WWE star LA Knight receives key to city of Hagerstown as hometown fans rejoice

Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:54 a.m. on Dec. 24, 2023, to correct the spelling of Ricker's name. The Herald-Mail apologizes for the mistake.

Shaun Ricker returns home to Hagerstown occasionally, including during the holidays.

Ricker, 41, joked Saturday that he expected maybe 10 people to show up Saturday afternoon for City of Hagerstown officials to present him a key to the city.

Hundreds turned out to see Ricker, aka WWE professional wrestling star LA Knight, at University Plaza in downtown Hagerstown.

There were several exchanges of Ricker's trademark "Yeah!" between the star and the crowd, and attendees also occasionally chanted "You deserve it", another familiar chant from WWE fans. In this case, endorsing the key presentation to Ricker.

Knight said he'd heard some people had wondered why he would be given the key to the city, and that he agreed with them in some way.

Some people, he said, tell him they see him as an inspiration. And if that is the case, Ricker said, he's "humbled."

"It gives me something to shoot for ..." the North Hagerstown High School graduate said.

Ricker said he also attended Fountaindale and Salem Avenue elementary schools, and Northern Middle School.

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A common theme Saturday was encouraging people not to give up on their dreams, to work hard.

He said his dad loaded trucks for a living, and his mother was a branch manager at Hagerstown Trust.

"For me, Hagerstown's a place that has, like, that small-town kind of blue-collar feel, but with a big city kind of dream," Ricker said.

"You have to think about where you want to be, what you want to do and find a way to get there anyway you can," he said.

Ricker acknowledged he'd experienced setbacks, sleeping in his car at times.

But he didn't give up on his dream to be a professional wrestler.

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Mayor Tekesha Martinez told the crowd that is what Hagerstown is ... "We're hard workers. We're grinders."

Martinez said she asked City Council members if they knew LA Knight was from Hagerstown after someone contacted her and suggested the city recognize Ricker.

Turns out Councilman Matthew Schindler went to school with Ricker. He learned his former schoolmate would be home for the holidays and plans quickly led to Saturday's presentation, Martinez said.

"Thank you for not forgetting us. We appreciate you," Schindler told Ricker.

Schindler also thanked Ricker for "being an inspiration for our youth."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Fans celebrate with WWE star LA Knight as he gets key to Hagerstown