NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
“The Jet” Kevin Knight can be seen flying over the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) professional wrestling ring on Wednesday and Saturday nights on “Dynamite” and “Collision,” respectively.
Knight is the AEW TNT champion and was a trios champion with Adam Page and “Speedball” Mike Bailey and with Bailey and Místico. It has only been about seven years since Knight began to enter the industry and his meteoric rise has led him to become one of the stars of AEW.
The 29-year-old recalled in an interview with Fox News Digital that he moved to Seattle after finishing college to get into the business.
ZERO BS. ONLY DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Kevin Knight enters the ring during New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the National Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo on May 17, 2025. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
“Who is Kevin Knight, 'The Jet,' a lot of things rolled into one,” he said. “I'm originally from Brooklyn, New York. I grew up in Atlanta. I started my wrestling career when I moved to Seattle after college. And about six months later, I moved to Los Angeles to join the New Japan LA Dojo. For those who don't know, it's like Japanese-style based training.
“So, I was living a Japanese lifestyle in Los Angeles during the pandemic. So, there were a lot of different factors going on. I think that's why I call myself 'The Jet,' because I have so many different flavors from every city in the world all rolled into one. Now I live in Orlando. I'm just a cool, fly guy who loves to do cool things.”
Knight called training during the coronavirus pandemic an “adjustment period” but acknowledged he could do whatever he wanted.
He said there were certain complexities of professional wrestling that attracted him, from the superhero appeal of the wrestlers themselves to the pageantry of the sport.
HOW TO SKIP THE SCARLETT BORDEAUX LED PROM ON THE ROAD TO THE PRO WRESTLING STAR
“I could be doing anything. I could be making hamburgers, I could be going to space or something, I don't know,” he told Fox News Digital. “But as far as professional wrestling goes, I loved their performance. I love the spectacle, the pyrotechnics, everything about it. They looked like real-life superheroes walking down the ramp.
“You saw the commentators, you saw the action. And then the people have cool themes and cool costumes. I know what it was right away and I just like the show and it was like my version of watching superheroes or Spider-Man or whatever. I wasn't really into superheroes when I was young. But the wrestlers, they were my superheroes growing up. So, that's what attracted me.”
Knight made waves in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), but for a split second, he became a free agent. Any company could have hired him and, for that matter, Bailey too.
Last March, Knight and Bailey decided to sign with AEW. Knight explained the X factor AEW had to make the promotion stand out above the rest.
Kevin Knight competes inside the ring during New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on May 15, 2025. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
“AEW allows freedom, freedom of expression, being yourself and you can go up to Tony (Khan), talk to him, have regular conversations with him,” he said. “It's not like you had to walk on eggshells. It was just being yourself and being yourself is just a great gateway to being creative and being your best self. There's no added extra pressure of, 'Oh, I have to say hello to 50 other people I just saw today' and all that.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“So, AEW, just the fan base, the roster, the catering, man, everything about AEW is like 10 out of 10. I can't complain. In my free agency, I explored all my options and I feel like this was the best option.”
Knight won the vacant TNT Championship in a six-man casino match at Dynasty last month. It was the first singles title of his career and the 32nd champion overall, after Darby Allin, Kyle Fletcher, Christian Cage, Jack Perry and others.
“It's been the workhorse title. It's been the title that people make open challenges for. The best wrestlers in the world have had this title, the TNT Championship,” he said. “For me to be able to have this and for this to be my first singles championship in my career was an incredible feat, especially on the one-year anniversary of my AEW pay-per-view debut.
“As just demonstrated in a short period of time, how quickly you can rise through the ranks simply by believing in yourself, working hard, discipline and just being in the right place at the right time. It's been an incredible journey and we're just getting started.”
Kevin Knight enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Wrestling DONTAKU 2023 event at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan on May 3, 2023. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Now, Knight earned a shot at the AEW World Championship on Wednesday night on “Dynamite” against Allin. He defeated Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) to earn the opportunity, while Allin defeated Brody King to retain the championship last week.
For Knight, it suggested it was a coming full circle moment, as he used Allen's advice when he was starting out in the industry.
“This game means a lot to me because I come from the same school as Darby Allin in Seattle: Buddy Wayne Academy,” Knight told Fox News Digital. “And when I first met Darby, I was maybe 3 or 4 months into my career, and the first thing he told me was don't waste your time, don't waste your time. And I feel like I did exactly that with my time in AEW. Here we are, a year later, I'm already a champion. I've already won the trios titles twice.
“So, I feel like I'm listening to what he said and it's all coming to fruition. It's going to come to a head this Wednesday. I'm definitely not going to waste any time. I think this would be the first time there would be a world championship and a TNT Championship in the works. So I'm ready for it.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
But don't expect MJF to get another world title shot anytime soon.
“Honestly, he's at the back of the line. He's at the back of the line. He lost to Darby. He lost to me too. He's had two losses in a row. So I'm not sure what his resume talks about for him to have a title shot,” Knight said. “I know he'll try to ringworm his way into the title picture again. If it's up to me, the first person who'll get a title shot is 'Speedball' Mike Bailey. MJF, at the end of the line.”
