Since his arrival inWWE, it seems as if the fans have been waiting for a very intriguing performer to emerge as a bona fide star.Karrion Kross, who has all the intangibles for success in the promotion, has been left twisting in the wind. This trend continued at the Show of Shows, as he and his wife, Scarlett, were left off the historic card.
The audience isn’t the only one stunned by Kross being undervalued by the company. On theWrestleManiaSunday recap show, Kross appeared with Scarlett and cut loose on the pair not being involved with the biggest show of the year. He fired shots in all directions, andhis fiery monologue has caught the attention of the wrestling world. Being hailed by some as the ‘new pipe bomb’ (in reference to CM Punk’s famous promo from 2011), Karrion may have finally worked his way into the wrestling world’s conscience.
Kross Doesn’t Hold Back in Viral Promo
His Worked-Shoot Promo Pulled No Punches
As they sat down with host Sam Roberts, Kross had a smile on his face. However, it was more a symbol of sarcasm than genuine enthusiasm. As he discussed his current angle with AJ Styles and Logan Paul, he made sure to hit on the fact that they had a match at ‘Mania, but he wasn’t included. Paul would go on to defeat Styles in the bout.
“It feels so good to be here, it feels so good to be in the business, thinking about all the funerals that I wasn’t able to attend for the last 11 years in this business, all the holidays I missed,” Kross said as his voice grew louder. “You know, I could have just started a YouTube channel, could have just jumped in there with AJ Styles. It feels really good, right? It’s awesome.”
He then made some cryptic statements about Styles, using The Phenomenal One’s real name in his diatribe. “All I asked Allen[Styles’ real name]to do, for once, was to not think about just himself. Think about everybody in the back, and think about the professional wrestling fans. That’s all I wanted him to do.Sometimes, to do the right thing, you have to do the wrong thing. But he’s a narcissist, and he had to do things his way. Hey Allen, how many more WrestleManias do you have in your system? Probably, I don’t know, one? Maybe this is the last one? And you just pissed it away. For what? For your way? Thanks a lot, bud, I appreciate it."
Kross Questions the Company in a Fiery Attack on WWE’s Management
The Promo Moved From a Wrestling Angle to Real Life
It’s been perplexing that the 39-year-old remains somewhat of a prospect in the organization, despite over 10 years of experience as a professional wrestler. He was a dominant force in Lucha Underground and TNA prior to joining WWE. He then thrived in NXT. But his time on the main roster has been confusing, to say the least. His first tenure lasted only a year and involved a confusing gimmick switch that made him look more like a futuristic gladiator. That persona was dead on arrival, andthe couple were both released in 2021. When he returned just one year later, he had longer hair and was back with Scarlett in tow.
However, the recent edition of Kross has been mired inconfusing storylinesand mismatched partnerships. That is, if he gets any screen time at all. In this viral interview,Kross mentioned receiving “counsel” from Bill Goldberg. The former WCW megastar told him to “be a good soldier” and wait for the rewards, but Kross rightly pointed out that this amounted to nothing, as his best ideas were either ignored or used for other, more famous stars.
During the promo, Kross took issue with some of the names who were included on theWrestleMania 41card over him. Most notably, TNA World ChampionJoe Hendry took on WWE icon Randy Orton as a surprise opponent, despite the fact that fans had been clamoring to see Kross as the Viper’s opponent.
“Everybody’s been telling me that I gotta become undeniable,“Kross said, “and as soon as it happens, they ignore it, and they shut it down. I never asked to wrestle Randy [Orton]. I never asked. That happened organically, and you ignored it for a viral moment. And good on Joe [Hendry]. Nothing against him. But you ignored it. And the crowd told you exactly how they felt about me on SmackDown when I was eliminated, and you ignored it. Become undeniable? My ass. My ass! You want a viral moment?On behalf of all the true fans of professional wrestling, guy with the suit and tie in the truck go f**k yourself… That’s from Killer Kross.”
Is This Another Evolution for the Eclectic Star?
Using His Old Ring Name May Be a Sign of Him Going Back to His Roots
It was especially interesting that Kross signed off with his old moniker from TNA (where he’s arguably had his most success). It was his time there performing as ‘Killer Kross’ that really put him on WWE’s radar. Then, when he signed, they switched the name due to the negative connotations behind the word ‘Killer’ - feeling it may not be marketable.
That was in the Vince McMahon Era, but Kross has stuck with his WWE identity during his entire time with the promotion. At the same time, many fans felt that in the process of losing his original name, he also lost a lot of the edge that made him such a compelling character. Could we see him reverting more to the vicious animal who stalked his opponents in locker rooms and parking lots while with Total Non-Stop Action? If so, we may finally see the performer grab the brass ring that it seems he so desperately deserves. The combination of him and Scarlett is a stunning duo, and they both have years of experience.
Is one more re-packaging going to do the trick? Or will Kross become one of those guys that is a WWE ‘might-have-been’ story? If he goes back to his even grittier character and channels some of the rage he showed in this viral video, then he’s got a chance to salvage this run. However, he’s running out of time. The star has proved to be able to build a connection with the audience, which is in theory what the company wants the most.It’s time for WWE to pull the trigger with Kross, and let him do what he does best.
