This Friday’s SmackDown saw an abrupt change in the Maximum Male Models storyline. NXT star Sofia Cromwell debuted as Maxxine Dupri, with reports suggesting that Max Dupri was done with the group.
We have an update on the situation and the future of the character played by the former LA Knight.
Per Fightful, the whole angle was Vince McMahon’s idea and he had taken a particular interest in the storyline. The boss even came down to the ring to produce the Maximum Male Models debut segment which doesn’t happen often.
The former WWE chairman had a distinct vision for how Max Dupri would sound. McMahon worked with Max quite a bit on it. He said that he wanted the character to sound nothing like Knight.
Both Mace and Mansoor were on board with the angle, but LA Knight had some reservations. He said to have ‘ruffled some feathers with a couple of scripts’ and challenged what the writers had come up with.
Though despite the report that the decision was made a couple of weeks ago, Max Dupri was unbooked on last minute. Other people involved in the segment weren’t given any concrete information on his status.
A source said that Vince McMahon retiring from WWE is the best thing that could have happened to Knight. He still has supporters in WWE that enjoy his work, and the door isn’t closed for the decision to be reversed.