Roman Reigns’ ascent to the top of WWE is back under scrutiny after LA Knight called him an “industry plant” during a confrontation on the October 5, 2026, episode of WWE Raw. The face-to-face exchange came ahead of the two stars’ scheduled Money in the Bank showdown, with Knight taking direct aim at Reigns, who is billed as the OTC (Original Tribal Chief).
According to WrestleZone, the comment reignited discussion on the Ariel Helwani Show, where Conrad Thompson weighed in on Reigns’ trajectory within the company, with his WWE rise described as “forced” in the aftermath of Knight’s remark.
Separately, veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer addressed claims that he has “historically hated” Reigns. Per eWrestlingNews, Meltzer responded on social media during a discussion about a wrestling “Mount Rushmore” and whether Reigns belongs on it, pointing out that he was actually an early advocate for Reigns rather than a longtime critic.
Neither report detailed further specifics on how the Money in the Bank match between Knight and Reigns will be built going forward, but the public exchange and the subsequent media debate underscore the attention surrounding Reigns’ status as World Heavyweight Champion heading into the showdown.
