WWE Star Karrion Kross Recalls Struggles After Main Roster Call Up
While Karrion Kross might be doing well with the Final Testament, his time on the main roster has been filled with hard times.
Kross recently sat down with Sam Roberts on "Notsam Wrestling" to discuss the challenges he faced immediately after getting called up to the main roster. Roberts mentioned his desire to see Kross' NXT persona on the main roster, only to be met with disappointment. Kross agreed and noted that many things changed once he made it to "WWE Raw."
"I was really surprised because I wanted to get the most I absolutely could out of 'NXT,' and do my best work, obviously," Kross began.
He recalled trying to demonstrate his capabilities — including work rate, ethic, and character knowledge — to get called up to the main roster. However, when he made his debut on the red brand, his work was "dismantled."
"I had tons of people telling me all different types of theories and reasons as to why that happened. None of them had anything to do with me; I just really didn't know what to do," Kross confessed. "You know, they literally just gave me a pro wrestler's dream run in 'NXT,' and now they're asking me to do this one thing that I think is absolutely stupid. I should probably just do it."
Kross recalled his "Gladiator" gimmick and said his costume looked "cartoony." He wrote off his outfit as a potential merchandising opportunity for WWE, similar to how Nikki Cross' superhero gimmick was sold as a costume set. He tried to be as co-operative as possible, but several figures backstage — including WWE's writing team — expressed a desire to transition Kross out of his ancient aesthetic.
Kross' idea for a gimmick revival was cut just prior to his 2021 release
One of the ideas Kross had prior to his November 2021 release was similar to The Final Testament, the faction he leads today.
"Before I left, I had this idea that was kind of, kind of what I'm doing right now," Kross explained. "[We] would target the history of the people we were working with — the babyfaces, let's say — and we'd talk about bad things they did in their career. The general premise was, like, nobody can avoid judgement. Like, everyone is guilty, and now you will be tried for this thing you did x amount of times ago."
A WWE creative figure suggested Kross use a throne or a gavel in this proposed, justice-oriented presentation, and he recalled wondering how close this faction could be to Ministry of Darkness, The Undertaker's Attitude Era faction that specialized in demonic rituals and human sacrifices.
Ultimately, Kross' proposed faction idea was not approved and Kross was released. While Kross' current Final Testament faction is not as judicious as the original plan was, his programs with The New Day and the Wyatt Sicks suggest a revival for him in the promotion.