Killer Kross, formerly Karrison Kross with WWE and NXT, is confident he can bring something new to All Elite Wrestling. The former NXT champion recently completed his 90-day non-compete clause with WWE and is free to sign with other promotions.
AEW president Tony Khan has stated that he will be more selective about signings in 2022 following a number of marquee acquisitions, including CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Christian Cage and Malakai Black. Kross was among pro-wrestling's hottest free agents in 2019 when he chose to sign with WWE over AEW. A free agent once more, Kross still sees a wonderful opportunity for himself in AEW.
"For me, I feel like the fit would be just as identically good before I signed with WWE as it would be now because I am always looking to integrate and create things that are not present within the programming," Kross told CBS Sports. "I don't say that in a derogatory way. I just mean that typically how I approach things is: I look at what's on the show, I look at how everyone is introducing ideas and concepts into the program, and I go, 'What's something that I can do that no one else is doing.'
"I think that's the best way to improve a show. Every single person that is part of a show should be attempting to contribute something from their individual standpoint to improve the entire show. So, there are things that haven't been done yet or haven't been done at all or I don't think will be done that I can do. On that front, it looks very good to me."
Check out the full interview with Killer Kross below.
Kross ran through NXT's best and brightest ahead of his WWE main roster debut. He defeated Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Johnny Gargano and Pete Dunn in a fatal five-way match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Ahead of the match, Cole tore down Kross. Cole suggested that Kross was average without his elaborate entrance and partnership with Scarlett Bordeaux. Some fans view Cole's promo as a prophecy, considering Kross' poor main roster run after he was stripped of those elements. Others would place the blame on WWE's main roster creative direction.
"It may have been counterproductive of me not to address this earlier, but there are certain things that I think are important to protect. I probably never would have brought this up unless you asked," Kross said. "The night before we had received a script. Everything that he said and everything that I said was delegated to us by a writing team. He's a total professional, he was awesome to work with and we literally just showed up and did our job that day like we would do any other day. He's always been the fourth wall promo guy. They thought that would be the best way to integrate him into the fatal five-way match, which is what we went into. If I recall, they were booking him with 50-50 booking after he dropped the title to Keith [Lee].
"How it was explained to me was they wanted me to go up to the main roster with clean kills on everybody. Time just wouldn't afford it, so they thought 'how can we get the best guys in NXT in one match where Kross can go over and kill these guys?' In this business, you can't just run people over all month in promos and tag matches and stuff and then kill them clean at the pay-per-view. They get nothing. So, I think the idea behind that was to let them get their licks in prior to the pay-per-view, and then they just get smashed and beat. That was basically the idea behind it. Cole needed to look strong in the promo and they're playing on the fourth wall stuff and that's basically it."
Kross also touched on his new plans with fellow WWE veteran Adam Scherr and EC3 in Free the Narrative vehicle. The Narrative produces gritty, cinematic-style wrestling matches and events, and is incorporated into broader storylines featuring its participants.
"On that subject of people have varying opinions on the concept of The Narrative: I do very strongly believe that professional wrestling and sports entertainment, there's a huge difference, to enjoy these things it comes from a very subjective place," Kross said. "It comprises a lot of different things. I know some people just like their pro-wrestling to be sports-based and that's it; however, it is 2022 and there are thousands of programs produced by major companies and people who have been in the business for 30, 40 years that discuss behind-the-scenes. I think we're long past attempting to misdirect people about what it is that we're doing. That's not to say that we shouldn't protect certain aspects of what we're doing so that you can continue to enjoy it. Magicians don't just explain to you how they do all of their tricks, but you do have a general understanding of what you're getting into when you're watching it.
"I think that Control Your Narrative is going to continue to be a refreshing concept for people who really enjoy pro-wrestling. You're going to be able to see things within this that you're not going to be able to see in other formats that are dictated by third parties and sponsorships and endorsement and specific television pattern-programming that would not allow you to see this stuff. It's an alternative and people are always looking for alternatives once they've had enough of something. What I'm looking to contribute to it specifically will be another layer. I'm not interested in just jumping into this to participate. Like anything I'm involved with, I would like to add a new layer. Without spoiling the new ideas, we're going to take things to another level."
