After weeks of intense promo battles, LA Knight and The Miz will finally lock horns at WWE Payback. The PLE is scheduled to take place on September 2 and emanate from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But hours before their bout, the two superstars had another riveting promo on the August 1 episode of SmackDown. Things also got a little heated, as Knight’s jibes were personal in nature.

The 40-year-old dragged The Miz’s wife, Maryse, during his verbal exchange with the former WWE Champion. He also had a proposal for Maryse.

LA Knight has an indecent proposal for Maryse after mauling her husband The Miz

Knight has been wooing the audience for the last few months now. His popularity has grown so much that everything he does connects with the WWE Universe. It also helps that he possesses sound mic skills. But The Miz is also one of the best when it comes to verbal exchanges. The 2-time WWE Champion is a talented speaker and has cut several good promos throughout his career.

On the last episode of RAW, The Miz surprised everyone by walking out dressed as Knight. From the clothing to the mannerisms, he had everything down to the T. This was bound to be confronted by the rising superstar, which he did on the blue brand. After their initial exchange, which was about success and being part of reality shows, Knight poked at The Miz’s reality show, Miz & Mrs.

“You talk about being a star; you weren’t even a star of your own show. You talk about Miz and Mrs. The star of that show was your wife,” Knight said. He also called The Miz a baggage handler for Maryse.

If this wasn’t hurtful enough, The Defiant One dropped a suggestive message for the female WWE superstar by stating his plans for Payback. “Well, I’m glad you mentioned your wife, because I understand that after Payback, tomorrow, when I send her a broken, battered husband, she’s going to be empty inside. But with one little call to this guy, we can fix that real quick. Yeah.”

Though The A-Lister shot back with his response, it didn’t strike a chord with those present inside the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the match is likely to go in favor of Knight. Here’s why.

Possible reasons LA Knight is winning his bout against The Miz at Payback

As stated above, Knight has seen a surge in popularity this year. Even though the phenomenon is yet to be decoded, it’s working wonders for the SmackDown star.

At 40, Knight has been able to break down stereotypes pertaining to age and fame in the pro wrestling world. While certain wrestlers of his age or even older still enjoy a massive fanfare, they have been a part of the WWE for years. Compared to that, Knight’s journey is different, and that’s why his popularity has surprised many.

WWE would like to give impetus to that momentum. Every time Knight has lost a bout in recent weeks, the WWE Universe seems to have disagreed with the result. So, a loss might derail that momentum. Also, The Miz has lost most of his matches this year, putting talents over. He’s likely to do the same at Payback.

Apart from that, Knight’s popularity has transcended promotional boundaries and kicked down the Forbidden Door. A few weeks ago, a few AEW fans were filmed cheering for Knight. The clip was also shared by the superstar, showing his support. There might be a chance that if there’s more delay in push, Knight, like many other WWE talents, could jump ship to the rival promotion.

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So, keeping all the above in mind, LA Knight is likely to emerge as the winner at Payback against The Miz.