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“The Jet” Kevin Knight can be seen flying above the professional wrestling ring for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Wednesday and Saturday nights on “Dynamite” and “Collision” respectively.
Knight is the AEW TNT Champion and has been a trios champion with Adam Page and “Speedball” Mike Bailey and with Bailey and Místico. It’s only been about seven years since Knight first dabbled in the industry and his meteoric rise has led him to become one of AEW’s breakout stars.
The 29-year-old recalled in an interview with PK Press Club Digital that he moved to Seattle after college to get into the industry.
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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 a lot of different factors were at play. I think that’s why I’m called ‘The Jet,’ because I have so many different flavors of every city in the world, all rolled into one. I live in Orlando now. Just a cool, flying guy who loves doing cool stuff.”
Knight called training during the coronavirus pandemic an “adjustment period,” but he acknowledged he can do anything he wants.
He said there were certain intricacies of professional wrestling that attracted him — from the superhero appeal of the wrestlers themselves to the pageantry of the sport.
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“I could do anything. I could make hamburgers, I could go to space or something, I don’t know,” he told PK Press Club Digital. “But as far as pro wrestling goes, I just loved the presentation of it. I love the showmanship, the pyro, everything about it. It looked like real superheroes coming down the ramp.
“You saw the commentators, you saw the action. And then people had cool theme songs and cool costumes. I knew immediately what it was and I just loved the pageantry of it and it was like my version of watching superheroes or Spider-Man or whatever. I wasn’t too big on superheroes when I was young. But the wrestlers, those were my superheroes growing up. So, that’s what got 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 signed him – and really Bailey too.
Last March, Knight and Bailey both decided to sign with AEW. Knight explained the X-factor that AEW needed to make the promotion stand out from 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, to be yourself and you can walk up to Tony (Khan), talk to him, have regular conversations with him,” he said. “It’s not like you have to walk on eggshells. It’s just about being yourself and being yourself is just a great gateway to being creative and being your best self. There’s no extra added pressure like, ‘Oh, I have to say hello to 50 other people that I just saw earlier today,’ and all that.
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“So AEW, just in the fanbase, 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 it was just the best fit.”
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 the workhorse title. It’s the title that people do open challenges for. The best wrestlers in the world have held that title, the TNT Championship,” he said. “For me to be able to hold this and have it be my very first singles championship of my career, was an incredible achievement, especially on the one-year anniversary of my AEW pay-per-view debut.
“As it has just shown in a short amount of time, how quickly you can rise through the ranks just by believing in yourself, working hard, being disciplined 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 Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan on May 3, 2023. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Now, Knight has earned a shot at the AEW World Championship on Wednesday night on “Dynamite” against Allin. He defeated Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) to win the shot while Allin defeated Brody King to retain the championship last week.
For Knight, he suggested it was a full circle for him since he used Allen’s advice when he first started 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 PK Press Club Digital. “And when I first met Darby, I was maybe 3-4 months into my career, and the No. 1 thing he told me was don’t waste time, don’t waste time. And I feel like I did that with my time in AEW. Here we are, a year later, I’m already champion. I’ve won the trio titles twice already.
“So I feel like I just listen to what he said and it all comes together. It comes to a head this Wednesday. I’m definitely not going to waste any time. I think it would be the first time that there would be a world championship and a TNT championship on our hands. So, I’m ready for that.”
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But don’t expect MJF to get another shot at the world title anytime soon.
“Honestly, he’s bottom of the line. He’s bottom of the line. He lost to Darby. He lost to me too. He’s lost two in a row. So, I’m not sure what his resume speaks to in terms of trying to win the title,” Knight said. “I know he’s going to try to force his way into the title picture again. If it’s up to me, the first person to get a title shot is ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey. MJF, at the back of the pack.”
