Cristian Knight (executive)

Cristian Michael Louis McKnight (better known by the professional name of simply Cristian Knight) is an English-American businessman and executive currently serving as the Chief Marketing Officer of Ultimate Showcase Wrestling, as well as the director and producer for the American documentary series Pathway to Greatness. Prior to joining Ultimate Showcase Wrestling, McKnight served as the Executive Vice President of Whacked Out Wrestling Programming from 2006 until 2010, before being promoted to Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, the position he would hold from 2010 until Whacked Out Wrestling's closure in 2012.
McKnight, whose father Elvin McKnight was a close family friend of Kyle Reece Sr during their time in high school, was introduced to the family due to this relationship. After graduating from Hofstra University, McKnight would be introduced into professional wrestling by Reece Sr, and would be hired as the Executive Vice President of Whacked Out Wrestling Programming due to his experience in advertising, thus being able to understand the safest measures to remain sponsor-friendly despite the violence in nature of Whacked Out Wrestling's on-screen product. Following the closure of Whacked Out Wrestling in November 2012, McKnight would be hired by Reece Sr's son, Kyle Reece Jr, to become the new Chief Marketing Officer of start up Ultimate Showcase Wrestling due to his success as both the Executive Vice President of Whacked Out Wrestling Programming and the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations. McKnight has served as the Chief Marketing Officer of Ultimate Showcase Wrestling since the company's inception in 2013.
In 2019, McKnight was announced as the director and producer of the new documentary series Pathway to Greatness due to his time overseeing production in Whacked Out Wrestling, as well as Ultimate Showcase Wrestling for the Friday Night Severity brand on occasion. The first season of the series was released in summer 2019 to favorable reviews, with McKnight getting frequent praise for his structure of the series, as well as the concept of filming the emotions and actions of performers leading up to that year's Call To Greatness XIV: Chicago event. Beginning in 2021, McKnight joined USW founder Kyle Reece Jr and Roseline McAvoy as one of three creative writers for the Wednesday Night Intensity brand.
== Personal Life ==
McKnight's father Elvin was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis in March 2012, which McKnight himself has said made him very self-conscious about his own health. In 2016, McKnight stated that he had admitted himself into the hospital in the past due to minor fevers and aches because of anxiety attacks, having become paranoid about his health in aspects he otherwise wouldn't have before his father's diagnosis. As of 2019, McKnight has stated that he no longer has anxiety attacks as severe as he used to, but admits that he finds himself having to regain his composure at times.
McKnight married Julia Kilroy in August 2011 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. McKnight and Kilroy have two children, Joseph Trailor McKnight (born November 19, 2012) and Wesley "Wes" Harold McKnight (born July 21, 2015).