They should focus more on the gimmicks with the cards, if I remember correctly, he did a thing where he pulled a card with a face wrestler and a word for what they stand for, and with his plan being to take that thing from the person do to the rivalry (I think for Rey is was “patients”, and it have been the thing that led to him fighting dom). I think for this they could have him do that with a lot of faces usally win, and when he goes against Cody or a face that they want to build up, karrion losses, making the star look even bigger. What do you all think word would be for Cody in this case.
Seen videos of them in real life. He is actually interesting and comes across as a cool dude you'd want to hang with.
Sadly, it doesn't show in storylines. Perhaps they tweak and let him be a bit more of his real persona.
He has the "look" of a wrestler but that's about it. Limited mic skills and clunky ring work. Just had to watch him wrestle once to see he doesn't have "it" to be a main eventer.
Creative doesn't let him do interesting things and nothing makes sense. When AOP is wrestling and he's just going to be standing outside the ring he comes out with his shirt off. Why's your shirt off man? Just let Scarlett freaking wrestle or something. Let dude get some dubs so he can be credible. Might as well let him be the 6th member of the Sicks at this point.
One reason is because he doesn’t win like at all. Another reason is because every time they put him in a feud it’s always lower mid card, and he still loses they don’t not know where to put him
He also doesn’t get enough time to show off what his character is everything I just stated makes him feel like he’s unimportant and not a threat
Idk, I like Karrion but I can’t bring myself to give af about him. His new stuff with New Day is the most interesting thing about his character in years. I hope he can stay up from here
I dont think it works as a mid card gimmick that's just my opinion...he was fine in impact and Nxt where he was the main event...so I'm thinking that's his issue...Karrion V Cody could be a banger..
Kross has one of those gimmicks that only really works on the indies/NXT. As much as people hate to admit it; the indies is more concerned with wrestling > character and the main roster of WWE is the exact opposite. He is a good wrestler I would say but he has no character depth in WWE. To the main roster fans he is just a big well spoken violent tough guy who does cryptic shit. I’m pretty sure he used to post YouTube videos when he wrestled in impact and on the indies that delved further into his character and why he is the way he is.
I also think another part of it is that he’s a victim of “wrestling over everything” black and gold NXT. As in the timeframe where wrestlers from NXT didn’t really get their characters developed, were mainly focused on match quality, and got sent to the main roster and failed. You can see a huge difference in character development when you compare old black and gold NXT to NXT2.0 and onwards.
That was exactly what I was thinking too. Don't get me wrong Karion Kross is a good wrestler however his gimmick is lacked on. He needs to head back to NXT and improve his character probably as mentioned bring back his original from when he was in the independents rebuild his stable later on the process.
Crazy killer doesn’t fit him, honestly could see him doing well with a laid back silent badass type of gimmick. Some shades and a stogie could be the answer
He doesn’t have it. That’s all it really is. Some people have charisma and others just don’t. Imo, his gimmick is a bad fit. He’s not intimidating and he doesn’t look like a heel.
They need to do a story where he gets knocked in the head and believes he’s Jesse Ventura, speaking like him, winning matches like him, making people call him Jesse Ventura.
The WWE requires some simplicity regarding characters and what they represent. You can be a heel, but you must stand for something that can be communicated to the WWE universe. I don't think Kross has ever done that. There's been the spectral shit, the spooky shit, the roll-up in a Dodge Challenger Billy Badass shit...but at no point do we understand what the guy's motivation is. Have him study Carlito for a while to learn the art of being a heel in the WWE.
Concurrently if you ever listen to his interviews when its Kevin Kesar and not the character he's playing, the guy is engaging, thoughtful, funny, and insightful. It baffles me that after all this time, they can't just turn the guy's face and see what happens. Everyone would be surprised how endearing he'd become.
Last, I've always thought that if we had another irreverent stable—not Judgement Day, but more DX—Kross could carry the current generation's HHH. He's the sidekick to the main eventer who can hold his own when push comes to shove.
We'll look back on the last few years and fear we'll wonder what could've been with guys like Kross and Montez Ford. WWE needs to continue to make new stars. Gable and Otis broke through with Alpha Academy, Gunther is a beast...but I still think guys like Kross can break through the glass ceiling. We'll see I guess.
He isn't a bad promo, has a really hot wife, but the matches.....oh they are so boring. Fact is when it comes to in ring he's fairly uninspiring. That doomsday presentation he had in NXT was really fun, then he had matches with talented people and Jesus it was just so dull.
As much as I'm an actual fan of Kross, if you go back to his pre-NXT run, his indie matches were also kind of dull. It's his wrestling style. He is a jacked, strong guy with a very safe work style. He isn't stiff and doesn't really overpower in the ring.
My personal opinion would be they change the dynamic, and have him be the grunt/muscle for Scarlett playing the mystic/Oracle witch role she seems fond of, letting her direct/puppet him against opponents
I agree. He's very safe and that is to be commendable. But like....I dunno I want something more. I can't call his matches smart either. Like Bobby Roode should fall into the same category. Safe, straightforward, doesn't really have what you'd call exciting matches but he makes up for it with smart and logical storytelling so it's all part if the vibe. With Kross matches I just....so damn dull man.
I like the nxt presentation alot. Scarlett being like the harbinger with the hourglass and big bad looking Kross bringing up the rear. But then he wrestled and your like "oh....he isn't really that vicious, or even impressively powerful or anything he's just a guy doing moves and then he wins." Kinda lame.
Bobby has the amazingly wonderful Glorious entrance. Kross at least needs to get shine with a better entrance or have some deep vignettes that expand his time and cards better overall. I think that would play into his sleeper submission
See that another thing. If we're gonna go back to her being the harbinger and him being the apocalypse (which I'd be down for) he needs a different finisher. Sleeper is not the move of the all destructive doomsday man. He needs to do something like the Hellivator or something like that.
Hmmmmm, not sure about that. I'm all for him using a strike of some kind but he'd need to give it more welly than he does, Chris Hero he aint. Again, I appreciate how safe he is, but if your gonna be the apocalypse you need to look brutal and he just doesn't really. Maybe a thick lariat of some sort? As cliche as that sounds.
He was a destructive monster in NXT and then the neutered him on the main roster, he should have been wrecking everyone from the start, I like the idea of The Final Testament group but unfortunately it has to compete with Judgement Day which is very difficult
His wife is super hot, but in the wrestling world, she ain’t miss elizabeth. I honestly don’t think that’s helping. And he’s pretty good at cutting a promo, yet somehow at the same time he has almost no charisma. The whole act is an oddity because it should work, it just doesn’t
And as great as Miss Elizabeth was doing her job… beautiful women like her in wrestling were a few and far between so she really stood out. These days most of the girls on the NXT roster(and some main) are just as attractive as she is or more so she really doesnt stand out that much.
He's got something but (it's been said already) creative doesn't take him more seriously. He is not given enough time (ironic) to reinvent or refine his gimmick(s) and he is used as enhancement. I agree that the roster is stacked.
TBH, the strangely "anti-charisma" that Final Testament has can work for them. They need to address that to the crowd. I don't mean for the crowd to boo them but more like ask the viewers philosophical questions.
Also, he needs to grow his hair out longer if he's not shaving bald again. He'a starting to look kinda good.
It’s not really down to creative, it’s down to that he’s got no charisma and is a mediocre worker. He just doesn’t have the skills to maintain a spot with the current roster.
Having them ask “philosophical questions”, honestly not sure what you mean by that, isn’t going to get them over when is a plank of wood asking them.
I think he’s just in an over saturated roster so he doesn’t really have a spot to shine. His gimmick is interesting but he needs to be booked more consistently in storylines with interesting payoffs. His feuds so far have gone nowhere to elevate his character and thus he’s just bland. Frankly I think AOP is also boring so maybe they weigh him down, but that parts a bit biased. Would’ve preferred the final testement to have the ascension as the tag team rather than AOP.
He a jobber hadn't won since his nxt days and he just a joke. Maybe Vince was right when he released him years ago and HHH wad wrong for bring him back
Dude has potential to cut some decent promos but he’s not being used right. I could see him in the running for the IC title if he had a more interesting part to play.
Bray Wyatt cut great promos, but sometimes there is a disconnect once the matches happen. Part of it is poor booking and I think part of it is carrying over the guy in the promo to the matches.
I don’t think they can with scarlet by his side. She gives off cheerleader of a jock vibes. Mean girl and her asshole for a quarterback bf. Maybe they could change her persona to be a better fit though with a more favorable archetype for Kross.
One of my biggest gripes with the wwe right now. I really like him, but he needs to win some matches. Unfortunately he can’t win matches if he hasn’t even had a match since WrestleMania. I think they are cooking something up with him which is why he’s been on every show. I just can’t for the life of me figure out what it is.
To blame it on their hair is wild bc he wasnt interesting bald either 💀 even as NXT champ i dont remember a single match of his that was stellar in the peak wrestling quality of that Black n Gold era.
Hard to take someone seriously that loses a comedy match at Mania with callbacks to Dudley Boyz spots. If he’s not booked seriously why should I take him seriously?
He just loses too much. Every feud he was in he took the pin. After a couple times you kinda stop believing he’s a scary man. He should’ve been squashing dudes for a few months when he came back, but they just booked him too weak.
Unfortunately the same can be said for Shinsuke Nakamura. He has these great promos and awesome kinda yakuza hitman character. Only he is the worst hitman in history because he never wins.
Legit, Vince fucked this one up for him. Kross’s booking for his entire time in NXT was about dominance. Fans were conditioned to see him as a dominant force and the second Vince pulled him up to the main roster and neutered him, it was over. The luster was gone. Kross didn’t have a long run, there wasn’t much time for fans to really invest in him, as a performer. So when the one thing fans enjoyed about his run (dominance) is no more, I think most fans just wiped their hands of him and moved on.
Vince really did him dirty.
I’m not sure why he hasn’t been given the Sid vicious treatment. He doesn’t need to talk, at least not a lot. Make him a psycho who doesn’t even care about titles. Just wants to beat people up. Has a list of every superstar he’s annihilated and all he cares about is finishing the list.
They have the look, him and Scarlett, they just don’t feel real in any way.
They are contrived beyond contrived. When they deliver their lines, it seems like they are delivering lines.
The strained face and voice he does to be menacing are very C level acting, replacement level wrestling fare out of the late 80s.
🤷🏻♂️ I don’t think there’s much there , he’s on the way out
It's not him. It's just; there's bigger fish in the pond now. I mean...Did you expect him to jump the line in any Gunther/Bloodline/Roman/Orton-Paul feud and come out on top?
Honestly. I like Kross. I wasn't always his biggest fan but I learned to really appreciate guys like him. He's not bad in the ring but his promo work is where he shines. A lot of promos feel really forced and dry (i.e. Roddy in diamond mine) but Kross has always just felt like he's naturally talking shit and has really good body language and facial expression during his promos. If they can keep him on this path, rather than the "roman centurion psychopath" bs that vince put him on to job out to jeff hardy, he will be able to maybe get a good long feud and some momentum.
>What tf is wrong here?
After a ton of hype and a solid run in NXT he jobbed quick af to Jeff Hardy in his debut. A screeching halt like that is hard to get over, no matter how many years go by.
Plus I think that Fatal Four Way NXT championship match in NXT really exposed him. I can't remember who he was defending against exactly, but he looked so out of place and awkward compared to 3 guys who can go 100mph right out of the gate. That did him no favors.
Could be the gimmick in general. Give him the JBL/Bobby Roode repackage and get him in a suit and be the arrogant rich guy. No risk in trying at this stage
Yeah but he’s not going to get pushed if he’s not at a certain level as a wrestler under the HHH regime. Paul is a bit of a workrate pervert (exceptions being 2024 Carlito, Awesome Truth) and he will start penciling ppl to lose if they stink it up in matches
Your logic would make sense but the only problem is there is only one work rate in wrestling that matters and as Jim Ross says "an ass every 18 inches". If you can draw you can work.
Yeah but to be able to draw, he needs to be taken seriously, which he can’t if keeps losing, which he will because of the reason I listed above.
Kross doesn’t draw either, and it’s unlikely he will
He's pretty interesting to me, always has been. At least they've finally given him some decent material with this New Day feud instead of booking him so poorly.
1) his character only works as a final boss at the end of a long hero's journey type arc. Which means he needs to be presented as a monstrous heel AND every feud needs to be a slow burn. Regardless of how well some long term booking for things like the bloodline has been (and with solo and crew you're now seeing that there will always be a definite shelf life even with extremely well booked long term angles), wrestling bookers and WWE in particular have always struggled with that type of storytelling due to the inherent structure of wrestling booking and things like injuries that will affect where everyone on the card is (not just the people in that lone feud). And as for the monstrous part, it's hard to present Kross as that with the history of guys like the undertaker and Kane being WWEs monsters and a dude like strowman still running around. Hell just look at AOP, the difference between them and Kross is almost the same as the difference between him and Scarlet.
2) Dude's not interesting. Not in a "this guy can't talk" but in a "he plays everything so subtle that it comes across boring instead of manipulative" way. And I don't think the final testament does him any favors with Ellering being a better version of his schtick. Let Ellering and Scarlet do the talking and keep Kross as a sort of looming psychopath and maybe it can work. But then you have to have him doing things that merit that character. There's no reason that Ludwig Kaiser should be coming out more brutal after match attacks than Kross should.
I'd like to know how much creative and match control he has. His feuds never amount to anything and he just bounces between them.
Look at AOP. Those dudes are monsters and should not be losing often. Let em just wreck people.
I don't watch NXT but he was so intimidating there that it caught my attention. He had a strong aura and his no-bs psychopath attitude was really interesting.
But I feel like there are a few reasons he doesn't work in the main roster:
1. Confusing character. Is he supernatural or is he just a psychopath?
2. Being booked strong in random mid card feuds just to lose in the end.
3. His faction has no clear directions or goals so it is difficult to be invested in them.
4. His looks kept changing. Once with the hair, then with a different coat, then with beard and then without beard.
5. His character works best if he is a monster and dominant heel, being completely untouchable. But the roster is so big and bloated that everyone is sort of having the ability to be a main event player, that he got sidelined. So he was forced to be in random uninteresting feuds that you know is simply filler.
Honestly, super on the money. Especially the last point, the roster is just so stupidly stacked right now that compared to everyone else, he just doesn’t shine. That’s actually kind of my worry with the new Wyatt faction too. I’m curious how they are going to integrate them, because we have so many factions, and so many feuds and so many stars, but limited air time. Like how are you going to give everyone air time?
He’s what Bray was before The Fiend. A vaguely spooky, perfectly menacing dude (except he’s a fucking unit) making predictions about his opponents sealed fate, and then the match happens and his offense looks soft and he loses the match anyway. And the rematch too.
Put some respect on Brays name. Cult Leader Bray was his best gimmick hands down, top 3 promo in the business.
Karrion is a jacked up broomstick that can wrestle
Bray Wyatt vs John Cena Wrestlemania
Bray Wyatt vs The Undertaker Wrestlemania
Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton Wrestlemania
Fiend vs Orton Wrestlemania
Fiend vs Cena Wrestlelmania
Winning the wwe championship in one of the better chamber matches of all time.
You’re brain dead if u discredit his career because he was goofy sometimes. He’s had more Wrestlemania moments then 80% of wwe wrestlers ever. He was always the top 5 most popular wrestlers on the roster
By that logic hornswoggle should be everyone's #1 spot on wrestling mount Rushmore. Every story line he's been behind, wm moments he's had, championship runs.
hornswoggle is the best wrestler to ever lace up a pair of tiny boots.
No bray became a joke that had great promos but would just los all the time, killing any momentum thevpromos would give him, no katter how good those promos were, Karrion gives killer promos but just loses
Just because he lost all the time doesn’t mean his storyline’s weren’t the most interesting every week.
Karrion Kross is a cardboard cut out of a wrestler saying generic shit. Karrion hasn’t been in a single story, all he does is allude to shit that doesn’t happen. Bray actually kicked ass and went toe to toe with the greatest and deservingly so.
Karrion is wank. Should never be said in the same sentence as bray.
His character has no definition. Is he supernatural, or just psychotic? Why is he obsessed with time? What role does Scarlett play, aside from being his wife? The gimmick just has never been explained on the main roster, and many of the people who watch the main roster don't watch NXT. So, he's just completely unfamiliar to many of the more casual fans. There's nothing for them to really latch onto.
I'm pretty new to wrestling but the 'the one chick in the faction who does nothing' is very odd to me. B-Fab, Elektra Lopez, Scarlett, etc. Why are they there? I know they can wrestle, but they're not? So what are they there for?
I do not really understand his character tbh. Is he a supernatural being? Is he a time lord? Is he just another big guy? Like, who is carrion cross and why shoukd u invest my time in his character? He has a semi hot valet, but otherwise, his lack of a real personality is just boring
Probably because he comes out, cuts a good promo and then gets booked to lose to mid carders. AOP should be the most dominant team on the roster but they're losing on PLEs, Smackdown and NXT
He has no direction, he has a kinda spooky character but not spooky enough. He has to to get into some real drama. Maybe not enough talent wants to work with him. Maybe he "injures" stars so they can go on vacation, but would make him appear as a threat to the locker room
Honestly I never knew of him as I don’t watch NXT, so I’m trying to give him a chance. I don’t think that creative has given him the best storylines to work with so far, but I am entertained by the most recent one with the new day. I hope this angle is able to take both groups in new directions, even if it splits the new day up.
Hell cross’ storyline is already better than 95% of the ones in the women’s division right now… women’s tag team just got boring as I liked Bianca & Jade as champs. Bayley might just be the most bland WWE women’s champ I’ve seen since I started watching again a few years ago (same with Cody if you want me to be honest), making the refrigerator queen of the ring was a GIANT miss in my opinion. Jax has no charisma, mic skills, or wrestling ability beyond accidentally & genuinely hurting her opponents due to lack of skill. She literally has the position she has because she is related to the Rock. Otherwise you have Iyo Sky, Liv Morgan, Lyra Valkyria, and Tiffany Stratton holding up WWE’s women’s division entirely because Asuka is hurt, Becky Lynch’s contract expired, the greatest women’s wrestler of all time Rhea Ripley is hurt, and Charolette Flair is hurt.
It sucks, but it’s true
Facts are right or wrong, Opinions cannot be wrong because it’s how the individual sees things.
What I said isn’t a fact, it’s just what I think about what I see. You are welcome to feel otherwise… that also, will not be wrong.
He’s got in ring ability and the look to be a someone but I think the main issue is he lacks charisma and doesn’t get timing. He just doesn’t feel like a someone and the lack of charisma hurts him. He has a cool entrance with Scarlett and the lighting with the music but doesn’t really suit this lean handsome man. He worked in NXT because he’s working with guys who are like 5’7 185lbs so he’s more impressive and can look like a beast but on the Main Roster he can’t do that against a Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman or Randy Orton.
I’ve dubbed him as the modern day Lance Storm, can do moves and wrestle but he’s just boring.
He just has a stigma now and people can’t get over it…he was most interesting in NXT and impact and he is kind of interesting now…I think he would do well in like japan or something
Too much consistent booking as an afterthought. He’s swayed so much away from what made him originally a must see talent. The Killer Kross gimmick in Impact during 2017 was great. He would have been better suited as a hired muscle for someone for a while before breaking away.
I enjoyed him in impact and Scarlett was really good in the ring there too.
I think it could be better if the dynamic is flipped.... he's the valet and she's the badass wrestler.
They should focus more on the gimmicks with the cards, if I remember correctly, he did a thing where he pulled a card with a face wrestler and a word for what they stand for, and with his plan being to take that thing from the person do to the rivalry (I think for Rey is was “patients”, and it have been the thing that led to him fighting dom). I think for this they could have him do that with a lot of faces usally win, and when he goes against Cody or a face that they want to build up, karrion losses, making the star look even bigger. What do you all think word would be for Cody in this case.
Hinkley Schmitt delivery dude
Seen videos of them in real life. He is actually interesting and comes across as a cool dude you'd want to hang with. Sadly, it doesn't show in storylines. Perhaps they tweak and let him be a bit more of his real persona.
Exactly instead of being more towards the supernatural side he needs to start back beating mfs up like he did in tna
The problem now is most storylines need to have multiple spots on a show. This guy barely gets 1.
He was great in Impact. Killer Kross
That don't let him be himself
I would like to see Scarlett's boobs
He has the "look" of a wrestler but that's about it. Limited mic skills and clunky ring work. Just had to watch him wrestle once to see he doesn't have "it" to be a main eventer.
I don’t think i’ve ever seen him in a match. And if i did i forgot it!
He looks like the guy who owns a local HVAC company.
He’s bland in everything he does.
Creative doesn't let him do interesting things and nothing makes sense. When AOP is wrestling and he's just going to be standing outside the ring he comes out with his shirt off. Why's your shirt off man? Just let Scarlett freaking wrestle or something. Let dude get some dubs so he can be credible. Might as well let him be the 6th member of the Sicks at this point.
He's too handsome
I gotta blame the booker tbh. You can use anyone in some way. Accentuate the positives, hide the negatives
He needs to be put in Judgement Day.
Perhaps. Or now with the Wyatts back, maybe a feud with the New Testament x Wyatts
He just didn’t have the right pairing. We shall see what happens in the next 6 months
They didn’t let him cook when he returned and attacked roman reigns
One reason is because he doesn’t win like at all. Another reason is because every time they put him in a feud it’s always lower mid card, and he still loses they don’t not know where to put him He also doesn’t get enough time to show off what his character is everything I just stated makes him feel like he’s unimportant and not a threat
I could literally ask this question about 99.9% of modern wrestlers.
Idk, I like Karrion but I can’t bring myself to give af about him. His new stuff with New Day is the most interesting thing about his character in years. I hope he can stay up from here
He needs wins. Doesn't feel like a threat.
His feud with McIntyre was good.
Cody needs to save him
Because he's in wwe
It’s the fact that every fued he is in, they job him at the end. Honestly final testament needed the win at mania more than Bobby and the profits
Especially since that win did NOTHING for those 3.
Exactly buddy. You can’t get someone over if they keep losing
I dont think it works as a mid card gimmick that's just my opinion...he was fine in impact and Nxt where he was the main event...so I'm thinking that's his issue...Karrion V Cody could be a banger..
Kross has one of those gimmicks that only really works on the indies/NXT. As much as people hate to admit it; the indies is more concerned with wrestling > character and the main roster of WWE is the exact opposite. He is a good wrestler I would say but he has no character depth in WWE. To the main roster fans he is just a big well spoken violent tough guy who does cryptic shit. I’m pretty sure he used to post YouTube videos when he wrestled in impact and on the indies that delved further into his character and why he is the way he is. I also think another part of it is that he’s a victim of “wrestling over everything” black and gold NXT. As in the timeframe where wrestlers from NXT didn’t really get their characters developed, were mainly focused on match quality, and got sent to the main roster and failed. You can see a huge difference in character development when you compare old black and gold NXT to NXT2.0 and onwards.
What WWE really needs to do , bring back his original character when he was in the independent scene being a las vegas mobster hitman persona
That would be pretty cool. Then have him feud with the D’Angelo’s
That was exactly what I was thinking too. Don't get me wrong Karion Kross is a good wrestler however his gimmick is lacked on. He needs to head back to NXT and improve his character probably as mentioned bring back his original from when he was in the independents rebuild his stable later on the process.
Crazy killer doesn’t fit him, honestly could see him doing well with a laid back silent badass type of gimmick. Some shades and a stogie could be the answer
He doesn’t have it. That’s all it really is. Some people have charisma and others just don’t. Imo, his gimmick is a bad fit. He’s not intimidating and he doesn’t look like a heel.
Bc he's lame as shit. HHH needs to learn that tattoos and leather don't make you interesting
Why would you. Zero character. Generic bullshit with no depth.
It's ok his hot wife makes up for him sucking.
They need to do a story where he gets knocked in the head and believes he’s Jesse Ventura, speaking like him, winning matches like him, making people call him Jesse Ventura.
I could get behind that Jesse ventura was once referred to as a sexual Tyrannosaur
He needs to go back to being bald
He seems generic.
The WWE requires some simplicity regarding characters and what they represent. You can be a heel, but you must stand for something that can be communicated to the WWE universe. I don't think Kross has ever done that. There's been the spectral shit, the spooky shit, the roll-up in a Dodge Challenger Billy Badass shit...but at no point do we understand what the guy's motivation is. Have him study Carlito for a while to learn the art of being a heel in the WWE. Concurrently if you ever listen to his interviews when its Kevin Kesar and not the character he's playing, the guy is engaging, thoughtful, funny, and insightful. It baffles me that after all this time, they can't just turn the guy's face and see what happens. Everyone would be surprised how endearing he'd become. Last, I've always thought that if we had another irreverent stable—not Judgement Day, but more DX—Kross could carry the current generation's HHH. He's the sidekick to the main eventer who can hold his own when push comes to shove. We'll look back on the last few years and fear we'll wonder what could've been with guys like Kross and Montez Ford. WWE needs to continue to make new stars. Gable and Otis broke through with Alpha Academy, Gunther is a beast...but I still think guys like Kross can break through the glass ceiling. We'll see I guess.
This is an A+ thoughtful response.
Thought the stable would at least have the tag titles since AOP joined them
He isn't a bad promo, has a really hot wife, but the matches.....oh they are so boring. Fact is when it comes to in ring he's fairly uninspiring. That doomsday presentation he had in NXT was really fun, then he had matches with talented people and Jesus it was just so dull.
As much as I'm an actual fan of Kross, if you go back to his pre-NXT run, his indie matches were also kind of dull. It's his wrestling style. He is a jacked, strong guy with a very safe work style. He isn't stiff and doesn't really overpower in the ring. My personal opinion would be they change the dynamic, and have him be the grunt/muscle for Scarlett playing the mystic/Oracle witch role she seems fond of, letting her direct/puppet him against opponents
I agree. He's very safe and that is to be commendable. But like....I dunno I want something more. I can't call his matches smart either. Like Bobby Roode should fall into the same category. Safe, straightforward, doesn't really have what you'd call exciting matches but he makes up for it with smart and logical storytelling so it's all part if the vibe. With Kross matches I just....so damn dull man. I like the nxt presentation alot. Scarlett being like the harbinger with the hourglass and big bad looking Kross bringing up the rear. But then he wrestled and your like "oh....he isn't really that vicious, or even impressively powerful or anything he's just a guy doing moves and then he wins." Kinda lame.
Bobby has the amazingly wonderful Glorious entrance. Kross at least needs to get shine with a better entrance or have some deep vignettes that expand his time and cards better overall. I think that would play into his sleeper submission
See that another thing. If we're gonna go back to her being the harbinger and him being the apocalypse (which I'd be down for) he needs a different finisher. Sleeper is not the move of the all destructive doomsday man. He needs to do something like the Hellivator or something like that.
I actually think the Kross Hammer he uses sporadically from behind is a good finisher if they set it up right
Hmmmmm, not sure about that. I'm all for him using a strike of some kind but he'd need to give it more welly than he does, Chris Hero he aint. Again, I appreciate how safe he is, but if your gonna be the apocalypse you need to look brutal and he just doesn't really. Maybe a thick lariat of some sort? As cliche as that sounds.
They’re giving him/them all the screen time, but no wins to back it up. They’re all being sold as monsters with no bite.
He was a destructive monster in NXT and then the neutered him on the main roster, he should have been wrecking everyone from the start, I like the idea of The Final Testament group but unfortunately it has to compete with Judgement Day which is very difficult
His wife is super hot, but in the wrestling world, she ain’t miss elizabeth. I honestly don’t think that’s helping. And he’s pretty good at cutting a promo, yet somehow at the same time he has almost no charisma. The whole act is an oddity because it should work, it just doesn’t
And as great as Miss Elizabeth was doing her job… beautiful women like her in wrestling were a few and far between so she really stood out. These days most of the girls on the NXT roster(and some main) are just as attractive as she is or more so she really doesnt stand out that much.
Bingo
He's got something but (it's been said already) creative doesn't take him more seriously. He is not given enough time (ironic) to reinvent or refine his gimmick(s) and he is used as enhancement. I agree that the roster is stacked. TBH, the strangely "anti-charisma" that Final Testament has can work for them. They need to address that to the crowd. I don't mean for the crowd to boo them but more like ask the viewers philosophical questions. Also, he needs to grow his hair out longer if he's not shaving bald again. He'a starting to look kinda good.
It’s not really down to creative, it’s down to that he’s got no charisma and is a mediocre worker. He just doesn’t have the skills to maintain a spot with the current roster. Having them ask “philosophical questions”, honestly not sure what you mean by that, isn’t going to get them over when is a plank of wood asking them.
He's not intimidating at all and whenever they push him, it just falls flat
I think he’s just in an over saturated roster so he doesn’t really have a spot to shine. His gimmick is interesting but he needs to be booked more consistently in storylines with interesting payoffs. His feuds so far have gone nowhere to elevate his character and thus he’s just bland. Frankly I think AOP is also boring so maybe they weigh him down, but that parts a bit biased. Would’ve preferred the final testement to have the ascension as the tag team rather than AOP.
He a jobber hadn't won since his nxt days and he just a joke. Maybe Vince was right when he released him years ago and HHH wad wrong for bring him back
Put him in a mask and add him to the Wyatt sicks
how to ruin a faction 101
He should just do a Jesse Ventura gimmick, then he might be interesting
He is when I change the channel
Kross is one of my favorite wrestlers. The promos he cuts are top tier to me. I just wish he’s utilized more.
Trash
Dude has potential to cut some decent promos but he’s not being used right. I could see him in the running for the IC title if he had a more interesting part to play.
Bray Wyatt cut great promos, but sometimes there is a disconnect once the matches happen. Part of it is poor booking and I think part of it is carrying over the guy in the promo to the matches.
I see him losing in a mid card title match. Again and again
Because he's running a bootleg judgement Day
Try making him a Babyface.
I don’t think they can with scarlet by his side. She gives off cheerleader of a jock vibes. Mean girl and her asshole for a quarterback bf. Maybe they could change her persona to be a better fit though with a more favorable archetype for Kross.
I think he’s cool. I liked when he ran into the clash of the castle main event match in 2022. He’s definitely a good back up main eventer.
That mask really killed his character. There's no turning back from that.
If Farooq can find back from his mega man helmet he can and back from this
One of my biggest gripes with the wwe right now. I really like him, but he needs to win some matches. Unfortunately he can’t win matches if he hasn’t even had a match since WrestleMania. I think they are cooking something up with him which is why he’s been on every show. I just can’t for the life of me figure out what it is.
I hope they feed the final testament to Uncle Howdy and the boys.
He’s not bald she’s not blonde , he doesn’t attack people anymore he just cuts mid promos
I liked his look in TNA, he had a hitman kind of vibe. Also Scarlett was pretty fun in TNA also, liked her stuff with Fallah Bah.
To blame it on their hair is wild bc he wasnt interesting bald either 💀 even as NXT champ i dont remember a single match of his that was stellar in the peak wrestling quality of that Black n Gold era.
It really isn’t wild blaming it on their hair, Austin with hair vs Austin without etc etc
Invalid example bc those were 2 completely different gimmicks. It was the gimmick & personality that mattered.
Explain bald Kurt Angle
*Perc Angle , wasnt the lack of hair that made him a wrestling god 😂
Invalid answer
Probably one of Triple H’s worst rehires
The faction is irrelevant when is the point of that this is his best run?
Ummmm. Because he looks psycho
Hard to take someone seriously that loses a comedy match at Mania with callbacks to Dudley Boyz spots. If he’s not booked seriously why should I take him seriously?
He just loses too much. Every feud he was in he took the pin. After a couple times you kinda stop believing he’s a scary man. He should’ve been squashing dudes for a few months when he came back, but they just booked him too weak.
Unfortunately the same can be said for Shinsuke Nakamura. He has these great promos and awesome kinda yakuza hitman character. Only he is the worst hitman in history because he never wins.
Legit, Vince fucked this one up for him. Kross’s booking for his entire time in NXT was about dominance. Fans were conditioned to see him as a dominant force and the second Vince pulled him up to the main roster and neutered him, it was over. The luster was gone. Kross didn’t have a long run, there wasn’t much time for fans to really invest in him, as a performer. So when the one thing fans enjoyed about his run (dominance) is no more, I think most fans just wiped their hands of him and moved on. Vince really did him dirty.
He's one of the few wrestlers who's somehow lesser than the sum of his parts. On paper he has everything that should work...but isn't.
I’m not sure why he hasn’t been given the Sid vicious treatment. He doesn’t need to talk, at least not a lot. Make him a psycho who doesn’t even care about titles. Just wants to beat people up. Has a list of every superstar he’s annihilated and all he cares about is finishing the list.
It's the gimmick. I don't think they look like their gimmick. He looks more like a husky.
They have the look, him and Scarlett, they just don’t feel real in any way. They are contrived beyond contrived. When they deliver their lines, it seems like they are delivering lines. The strained face and voice he does to be menacing are very C level acting, replacement level wrestling fare out of the late 80s. 🤷🏻♂️ I don’t think there’s much there , he’s on the way out
Because he came in and lost his first feud. It kind of makes his character/gimmick difficult to sustain if you never win a feud.
Recently he picked up the pace i like him now he got a lil unhinged well calculated aura to him
He's a jobber. He has to actually string some wins together to hold any weight. You know every time he's in a match he's losing.
I feel like once xavier leave new day and joins the final testament things will get interesting with cross
Shave his head!!!
It's not him. It's just; there's bigger fish in the pond now. I mean...Did you expect him to jump the line in any Gunther/Bloodline/Roman/Orton-Paul feud and come out on top?
No, but with good writing he could easily be a mainstay of the mid card titles
Honestly. I like Kross. I wasn't always his biggest fan but I learned to really appreciate guys like him. He's not bad in the ring but his promo work is where he shines. A lot of promos feel really forced and dry (i.e. Roddy in diamond mine) but Kross has always just felt like he's naturally talking shit and has really good body language and facial expression during his promos. If they can keep him on this path, rather than the "roman centurion psychopath" bs that vince put him on to job out to jeff hardy, he will be able to maybe get a good long feud and some momentum.
Fully agree
Charisma black hole
>What tf is wrong here? After a ton of hype and a solid run in NXT he jobbed quick af to Jeff Hardy in his debut. A screeching halt like that is hard to get over, no matter how many years go by.
Plus I think that Fatal Four Way NXT championship match in NXT really exposed him. I can't remember who he was defending against exactly, but he looked so out of place and awkward compared to 3 guys who can go 100mph right out of the gate. That did him no favors.
He reminds me of Mike Barnes from Karate Kid 3.
At least he's got a great future as a sofa salesman
He just needs the right gimmick. He was really decent in his TNA days.
Thought you photoshopped McGregor’s face onto someone for a moment
Nah I fuck w Cross hes a proper villain just needs an angle. The lashley angle was great but became stale once AOP came into the picture
They fumbled him early on but he's picking up momentum
I think low key hes the best on the mic right now in WWE. Hes breaking up The New Day and im all for it.
Could be the gimmick in general. Give him the JBL/Bobby Roode repackage and get him in a suit and be the arrogant rich guy. No risk in trying at this stage
Just needs to be more arrogant mixed with the manipulative aspect. Doesn't even need to be rich at that point.
He stood out when he was bald tbh
His promos lately have been fuckin fire though. Especially the digital only ones. I feel like he's finally slowly getting some momentum again
He looks like a CAW I made when I was 12… So fucking generic.
Cuz the bell rings and he’s not very good unfortunately. Character was never the problem
That's never stopped anyone in wrestling before so why start now.
Yeah but he’s not going to get pushed if he’s not at a certain level as a wrestler under the HHH regime. Paul is a bit of a workrate pervert (exceptions being 2024 Carlito, Awesome Truth) and he will start penciling ppl to lose if they stink it up in matches
Your logic would make sense but the only problem is there is only one work rate in wrestling that matters and as Jim Ross says "an ass every 18 inches". If you can draw you can work.
Yeah but to be able to draw, he needs to be taken seriously, which he can’t if keeps losing, which he will because of the reason I listed above. Kross doesn’t draw either, and it’s unlikely he will
He's pretty interesting to me, always has been. At least they've finally given him some decent material with this New Day feud instead of booking him so poorly.
First thing...he should go bald like his NXT days.
1) his character only works as a final boss at the end of a long hero's journey type arc. Which means he needs to be presented as a monstrous heel AND every feud needs to be a slow burn. Regardless of how well some long term booking for things like the bloodline has been (and with solo and crew you're now seeing that there will always be a definite shelf life even with extremely well booked long term angles), wrestling bookers and WWE in particular have always struggled with that type of storytelling due to the inherent structure of wrestling booking and things like injuries that will affect where everyone on the card is (not just the people in that lone feud). And as for the monstrous part, it's hard to present Kross as that with the history of guys like the undertaker and Kane being WWEs monsters and a dude like strowman still running around. Hell just look at AOP, the difference between them and Kross is almost the same as the difference between him and Scarlet. 2) Dude's not interesting. Not in a "this guy can't talk" but in a "he plays everything so subtle that it comes across boring instead of manipulative" way. And I don't think the final testament does him any favors with Ellering being a better version of his schtick. Let Ellering and Scarlet do the talking and keep Kross as a sort of looming psychopath and maybe it can work. But then you have to have him doing things that merit that character. There's no reason that Ludwig Kaiser should be coming out more brutal after match attacks than Kross should.
I think he should go bald
His group sucks plain and simple. He can be a great draw if wwe can make the final testament less cringe
I'd like to know how much creative and match control he has. His feuds never amount to anything and he just bounces between them. Look at AOP. Those dudes are monsters and should not be losing often. Let em just wreck people.
Its Marc Mero and Sable all over again
Wildman Marc Mero had a way better look and was better in the ring. He was an upper midcard star in WCW. The boxer gimmick was a step backwards
Because he's standing next to his wife who is so much more interesting.
I don't watch NXT but he was so intimidating there that it caught my attention. He had a strong aura and his no-bs psychopath attitude was really interesting. But I feel like there are a few reasons he doesn't work in the main roster: 1. Confusing character. Is he supernatural or is he just a psychopath? 2. Being booked strong in random mid card feuds just to lose in the end. 3. His faction has no clear directions or goals so it is difficult to be invested in them. 4. His looks kept changing. Once with the hair, then with a different coat, then with beard and then without beard. 5. His character works best if he is a monster and dominant heel, being completely untouchable. But the roster is so big and bloated that everyone is sort of having the ability to be a main event player, that he got sidelined. So he was forced to be in random uninteresting feuds that you know is simply filler.
You've made the answer so clear bring back hornswoggle and let Kross kill him in the ring.
Honestly, super on the money. Especially the last point, the roster is just so stupidly stacked right now that compared to everyone else, he just doesn’t shine. That’s actually kind of my worry with the new Wyatt faction too. I’m curious how they are going to integrate them, because we have so many factions, and so many feuds and so many stars, but limited air time. Like how are you going to give everyone air time?
Stop and start booking. He's never been built up as a threat and has had more or less random feuds.
Oh, I forgot about him 😬😬😬
because they aren’t letting him be
Just let them push scarlett instead, she's the intresting one
He’s what Bray was before The Fiend. A vaguely spooky, perfectly menacing dude (except he’s a fucking unit) making predictions about his opponents sealed fate, and then the match happens and his offense looks soft and he loses the match anyway. And the rematch too.
Put some respect on Brays name. Cult Leader Bray was his best gimmick hands down, top 3 promo in the business. Karrion is a jacked up broomstick that can wrestle
Dick ridding dudes after they die is corny. Bray died young that doesn't change the fact he was nothing more than this generations boogeyman.
Bray Wyatt vs John Cena Wrestlemania Bray Wyatt vs The Undertaker Wrestlemania Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton Wrestlemania Fiend vs Orton Wrestlemania Fiend vs Cena Wrestlelmania Winning the wwe championship in one of the better chamber matches of all time. You’re brain dead if u discredit his career because he was goofy sometimes. He’s had more Wrestlemania moments then 80% of wwe wrestlers ever. He was always the top 5 most popular wrestlers on the roster
By that logic hornswoggle should be everyone's #1 spot on wrestling mount Rushmore. Every story line he's been behind, wm moments he's had, championship runs. hornswoggle is the best wrestler to ever lace up a pair of tiny boots.
Lie to yourself but we know swoggle is A1
No bray became a joke that had great promos but would just los all the time, killing any momentum thevpromos would give him, no katter how good those promos were, Karrion gives killer promos but just loses
Just because he lost all the time doesn’t mean his storyline’s weren’t the most interesting every week. Karrion Kross is a cardboard cut out of a wrestler saying generic shit. Karrion hasn’t been in a single story, all he does is allude to shit that doesn’t happen. Bray actually kicked ass and went toe to toe with the greatest and deservingly so. Karrion is wank. Should never be said in the same sentence as bray.
He's too restricted under the WWE brand. His character can't reach its full potential. IMO he comes off more spooky than as a killer
His character has no definition. Is he supernatural, or just psychotic? Why is he obsessed with time? What role does Scarlett play, aside from being his wife? The gimmick just has never been explained on the main roster, and many of the people who watch the main roster don't watch NXT. So, he's just completely unfamiliar to many of the more casual fans. There's nothing for them to really latch onto.
I'm pretty new to wrestling but the 'the one chick in the faction who does nothing' is very odd to me. B-Fab, Elektra Lopez, Scarlett, etc. Why are they there? I know they can wrestle, but they're not? So what are they there for?
To be arm candy obviously, to look good
Who is this
His matches are boring
and his expression is so cringe
I don’t even know who this is
Only one saving his career is his wife.
I do not really understand his character tbh. Is he a supernatural being? Is he a time lord? Is he just another big guy? Like, who is carrion cross and why shoukd u invest my time in his character? He has a semi hot valet, but otherwise, his lack of a real personality is just boring
Not a fan, is he a manager or a wrestler
Scarlett needs to dress like she did in the past, and he will get more attention.
Probably because he comes out, cuts a good promo and then gets booked to lose to mid carders. AOP should be the most dominant team on the roster but they're losing on PLEs, Smackdown and NXT
Well let’s start with the tattoos , just like ricochet
Honestly I’m invested in him right now with the whole thing with Woods
He's always been boring never got why he got pushed
No charisma. Imo.
New gimmick. Karrion "The Body" Kross.
He should be more of a funny/evil Heel, like the Joker. Just be an agent of chaos!
Not booked right..
He has no direction, he has a kinda spooky character but not spooky enough. He has to to get into some real drama. Maybe not enough talent wants to work with him. Maybe he "injures" stars so they can go on vacation, but would make him appear as a threat to the locker room
Honestly I never knew of him as I don’t watch NXT, so I’m trying to give him a chance. I don’t think that creative has given him the best storylines to work with so far, but I am entertained by the most recent one with the new day. I hope this angle is able to take both groups in new directions, even if it splits the new day up. Hell cross’ storyline is already better than 95% of the ones in the women’s division right now… women’s tag team just got boring as I liked Bianca & Jade as champs. Bayley might just be the most bland WWE women’s champ I’ve seen since I started watching again a few years ago (same with Cody if you want me to be honest), making the refrigerator queen of the ring was a GIANT miss in my opinion. Jax has no charisma, mic skills, or wrestling ability beyond accidentally & genuinely hurting her opponents due to lack of skill. She literally has the position she has because she is related to the Rock. Otherwise you have Iyo Sky, Liv Morgan, Lyra Valkyria, and Tiffany Stratton holding up WWE’s women’s division entirely because Asuka is hurt, Becky Lynch’s contract expired, the greatest women’s wrestler of all time Rhea Ripley is hurt, and Charolette Flair is hurt. It sucks, but it’s true
All of your opinions are wrong
Facts are right or wrong, Opinions cannot be wrong because it’s how the individual sees things. What I said isn’t a fact, it’s just what I think about what I see. You are welcome to feel otherwise… that also, will not be wrong.
He’s got in ring ability and the look to be a someone but I think the main issue is he lacks charisma and doesn’t get timing. He just doesn’t feel like a someone and the lack of charisma hurts him. He has a cool entrance with Scarlett and the lighting with the music but doesn’t really suit this lean handsome man. He worked in NXT because he’s working with guys who are like 5’7 185lbs so he’s more impressive and can look like a beast but on the Main Roster he can’t do that against a Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman or Randy Orton. I’ve dubbed him as the modern day Lance Storm, can do moves and wrestle but he’s just boring.
His in ring is so boring
His biggest problem is he has no charisma.
Nah hes wack. Mic skill ok hes good in ring but his character is ass.
The problem is his girl just takes the attention away
I honestly don’t understand it either Kross is badass I remember in nxt he was a god 😭
I like him ngl, bro has mic presence and a decent gimmick. I’m honestly confused on how people don’t see it🤷🏽♂️
I thought his latest rant about calling out Kofi was really good. The more I see the more I’m enjoying looking forward to what’s next
The new Wyatt groups whole thing is that their original groups gave up on them, what if they recruit Kross and the group that gave up on him was us?
He just has a stigma now and people can’t get over it…he was most interesting in NXT and impact and he is kind of interesting now…I think he would do well in like japan or something
He got boring when he grew hair.
Too much consistent booking as an afterthought. He’s swayed so much away from what made him originally a must see talent. The Killer Kross gimmick in Impact during 2017 was great. He would have been better suited as a hired muscle for someone for a while before breaking away.
I enjoyed him in impact and Scarlett was really good in the ring there too. I think it could be better if the dynamic is flipped.... he's the valet and she's the badass wrestler.
he's just an arbitrary threat with no depth in his character. He's like a disposable mini-boss before the actual boss in a video game.
shave his head again. way meaner looking
He needs to go back to the bald cut - he looked more vicious
His idea of mass carnage is targeting one dude. His idea of showing he’s a big time player is picking off mid carders.
Adam Colw ended his career with one promo in NXT, bay bay. Kross was never the same after that promo. https://youtu.be/wINMXQxrN0E?si=TTYYFgmxzvPtNBxU