Karrion Kross Discusses Why A More Significant Push In WWE Hasn't Materialized Yet

Patience may prove to be the ultimate virtue for Karrion Kross, as the former NXT Champion waits for his chance to shine on the main roster.
Karrion Kross and Scarlet on the red carpet
Karrion Kross and Scarlet on the red carpet | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Karrion Kross is one of WWE's more deeply sinister and nuanced characters, but he does a majority of his bidding from the shadows, as opposed to a center stage spotlight. His warfare is more psychological than actually physical most nights.

In fact, he's yet to wrestle a match for the company in 2025. Kross last competed against the Wyatt Sicks in December. It was a victory for the Final Testament, and their last after the Authors of Pain were released from their WWE contract earlier this month.

Perhaps that shift in creative direction will open Kross up for the opportunity he's been working to earn since he returned to WWE in 2022. Karrion was a guest on Geeking Out with Matt Serra this week and was asked about his current role in the company and why a more significant push has not yet materialized.

“I don’t know. It’s a dangerous question to answer, but this is what I will say. I don’t envy the position of creative or booking the show because you have this company, and it’s worth billions, and you have public shareholders. You don’t want to hire anything less than the best of the best. So now you have a whole roster full of people that are incredible."

Kross went on to compare the WWE roster to that a feature film. Saying that some people are, for lack of better word, cast as background. Then there are the supporting characters and the those in the lead roles.

"Now, if you pay a lot of money out to the leads, those are gonna be the people you’re really gonna run with," Kross said. "Once you’ve cast certain people as leads in the show, you have to run with them, and maybe they’re just trying to get the most out of their leads right now. But I don’t f------ give up. That’s not my f------ thing. So I’m gonna stick it out, and every single opportunity that I get, I’m gonna show them I could be that guy. Because I can be, and a lot of the audience knows that."

There's an old term in pro wrestling. Stay ready, so you don't have to get ready. That's exactly how Karrion Kross attacks his profession on a day-by-day basis.

His diet and training regimen allows him to fight off complacency, which could pay off at any point in time. All Kross can do is control the elements of his career that he has control over, to the best of his ability.

"Any Monday that comes around... could be that night that changes the direction of your career, but you need to be ready for it. You have six days at home. You can’t just be hanging out on the couch. You need to be ready. Things change very quickly."

The Latest On WWE, AEW & More

WWE Rumors: Latest WrestleMania Plans for Jacob Fatu, AJ Styles And Finn Balor

WWE Star Ricky Saints (Ricky Starks) Discusses Name Change And Reasons For AEW Fall Out

AEW Reveals Double Or Nothing 2025 Date And Location

AEW Dynamite Preview (02/19/25): Start Time, How To Watch, Match Card & More


Published
Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com