Stack Kevin Knight’s first year in AEW against almost anyone in the world, and he’s right near the top. As one of a select few stars to register a pinfall victory over the legendary Kazuchika Okada, Knight’s stock has never been higher.

He’s stood toe to toe against the likes of Darby Allin and Swerve Strickland, and pushed AEW World Champion MJF to the brink. He’s also tasted AEW gold alongside “Hangman” Adam Page and “Speedball” Mike Bailey as part of a championship trio.

Knight’s mentality centers on trusting the process, understanding his moments are coming and that no two journeys to the top look the same.

“I practice manifestation, just a different mindset," Knight tells Uncrowned ahead of Sunday's AEW Revolution pay-per-view. "I practically already live as if I am a world champion or a tag-team champion, already having that feeling. So by the time we do win those golds, I already know how to act. I’m already in that mental headspace. I’m already working like I’m a champion.

“That’s how I stay ready. When it comes, it’s not overwhelming, and that keeps the journey going. When things happen for you, you take that opportunity as best you can and make the most out of it. That’s how I stay patient.”

Just a week after dropping the trios titles to the Don Callis Family — a villainous group comprised of Okada, Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis — Knight, Bailey and their new trios partner Mistico will attempt to reclaim their gold at AEW Revolution this weekend inside Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena.

Knight says he and Bailey are privileged to partner with CMLL superstar Mistico, who is “one of the best luchadors” of all-time. But as a team and as individuals, the opportunities are coming fast and furious for Knight and Bailey. Knight wrestled MJF for the world title just last week, and Bailey was unsuccessful in his TNT championship tilt against Kyle Fletcher this past Wednesday.

“It’s a lot being thrown at you, but when a lot of things are thrown at you, that happens because they know that you can handle it," Knight says. "The fact that as soon as we won the trios titles, we all went in our singles direction aspirations shows that the company has a lot of confidence in all three of us [Knight, Bailey and Page] as performers.

“I take it as a challenge and as a positive thing. Even when we have gold, we’re still looking for more. It’s not impossible to be a double, even triple champion in this company. The possibilities are endless, and me and 'Speedball' are hungry. When we see one opportunity, we want to go for the next as well, while still staying focused on our trios aspirations.”

Opportunities on increasingly larger stages, against main-event caliber opponents, have given Knight an ultimate confidence over the past year. And by the time he wrapped his first world championship match, there wasn’t any self-doubt left. Instead, it was replaced by a sense of belonging.

It’s no longer a question of when Knight will be ready for the main-event scene. He’s already arrived.

“It was definitely a good test because when I was out there, I didn’t feel out of place. I didn’t feel like I had to prove myself to be there," he says. "I already felt like I was in the right place and ready for that spotlight. And as we saw in the match, I had the championship for what, 10, 12, 13 seconds. So if it wasn’t for some short way out, I’d be a world champion right now.

“I’m eager to get back in there, whether it’s MJF or 'Hangman' in the next world title match, because I didn’t feel out of place, I didn’t look out of place, and each and every week I’m getting better and better. So when the opportunity comes again, I want to be looking out for those short-handed tactics. Whether it’s MJF or 'Hangman,' whoever the champ, I want that title shot again.”

Days after his championship match, an intentional interaction between former world champion Swerve Strickland and Knight on "AEW Collision" planted the seeds for where the rising star goes next. Strickland used cutting words, implying the Knight lacked a killer mentality in his approach. Knight, however, pushes back on that notion and is determined to find his own path to the top.

“You can learn a lot from everybody, but from Swerve specifically, he transforms himself right in front of our eyes. Was he world champion material when he first got to AEW? I don’t know, but he worked himself into being undeniable,” Knight says.

“It was cool to see his journey going from a former ex-WWE guy to tag champion to becoming a world champion. You can see the transformation. So I can see the things that I need to work on to transform myself."

Strickland's journey, Knight says, is something he can learn from.

“Maybe not the way he went about it,” Knight continues.

“Him and 'Hangman' went to crazy standards, he got his house burned down in the process, a lot of staple guns involved, a lot of blood. So maybe I could find a little bit safer way to get to that world championship. But it was cool to see his journey from just entering to getting there. So it’s a lot to learn, doing it in my own way.”

As good as Knight is, he doesn’t claim to be a ready-to-ship world champion. He says he takes every match or segment as a learning opportunity to get incrementally better. The work never stops.

“I feel like there’s a moment where one thing clicks, but then there’s five other things that you've got to work on," Knight says. "You may have mastered one thing in this match, but now it’s like you make it to a new level of a video game. You made it to this new level, now it is five harder opponents or new things you've got to consider on this new level.

“With each and every match, each and every situation — whether it’s a promo segment, backstage, or a match — that’s an accomplishment. But then there’s something you can learn from that segment and take to the next. So it’s a constant learning process.”

Knight credits strong locker room leadership from the Hurt Syndicate, Dustin Rhodes, Jerry Lynn and Katsuyori Shibata as crucial to his development.

As he continues to rise up the roster, the more opportunities he’s afforded, the more the pressure rises to perform. But these are the moments Knight was made for. Pressure, he says, is a privilege.

“If you’re mediocre, if you’re kind of eh, there’s not much pressure to be OK," Knight says. "When people say there’s a lot of pressure, that means they have high expectations. They have high standards. They expect a lot of you. I honestly work out with that pressure when I train, preparing for those moments so that when those moments come, I’m not overwhelmed. The nerves are always going to be there. If they’re not, you should probably get out of the business.

“I just take those nerves, take that feeling, and put it into my work. Because of course there’s pressure to perform, but that just means a lot is expected out of you. That’s a good thing. If people didn’t expect much out of you, there would be no pressure. That means you’re an afterthought. The fact that there is pressure, that there are people watching, it only helps me perform better.”