Despite not having a great deal of faith in the character, Knight decided to commit and do what he could to bring Dupri to life. However, as things progressed, the situation didn’t become any less volatile.

“In short order, it was just like, ‘This is crazy,'” Knight said. “[McMahon] and I were kind of — it’s not like we were butting heads necessarily. It was just like he had a vision for this thing that put such a microscope on it, and I didn’t know what the hell it was, but I was trying to figure out. And it just was not going well, and I was very unhappy, and I’m sure he probably was.”

At that point, Dupri was taken off TV, and the performer assumed that he was likely about to get let go by WWE. Around that time, some major changes took place within the company that benefited Knight, with McMahon eventually stepping back from creative. Though Knight was put back on “WWE SmackDown” under his previous name in late 2022, the wrestler still doesn’t think the company expected things to take off the way they have.

“It was just, ‘Hey, here’s a guy who can handle himself.'” Knight stated. “‘He’s a professional. He knows how to do his thing in the ring. And we can work him with some guys, he can have some good programs.’ Well, surprise, surprise on your eyes, because things just got a little crazy after that.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.