WWE Smackdown Will Have Everybody Saying ‘LA Knight’ in Pittsburgh
WWE Returns to Pittsburgh in 2024
Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle. The infamous Hell in a Cell match where Undertaker threw Mankind off the steel structure. The Pittsburgh connection to pro wrestling goes all the way back to WWE legends like Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci.
On Friday, April 19, 2024 the passionate Pittsburgh crowd will again get the chance to see history as the WWE brings a superstar-studded event to PPG Paints Arena for WWE Smackdown.
Read on for more about this event and my exclusive conversation with LA Knight, perhaps the most popular wrestler on the planet, as we look ahead to Pittsburgh.
LA Knight, Let Me Talk to You
The April 19 event comes at an important time in the WWE calendar, right after their biggest event of Wrestlemania just a week prior. That means anything could happen that Friday for Smackdown with potential new champions, new wrestlers and all-new feuds, which is all the more incentive to get your tickets early before the event sells out.
LA Knight echoed those same sentiments as he looked ahead to his return to the Burgh. "This Smackdown will have the fallout and leftover shrapnel from the biggest show of the year," said Knight. "That's why you want to make sure you are there and in the building and see the megastar." Knight, of course, is referring to himself.
If you've never been to a live WWE event, I can't emphasize enough how must-see an event like this is in Pittsburgh. The action is always over-the-top and larger than life, but add in a raucous, cheering audience that reacts to every moment like you get in our city, and the entire event becomes something fans young and old will remember for years.
LA Knight isn't a native to Pittsburgh, but it's a city that has important connections to his career. Growing up in nearby Hagerstown, MD (a city he just received the key to) and going to college in WVU, Knight recalled watching Smackdown with his roommates and coming to the city to watch WWE live events years before he entered the ring himself.
Recently, Pittsburgh factored in a major turning point in his career. "It's a milestone town for me," said Knight. "My reactions [from fans] started to change here and take me on a noticeable move in the right direction."
You wouldn't know LA Knight ever needed a change when he appears today. Deafening crowd reactions are now the norm as fans wait to see not just his skill in the ring but also on the mic as they chant his signature catchphrases.
As my convo with the WWE Superstar wound down, I only had one question left: is this the year of LA Knight?
"2023 was building the foundation, being in the fold and building the palace," Knight said with increasing bravado. "Is 2024 the year of LA Knight? Yes. And 2025. And 2026."
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PPG Paints Arena1001 Fifth Ave.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219