Killer Kross

[8.0] "Seen him as the top of MLW for over a year, super solid. What doesn't come across on TV is that in-person, he is extremely charismatic and kind to his fellow wrestlers. From taking bumps he doesn't need to, to giving his opponents praise during unaired commercial-time promos, he seems like an awesome human being. He's leaning into being his own brand by producing various mini-movies/longer promos, and you can tell he LOVES the business. A good in-ring worker but has the promo chops to be a main eventer in the top companies. Also, since I've only been watching him since 2025, his gimmick and presentation have remained super consistent. I usually resent a longterm champ sitting at the top of a company, but Kross earned his spot as the face of MLW and more."

[8.0] "August 2022: He was never an outstanding wrestler on the caliber of Ciampa, Gargano, Balor, Black, Zayn etc. BUT when booked correctly, alongside Scarlett (intimidating entrance, monster gimmick, promo duels) he does come off as a big deal. It worked in nxt and now that Hunter is head of creative, I can see Kross thriving on Smackdown. His main roster stint was really bizarre and disappointing, as if Vince wanted him to fail (the same can be said concerning the main roster booking of many guys, Keith Lee comes to mind). The guy is still 37, while he might not have another decade in him, at least as a top guy, I can see him prominently booked for the next couple of years. September 2026 edit: Kross has been spectacular in the MLW main event scene. He fit in the company perfectly, providing solid matches and good promos. Really glad he has found his spot outside wwe. His 2025 run with wwe was something special, regarding specifically his connection with the fans, his then puppermaster persona and his backstage promos."

[5.0] "Perfectly average wrestler. Greatest thing he's ever done is show us how fickle and hypocritical can IWC truly be. Remember his NXT run and reaction to it? I do, and he got same reaction all the way until 2025 when everything suddenly changed because he swore and said fuck in front of camera which instantly gets you over with certain audience. Speaking of his work, he is trying in ring wise but just doesn't click and he is just boring. Just that. He had 5 PLE matches since 2022 excluding Rumbles as far as I remember and all 5 were boring snoozefests with great workers, just wasting their time. You know it ain't good when even Adam Cole buries you. Truth be told, he has grown to be better talker than Adam, but even broken shell of Adam Cole is lightyears ahead of Kross in the ring. Fact that he wasn't future endeavored for second time speaks about how much H likes him to the point he got offered a renewal after two stinkers with Sami fucking Zayn. As a talker, he is passable in his Raven/Kevin Sullivan tribute act, and I think that there was definitely a lot of unexplored potential there that good booking could work around. Final Testament sucked balls. They pulled a Mero on him by putting Scarlett there, which is a mistake of unavoidable nature unless you are worker like Will Ospreay or Shawn Michaels, which Kross certainly is not. He made risky decision that I respect to try and make name for himself on indies and cash in on whole WWE ordeal. Him and Scarlett look like nice folks and I wish them best"

[3.0] "The "We Want Kross" movement really was a moment of time, was it? Karrion Kross clearly cares about his character work, and I respect that, but he kind of comes across as angsty/edgy rather than intimidating/badass. His in-ring work has historically been hated on a lot, and while I don't think he's terrible, I sadly don't consider him good either."

[7.0] "Love the guy personally, but Kross really hasn't had much of a chance to show how good he can be. Incredible in NXT, carrying the brand for the time he was there, and not half bad in TNA, but completely wasted on WWE's main roster, and has had to work as an independent, which obviously greatly limits the coverage he gets. Still, fantastic look, good moveset, great storyteller; he could've been a huge deal, but it may be too late for him at this point."

[4.0] "Good storyteller but bland as plain bread, ready salted crisps and water for lunch in ring. Was boring in AAA, only fun things in TNA were non wrestling related where he killed Trevor Lee, Petey Williams and others, found his NXT run boring outside of the 5 way match, terrible 1st run on the main roster (not his fault Vince had lost his mind) but the Hardy matches were BAD, awful match vs Suzuki in Nooj, floated around doing nothing back on main roster but Cryptic promos, had a fun car crash match at mania. Did nothing got released, in MLW where he fights heavyweights and doesn't use his size where he could be killing (mind the pun) some smaller guys."

[9.0] "I love everything about this guy. His in-ring skills may not be great and he may not have great speed, but as a Giant, he is amazing .His characterization and mind games always stay in the mind. This man can act well in Bloody Wrists and he and Scarlett are a good couple. Sad that WWE simply lost it."

[5.0] "I think he will be one of the more fascinating and frustrating wrestlers of the modern era. On paper, I think he's got a lot of good assets to him as a wrestler: size and a recognizable look, a solid in ring worker and a surprisingly good promo at times, even if for the most part of his career he has stuck to a very similar, specific character. It's just the things he has been involved in is that really cloud my judgment of him. It's all of these weird stop and start pushes that companies have given him and never truly presenting him as a top threat. But the real interesting part is that he himself is not really helping his reputation - he feels like way too over his head about himself in everything he does or involved in, and just from how he speaks he feels like he deserves way more than he does, which intern leads to such a frustrating combination to make him the anomaly he is. I have nothing personal against the guy and never had, but this is kind of just the way I've seen it."

[4.0] "Kross frustrates me because i think he has had all the pieces to be genuinely good for eons but at this point it's hard to not think the boat has simply passed by. he has a decent look, he is a decent promo and in-ring storyteller (although his promo ability is not unparalleled as some people seem to see it as, and he has overall been a bit one-note in his storytelling throughout his career), but decent in some areas does not offset his clinical "and then the bell rings" syndrome. he's had SOME good matches in his career, but those matches were years ago, with spectacular workers who can elevate almost anyone - if anything it says a lot that he's had distinctly BAD matches with many other guys who are usually in that same camp. on top of that, he's gotten worse with age. at this point he reminds me of like, a late 70s territories enhancement talent local which is not a great place to be going into your 40s, and it's hard to see it changing."

[5.0] "Good storyteller, just not a great wrestler, since his match against sami zayn was very bad and it almost killed sami's career"

[7.0] "Brilliant character work, very passionate promos and great look. Unfortunately, his problem always have been his lack of in-ring skills. He had some fun matches, both in WWE and indies, but most of the time opponents have to carry the action. Despite that, I feel like he deserves a 7/10. He can be very useful to many companies, as a manager, or in stables. It's rare to find something that charismatic, and I think that's really something."

[8.0] "When you choose a Rating here on Cagematch there's a little qualifier next to certain numbers. 4 = adequate. 6 = satisfactory. 8 = good. It's obvious to me by this recent slew of low ratings that most folks aren't considering Kross's career as a whole here. Look at his most recent indie work, his work in NXT (and also much of his time on the main roster) and his earlier time in Mexico and on the indies. This is a guy who deserves a 6-8 without a doubt. I'll expand on my comment when I get a chance very soon, but had to rate him and say something after seeing these totally undeserved recent new ratings. C'mon guys, we know that Tony Khan reads this stuff! Our boy Kross would be a lot more entertaining in AEW than 75+% of the roster right now"

[4.0] "I don't know, man. I just don't know. Maybe "inconsistency" is the correct word here, because the Karrion/Killer Kross experience is a roller coaster in itself. That one promo last April really sent us on a ride. Was it a good promo? Yes! Did it lead to a payoff after fans clambered for more? Absolutely not. Looking at his match catalog, its a who's who ranging from just OK to downright unwatchable. Failing to get good matches with Sami Zayn, Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, Rey Mysterio, and Shinsuke Nakamura is the biggest sign that Kross attempt 2 in the WWE was an ill-fated operation. Some of his more recent indy tie-ups have been alright, and if that's how his career can rebound and go in a positive direction, then I'm all for it. I can totally see him as a fairly charismatic manager once he hangs up the boots, but his current situation leaves much to be desired."

[2.0] "Karrion Kross can cut a great promo, but nothing else. He was charismatic in NXT but ever since that promo with Adam Cole it's hard to look at him the same since he's right. He can't wreste. His moveset is very limited and moves so slow. If you want to be a main eventer, then you have to be at least serviceable in the ring. He isn't even that. He was given the opportunity to wrestle Sami Zayn, someone who is FANTASTIC 3 times. 2 of those matches were on a PLE. All 3 of those matches ended up sucking. It isn't just Sami either. He was giving AJ styles terrible matches, he gave Rey Mysterio some terrible ones. He made Drew McIntyre look the worst he ever looked. That's unacceptable. I don't see it in him at all."

[3.0] "Is there anything actually good about this guy beyond his physique? Boring in the ring, not really that great at promos, kind of a moron as a person. Absolutely has fake tough guy vibes in that he clearly takes himself too seriously without actually having any background in marital arts or anything to my knowledge (and frankly I don't care enough to look this up). It's really telling that people only really got interested in him because TKO is so shit at running WWE that fans worked themselves into a shoot over Kross being released and came up with conspiracy theories about some sort of masterful worked shoot bullshit. I guess he's not completely and utterly irredeemably horrible in the ring and was cutting at least semi-interesting promos around his release from WWE, but more often than not I'm struggling to fight boredom whenever he's around. A three is probably being too generous."

[3.0] "This dude is just not good as a wrestler. I appreciate that he does try everything he can to get a storyline over, even when the fans don't care, he has a great physique, but when you drag AJ Styles and Sami Zayn to the worst matches of their career to the point where the fans think they're washed, you are just hopeless in the ring."

[5.0] "The first wrestler that comes to my mind when someone says "mid". Spectacular on the mic, sure, but in-ring wise? He was just okay. Not good. Not bad. He was just there. He gave one decent promo, and people were screaming to push him. When they released him, literally everyone forgot."

[4.0] "Reasonably good on the mic, and....that's about it. Not a great look, and a truly terrible wrestler. Perfect example of a "And then the bell rang" guy."

[7.0] "Kross has been brilliant at times, and also boring at times. However, I respect his approach towards wrestling and how something like being released from WWE twice doesn't slow him down. He will simply get back to work."

[5.0] "The definition of an "and then the bell rings" wrestler. Seems to be a very intelligent guy and puts a lot of thought into his character/presentation, but it all falls apart when it comes time to do the work between the ropes. I didn't think it was actually possible to have a bad match with Sami Zayn. It's no coincidence that he got most over when he wasn't wrestling and doing a worked shoot character that played into the internet perception that he was being held down. The reality is that he was being protected. He likely has a lot to offer the wrestling business in a backstage role, but it never really clicked for him as a wrestler, despite numerous attempts, pushes, character changes, etc."

[1.0] "Karrion Kross is very bad overall as a wrestler. He's a very illogical and unclear character. I first saw him in the ring in NXT in 2020, and he really spoiled the Black and Gold brand with his poor wrestling and poor acting. After returning from injury, Kross came back and actually made some progress. He fit the role of a big, dominant brand champion perfectly. In 2021, I would give him a 7 or 8. However, his time on the main roster only got in the way and didn't leave any good memories. Kross further screwed himself over. I understand everything, but how could he have put on the worst match with McIntyre on a show? On the main roster, Kross mainly just existed and was a hindrance. It still pisses me off that he lost to Wyatt Six. He's unlikely to progress anymore as a wrestler. The only good period he had was in 2021, but a large part of his career was wasted, overshadowing that. A huge disappointment. Only Scarlett keeps him afloat."

[4.0] "Man, I don't get it. Literally all I hear about him on social is "Kross is underrated, Kross is constantly mistreated, etc." and I just... huh? Is this some kind of inside joke? He's so OK so that it hurts. His matches on here aren't rated that good by the community (not even ten matches above a 7.00? Oof), he can't bump, he can't really move very quickly. Yeah he's a good promo and has lots of Aura(TM) and he has a super hot wife (honestly why I think he gets so much goodwill), but that's not enough to make me care. I *want* to like Killer Kross, but he never gives me a reason to once the bell rings. I don't know. If he wasn't bigger than like 80-90% of all the wrestlers working in America right now I'd suggest he become a manager or something. Then again, Jake the Snake wound up becoming a great manager so who knows."

[5.0] "Such a middle of the road wrestler, as a wrestler? The drizzling shits. As an entertainer? genuinely incredible, it's a shame he never worked out in WWE because WWE prefers entertainment over workrate as they're not really a pro wrestling company, but at the same time I see why he didn't work out, I wish him the best and hope he can find success in TNA or something, because he's a 9/10 promo, 3/10 wrestler, 5/10 worker."

[2.0] "I am sorry I found this dude is too lame and boring to watch, plus getting worse and worse. He is the stinker that even makes people think AJ Styles washed, and having stinker performances with lots of good to etile wrestlers too. This propaganda of him is laughable as he is too 'underused', because he is terrible in all aspect of prowrestling. Only interesting thing about his aura is Scarlett, but he still sucked, which is miserable af. I won't feel sad about his release at all."

[7.0] "Karion Kross is a very talented and solid worker with interesting unique "Tick Tock" gimmick or whatever you'd like to call it. I hope he comes back to mainstream wrestling. It would be fresh to see him in another company too. I think he will manage where ever he decides to go."

[2.0] "Possibly the dullest wrestler of all time. The worst part is i was a Karrion kross mark (before it was cool to think he should be pushed) when i first got back into wrestling in 2023 and i am glad i expanded my viewing of the sport as this guy is just so Ass. He is unbelievably bad, he manages to have stinkers with some of the best in ring workers on the roster and his only good matches ever have been when he got carried in NXT by people like Balor and Cole. Fair play to him brainwashing everyone into thinking he is wrestling's next goat by doing one average worked shoot interview post wrestlemaina. To me there are 3 Categories of shit a wrestler can be. So shit you're painfully to watch, So shit you're actually funny to watch and the one Kross falls into so shit you're painfully boring and for me that is the worst one a wrestler can be in as the get zero reaction from me. Adam Cole's promo on him was the most factual thing anyone has ever said about him."

[0.0] "Whenever Kross steps into the ring, it is always horrible. He's boring and slow, while also having no psychology. Genuinely a bottom 3 wrestler in any company right now. This current wave of people wanting him pushed is so fake and manufactured. His promo game is also massively overrated. He's cut like 3 actual good promos and 0 of them were on TV. Now that he's gone from WWE I wonder how many of his fans will still support him. Probably not many, cause it was all performative."

[3.0] "Kross is a odd case. On one hand, I admire his current character and the things he's done with it, plus I do think he has some solid mic skills. However, he is the most boring in-ring guy ever. He's incredibly slow, no big moves, no real match-making, & all his character work fades as soon as he gets into the ring. You see his backstage promos and go, "wow they should push this guy! " and then you actually watch him wrestle then you learn quick why they keep him backstage."

[4.0] "For the longest time I tried to be a fan but Kross is honestly not good at all in the ring. I don't understand the huge hype he recently received don't get me wrong he's a good guy but his wrestling never made me a fan."

[0.0] "Gotta give it to him for being able to brainwash people into thinking he's any good and deserve a push because of that one promo ge did after Mania, he's had 3 stinker matches against Sami Zayn after that and the fans still cheer for him somehow, Cole was right, WWE done everything to make him special, but once that bell ring he can't make himself special. He's terrible in the rinf dude get over it, if he had stinkers with Sami and AJ imagine him with someone else."

[6.0] "Kross is the best example of someone who has presence, is good on the mic, can tell a story through the ring and can connect with the fans, but still can't wrestle and have a decent match to save his life. He got over very organically in 2025, but due to a combination between bad booking and failing to deliver when given the chances, his run didn't really go anywhere, for better or worse. He probably could've been a successful wrestler on the WWF/E of old, but definitely not today."

[3.0] "Karrion Kross as a storyteller, when given the time, has all amounted to trying to turn everybody heel and doing the "I'm right" schtick. At many points, it is indeed entertaining and is clever, however, it would mean a lot more if he actually felt convincing in the ring. For being a pure master storyteller, his in-ring psychology just feels so lifeless. His NXT run was pretty fun when he was World Champion, but since his horrendous main roster call up, release, and return, everything has failed."

[3.0] "This has to be some rib or meme by fans that act like kross is good because for the life of me I can not understand the cheers & support he gets all over from the arena & on social media sites. They gas him up like he's this future superstar & it's ridiculous. There's multiple wrestlers that can cut good promos & actually go in the ring. I'm sorry but I'll never get it with him"

[1.0] "He's a pretty bad wrestler. Not too much of a good talker. His facial expressions are very weird.i don't know what else to say besides the fact that having fans chanting "we want Kross" is very explanatory of the state of pro wrestling today, where even people like Kross get over. He failed in NXT, failed on the indie scene, failed when he came back. I don't get all this love that he gets. Is one of the worst in ring wrestlers in WWE today."

[3.0] "Even before he got literally gimped out by Jeff Hardy so the crowd could pop for No More Words, Karrion Kross is not good, at all. The only thing going for him is that he's decent on the mic. But that does him no favours when it comes packaged with a terrible 3edgy5me character with negative charisma surrounding a basic-ass, boring as hell, wrestler. Seriously, if you're in a company as big as WWE, and you're fit and healthy, if taking a back-bump is a cause for celebration, then something is incredibly wrong with your work. I really don't get why social media has decided to get around this guy, because if he does get any sort of title -- even the Speed one -- he's going to make Jinder Mahal's infamous title reign look halfway decent. He's best where he was before this weird, possibly astroturfed push: staring at the lights for much better talent."

[2.0] "I saw a comment in X saying that seeing Kross wrestling makes Jey Uso look like freakin' Kurt Angle, but i can't agree on this, because seeing Kross wrestling makes Jey Uso look like Kenta Kobashi in the middle of his GHC Heavyweight reign. Damn, how you can be so bad in wrestling, when your dance partners were Keith Lee, Rey Mysterio, AJ Styles, Nakamura and Sami Zayn. I give props to him because he really cares about making a good history, his promos are good and, for a brief time in NXT, he was a pretty adequate wrestler, but right now, he is not good anymore."

"Karrion Kross deserves so much better than what he gets from WWE, he can talk and cut meaningful and off putting promos depending what way you want him to go? You want dark and brooding? He can do it. You want believable and can he push through the pain to succeed? he can do that as well. He just hasn't been given a fair shot in the massive pool of talent WWE has to get TV time to every week. Kross really needs to head to TNA or NJPW i think he would get over massively on a stage that shows him as a bigger star with others as opposed to WWE"

[8.0] "Karrion Kross is a guy who has just started to get himself over and he's doing really great in doing that. He's organically done this after being universally disliked and it's great to see, that's a very hard spot to be in and not everyone is able to do this"

[3.0] "I'm really struggling to find any reason why this guy should even be on RAW, let alone having a singles title like everyone says he does. Hes a guy with muscles and has a cool entrance and that's about it. When people are praising you for doing the bare minimum like back bumps then you know you need to change. But because he makes "clever" inside promos that "expose" the WWE people gawp like fucking seals having keys dangled in their face. If I never had to see this guy wrestle again I'd be a happy guy."

[6.0] "Karrion Kross is the guy who shows up to your nightmare, but you kinda root for him anyway. With his ominous theme music, Scarlett's spellbinding presence, and an aura that screams "end of days, " Kross has crafted a wrestling persona that's part apocalyptic harbinger, part action-movie final boss. But don't let all the darkness fool you; Kross has a knack for turning up the drama in a way that's almost...fun? His "tick-tock" catchphrase is less a threat and more of a friendly reminder to check your watch before he punches you into next week."

[7.0] "Karrion Kross is a very weird wrestler. On the one hand, he is an awesome talker and has a fantastic entrance and appearance, but on the other hand, his matches really never deliver. I still think Kross should be much more than he is right now because there is something about him, I find special. Not everyone needs to be an ace in the ring, but even compared to guys like La Knight and joe Hendry, Kross fails to impress."

[8.0] "Kross's buzz is simply bc of authenticity. Folks will find a way to hate anything that happens naturally. I personally think his brawling style is good, strong lariat, his doomsday saito is actually nasty. Natural promo, good acting that stands out thru most of the shit acting we see. Entrance/Theme I personally think is great. I'll judge a man by what he can control before I sum up his career based on booking. I cannot wait to see more. Good soldier"

[4.0] "Karrion Kross was given chance after chance to become a star in both NXT and briefly on the Main Roster and he blew them all. He's current gimmick and placement is the best he's ever been but he rarely wrestles. His matches were never really good either. Karrion is.....fine I suppose"

[2.0] "The prime example of what a bunch of people lookling for any reason as to complain about anything can accomplish. A guy who has had 3 chances to become a star, and blowing all 3 of them getting what looks like a push for absolutely no reason and taking the spot from a deserving wrestler. This guy is well spoke outside the ring yeah, his interview with Chris was awesome. That doesnt make him a better, more interesting or deserving wrestler though. He is going to bomb out and soon will be the victim of the same portion of fans who got him this push in the first place"

[8.0] "I like this man, he's not bad actually. From jobber to this, but still didn't reached his potential. I don't know why WWE don't use him in the ring and feuds, just don't push him and made him like appearing manipulator. His mimic and mic work, his brawling style and etc. He should be bigger I think"

[7.0] "I was never a fan but he's at least good in all aspects of wrestling. The thing is - he's gotten himself way over, his shirt was number 1 on WWEshop and fans are chanting for him when he's not even there. WWE should push him, tho I wouldn't bet on it"

[6.0] "Karrion Kross still struggles to connect consistently with the crowd, and his in-ring work hasn't silenced the critics. If WWE can find the right balance, there's still time for Kross to prove he's more than just an aesthetic. I would like to see more of him as I have the feeling he has not shown his full potential."

[8.0] "Great promo's, he's good in the ring but I have a feeling most people on here don't like that he's a power wrestler who doesn't do a bunch of flips, but I'm burnt out by the flipping stuff, and Kross brings an old school presence his employer doesn't seem to appreciate"

"? Kross is what a wrestling Star ? should be. He literally just needs the right opportunity. His gimmick in NXT is what he needs to bring on the main roster, maybe with some few changes, now that we have Lucha Libre AAA coming and with world collides ppv I think the world needs to be introduced to The White Rabbit ? ? and The Tribe. If anyone doesn't understand what I'm talking about, then they need to go and watch Killer Kross in Lucha underground ? and AAA . Anyone that thinks Kross is boring? They need to go research and see why Triple H wanted him so bad! Kris is a solid 8.0 -9.5"

[6.0] "I am really enjoying the work that Karrion Kross is doing at the minute on the weekly shows. However in the past I have found his work to be only satisfactory, if he keeps on this current run of momentum I believe things will pick up for him."