sister, Maxxine Dupri (formerly known as Sofia Cromwell from NXT). Dupri ended his relationship with Maximum Male Models on the September 30 episode of SmackDown. The following week, he beat down Mace and Mansoor and reverted to his LA Knight persona. After a brief feud with Ricochet, Knight became involved in a feud with Bray Wyatt.

On February 14, 2021, it was reported that Ricker had re-signed with WWE. At NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, he debuted as a heel, where it was revealed his new ring name would be LA Knight. On the first night of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver on April 7, Knight participated in a Gauntlet Eliminator for a future NXT North American Championship match, but lost. Knight then aligned himself with Ted DiBiase, and at TakeOver: In Your House on June 13, he defeated Cameron Grimes in a ladder match to win the re-introduced Million Dollar Championship. Knight later turned on DiBiase, attacking him during the title ceremony, before being driven off by Grimes. At The Great American Bash on July 6, Knight defeated Grimes and as per the stipulation of the rematch, Grimes became Knight's personal butler. On the August 10 episode of NXT, Knight agreed to defend the championship against Grimes at NXT TakeOver 36 under the condition that if Knight won, DiBiase would replace Grimes as Knight's personal butler. At the event on August 22, Knight lost the title to Grimes following interference from DiBiase, ending his reign at 70 days.

In 2021, Ricker appeared in a CarShield ad as “The Overcharger”: a heel wrestler dressed like an automotive repair technician, defiantly bragging about how no one can stop him from unfairly charging (used-vehicle-owning) customers for repair work. He is instantly struck down by Ric Flair (the ad campaign's star/pitchman).

After leaving Impact in 2019, Ricker signed with the recently-rebooted NWA, and held the NWA World Tag Team Championship (with James Storm) once. Ricker left the NWA in 2021 to sign with WWE. His character name changed to LA Knight, and he was again assigned to NXT. Upon calling up to the SmackDown brand in 2022, Ricker was repackaged as a manager and adopted the character of a fashion designer named Max Dupri, before reverting to his LA Knight persona, continuing his in-ring performer role. He is considered one of the best talkers of the modern professional wrestling era.

In his first match following the Impact Wrestling controversy, Drake lost a fatal four way at Maverick Pro Wrestling's May 11, 2019 event. On August 17, 2019, Drake made his debut for World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico at WWC Aniversario wrestling Carlito Colon.

On the October 18 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake started a storyline where he sued Impact Wrestling management for "unsafe working environment" after the attack of Abyss at Bound for Glory. The following week, Drake bullied Impact Wrestling commentator Don Callis and took his place for the rest of the show. On the November 8 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake betrayed his lawyer Joseph Park after a low-blow. Then the following week, Drake criticized the "hardcore wrestling", saying that he is the "Last of a Dying Breed", before being confronted by Tommy Dreamer. Two weeks later, Drake wrestled against Dreamer but walked away from the match, losing via count-out. However, the match was restarted by Impact Wrestling management, and become a No Disqualification match, which Drake won. On the January 3, 2019, episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake was confronted and attacked by Tommy Dreamer and Raven. At Impact Wrestling Homecoming, Drake defeated Abyss in a Monster's Ball match.

On June 28, 2019, Drake appeared at the Ring of Honor event Best in the World, being revealed as the mystery partner of Nick Aldis. This revealed him as the newest person to sign an exclusive deal with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). On January 24 at the NWA Hard Times event, Drake and his tag team partner James Storm won the NWA Tag Team Championship. Drake and Storm would drop the titles to Aron Stevens and JR Kratos at UWN Primetime Live. On February 14, 2021, it was announced that Ricker had been quietly released from the NWA in late 2020 after only signing a new deal with the company a few months beforehand.

On January 26, 2016, Drake won the Feast or Fired match and the briefcase that contained a title shot for the future TNA King Of The Mountain Championship. On the February 9 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake was attacked by Grado who had been fired after his Feast or Fired briefcase contained the pink slip. Later that night Drake interrupted him backstage and told him "he better shut up about whatever he thinks he knows" and then attacked Grado again and had him escorted out of the building through the tunnel. Drake feuded with Grado once again who was masked as Odarg the Great feuding him backstage with Jessie Godderz and telling him he was going to be facing against him. This led the match on the February 16 episode of Impact Wrestling, which he lost, and led to the rematch at TNA Lockdown special episode of Impact Wrestling in the Six Sides of Steel match, in which he's unsuccessful due to interference from the returning Mahabali Shera who went on to team with Odarg the Great and pulling his mask off from his face. On the March 15 live edition of Impact Wrestling he received another rematch against Grado in a Ladder match, the career of Grado on the line, however he was defeated by Grado to end the feud.

On the May 31 episode of Impact on Pop, Drake cashed in his Feast or Fired briefcase for his shot at the TNA King of the Mountain Championship, defeating Bram who was just viciously attacked by Lashley, winning his first title in TNA. On June 12 at Slammiversary, Drake defeated Bram to retain the championship. On the June 28 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake hosted a Fact of Life segment, inviting James Storm as his guest, where he proceeded to insult him; Storm eventually hit Drake with the Last Call, igniting a feud between the two. The next week on the July 5 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake defended the King of the Mountain Championship against Storm, but intentionally disqualified himself to save the title. However, on the August 4 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake lost the King of the Mountain Championship to James Storm. Drake entered in the Impact Grand Championship tournament on the September 8 episode of Impact Wrestling, defeating Jessie Godderz in the first round. However, he was defeated by Aron Rex on the September 22 episode of Impact Wrestling in the semi final. At Bound for Glory Drake won the Bound for Gold. On the October 6 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake started a feud against Ethan Carter III, after his Fact of Life segment. On the October 27 episode of Impact Wrestling, Eli Drake and Aron Rex defeated Ethan Carter III and Jessie Godderz in a tag-team match. On the November 10 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake cashed in his Bound for Gold opportunity but failed to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Eddie Edwards. On the November 24 episode of Impact 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 the match by submission.

Outside of wrestling, Ricker appeared as a cast member on the TNT reality series The Hero, hosted by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He also appeared in an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2015.

On February 16, 2015, Ricker participated in TNA One Night Only's TNA Gut Check tournament, defeating Crazzy Steve to qualify for the final match of the night, which was a five-way elimination match won by Tevita Fifita. On March 14, 2015, Ricker, under the name Eli Drake, participated in the Impact Wrestling tapings, joining Drew Galloway and Micah to form The Rising and defeating The Beat Down Clan. On the July 1 episode of Impact Wrestling, The Beat Down Clan defeated The Rising in a 4-on-3 handicap match, forcing The Rising to dissolve. On the July 15 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake turned heel when he cost Galloway a match against the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Ethan Carter III. At No Surrender on August 5, Drake defeated Galloway. On the August 19 episode of Impact Wrestling, Drake faced Galloway in a No Disqualification Match, which he lost.

On October 4, 2015, at Bound for Glory, Drake competed in a twelve-man Bound For Gold Gauntlet match which was won by Tyrus. Drake participated in the TNA World Title Series as a member of group Future 4, along with Jessie Godderz, Micah and Crimson advancing the round of 16 along with Godderz where he lost in the round of 16 to Mahabali Shera, thus failing to advance to the quarterfinals and being eliminated from the tournament. On January 5, 2016, the first live edition of Impact Wrestling episode on Pop Eli, Drake and Jessie Godderz started feuding with Kurt Angle and Drew Galloway, leading to a match at TNA One Night Only Live, which was won by The Wolves.

In 2015, Ricker appeared in season 2/episode 17 of the U.S. sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In the episode (entitled "Boyle-Linetti Wedding"), Ricker plays the nonspeaking role of Mario, a male bodybuilder who's getting married. Detective Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) plays the minister.

In May 2013, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Ricker, along with several other independent wrestlers, was undergoing the necessary medical testing required to be signed to WWE. He reported to the WWE Performance Center. Ricker, using the new ring name Slate Randall, defeated Yoshi Tatsu in a dark match during the October 2013 television tapings of NXT. Following that win, he only competed as an enhancement talent for NXT, losing to names such as Mason Ryan, Baron Corbin, and Mojo Rawley. His final match was on May 2, 2014 at an NXT Live event. On August 1, 2014, he was released from his WWE contract. Ricker would later say his release was due to not getting along with then-NXT head trainer Bill Demott (whom WWE would later fire after allegations of Demott's abusive behaviors toward several wrestlers became widely reported by wrestling news sites).

After his release from WWE, Ricker returned to wrestling on the independent circuit. On September 5, at Full Impact Pro's Fallout, he (along with Mason Ryan and Michael Tarver) participated in a trios tournament, but they were defeated by the Full Impact Puerto Ricans (Lince Dorado, Jay Cruz, and Jay Rios) in the semifinals. On November 21, 2014, Ricker defeated Kenny King at FSW Luck of the Draw. He made his return to Championship Wrestling from Hollywood for two appearances before he signed to Impact Wrestling in early 2015.

After this win, Ricker earned a shot at Adam Pearce's NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship which took place on December 4 and Ricker lost. Throughout 2012, Ricker would aim high, trying to earn himself a championship shot which included numerous battle royals and even made it to the finals of the Percy Pringle III Cup where the winner would earn a shot at any championship, any time, any place. Rickers feud with Cage would resurface in late 2012 and culminated in a casket match which Ricker won. With this massive win Ricker finally found singles success in by winning the 30-Man Red Carpet Rumble for the CWFH Heritage Heavyweight Championship in homage to his late friend and manager Percy Pringle on May 5, 2013 and successfully defended it that same night against Ryan Taylor.

In 2013, Ricker appeared on the TNT reality television show The Hero, which was hosted by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

In December 2010, Ricker moved to work for the promotion NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. He rejoined forces with Brian Cage, reforming The Natural Selection tag team and won the NWA Heritage Tag Team Championship on December 8, from The RockNES Monsters. After holding the titles for over 200 days and defending them against the likes of Young Hollywood and Rasche Brown and Slymm, the Natural Selection lost them to The Tribe due to the Brian Cage missing the event and becoming a two on one handicap match. Understandably upset after Cage's actions, Ricker would feud with him for several months, staying even on victories until late 2012 when Ricker defeated Cage.

Ricker made his first WWE appearance in 2008 in a dark match on ECW, teaming with Gene Snitsky in a losing effort against Cryme Tyme. He also appeared in 2011 during a segment between CM Punk and Kevin Nash in the role of a security guard (the infamous text message promo).

Ricker began working regularly for the Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) in 2003 under the ring name Deuce. On November 9, 2004, Deuce would win the HWA Television Championship and lost it on January 4, 2005.

Ricker began his wrestling career in 2003 on the independent circuit. He later joined the then-NWA-affiliated Championship Wrestling from Hollywood in 2010. After leaving CWFH in 2013, Ricker signed a developmental contract with WWE and performed on its then-developmental territory of NXT as "Slate Randall" before being released in 2014. Ricker then signed with Impact Wrestling (then named Total Nonstop Action Wrestling) in 2015. Ricker found great success in Impact/TNA, holding the Impact Global Championship, the TNA King of the Mountain Championship, and the Impact World Tag Team Championship (with Scott Steiner), once each. He also won Impact's Feast or Fired briefcase twice.

Shaun Ricker (born November 1, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name LA Knight. Ricker is known for his time in Impact Wrestling as Eli Drake. Ricker has also worked extensively on the U.S. independent wrestling circuit, and has been signed by prominent promotions like Championship Wrestling from Hollywood and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).