In news that was overlooked on Friday due to the retirement of Vince McMahon and Brock Lesnar walking out due to being “p*ssed off,” Max Dupri of Maximum Male Models wasn’t backstage at SmackDown. And while there are multiple reasons someone may miss a week of television, PWTorch.com has reported that the former LA Knight is out of the group after rubbing people the wrong backstage. Obviously, this now leaves his WWE career in doubt, as at 39, he is too old to return to NXT 2.0.
The Maximum Male Models gimmick will continue, but without the brash talented mouthpiece Max Dupri, formerly known as L.A. Knight and Eli Drake (real name: Shaun Ricker). Max Dupri, sources indicate, had rubbed some people the wrong way and wasn’t fitting in so a decision was made by Vince McMahon a couple weeks ago to write him out of the storyline. Max knew last week he was making his final appearance when he plugged his sister would show up on Smackdown this week. Max’s sister, Maxine Dupri, is being played Sofia Cromwell, who previous worked in NXT.
PWTorch.comMany fans were shocked when Dupri was called up to SmackDown as a manager rather than a wrestler, but given his mic skills were always regarded as top-notch, it did make sense. He would go on to build his model agency faction featuring Mansoor and Mace during dark segments prior to SmackDown’s taping’s, and it appeared the group was going to get pushed. And while that still may be the case, it seems the former Impact Wrestling star won’t be involved with his kayfabe sister, Maxxine taking over.
