Massive feud with Cody Rhodes, big Crown Jewel match? - 4 directions for LA Knight after beating Carmelo Hayes on WWE SmackDown

WWE Friday Night SmackDown had a big show this week. The first edition of the blue brand following Bad Blood dealt with the fallout from the big premium live event and it started the build towards Crown Jewel 2024.

The show had several big moments, including Kevin Owens appearing despite being suspended. He then proceeded to shockingly assault Randy Orton. As if that wasn't enough, Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso were overwhelmed by the new Bloodline.

One star who had a good night was LA Knight. The Megastar put his United States Championship on the line when he went one-on-one with Carmelo Hayes. The match was excellent, but in the end, Knight won via the BFT.

Now that Knight has defeated another opponent, fans are already wondering what might be next for him. This article will take a look at a handful of possible directions for The Megastar following his win on SmackDown.

Below are four possible directions for LA Knight after beating Carmelo Hayes on WWE SmackDown.

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#4. He could have a Triple-Threat Match with both Andrade and Carmelo Hayes at Crown Jewel

LA Knight has had four successful championship defenses since winning the prized WWE United States Championship from Logan Paul. He has managed to defeat Santos Escobar, Ludwig Kaiser, Andrade, and now Carmelo Hayes.

While he has beaten both Andrade and Carmelo, both men still want another shot at the title and Nick Aldis is considering it. The WWE SmackDown General Manager has put them in a match and the winner will likely receive a title opportunity.

In what could be a fun twist, the match may end in a draw or DQ. This will then allow both men to move forward and battle LA Knight in a Triple-Threat Match. Crown Jewel could be the perfect place for the bout to go down.

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#3. LA Knight could reignite his feud with Santos Escobar on WWE SmackDown

Speaking of Santos Escobar, the talented Mexican performer leads a stable in WWE named Legado del Fantasma. The group also features the incredibly talented Angel, Berto, and Elektra Lopez.

During SmackDown this past Friday, the WWE stars confronted Nick Aldis and Santos made it clear he wants another shot at The Megastar. Nick sort of blew off Santos Escobar, claiming he needs to show him something and essentially indicating that he needs to earn another title opportunity.

Regardless of how he gets there, there is a chance that Santos could reignite his feud with the reigning champion in an attempt to finally win a title he's been chasing for around a year now. Perhaps Santos could jump Knight and demand a title shot despite not earning one?

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#2. He could lose the title and move on to feud with Cody Rhodes

As noted, LA Knight has had quite a successful title reign so far. He won the prized belt from Logan Paul at WWE SummerSlam and in two short months, has managed to defeat Santos Escobar, Ludwig Kaiser, Carmelo Hayes, and Andrade.

Typically, a wrestler defending a belt as often as he has means the belt won't stay around their waist for particularly long. This could very well mean that LA Knight will drop his title soon. Regardless of who he loses it to, The Megastar could move on to bigger and better things.

More specifically, Knight could step up and become a challenger to Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship. Both have risen in the company through the same time period and both men are incredibly over. Which popular star will have the fan support and talent to defeat the other with gold on the line?

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#1. The Megastar could feud with Giovanni Vinci

The final entry on this list may seem a bit odd, but it could be particularly interesting. Giovanni Vinci recently returned to WWE television, bringing back his NXT persona after being kicked out of Imperium on WWE RAW.

Upon returning, Vinci is actually 0-2, having lost to Apollo Crews twice. Despite losing both matches, Giovanni viciously attacked Crews after their second bout. It seems as if another match will soon be on the horizon and this could be the start of Vinci building momentum.

Supposing that the match happens soon, perhaps as soon as this week, Vinci can finally defeat Crews. From there, he could even pick up a big win over Baron Corbin. After those two victories, which should happen in short order, Vinci can step up to LA Knight and become his next rival. Gio has the ability to deliver, his talent was never in question and he just needs the spotlight on him to shine.