In a recent interview, Karrion Kross revealed that WWE pulled him from this year’s Royal Rumble match at the last minute, a decision he believes was indicative of his progressively shrinking role within the company prior to his contract expiring just weeks ago.
Speaking with Denise Salcedo, Kross explained that the feeling his presence was diminishing began after The Final Testament’s victory over the Wyatt Sicks. He described the outcome as an “accidental transfer of equity” to his group that was never intended to be the definitive end of their storyline.
“I had a concern about that because when the Final Testament went over on the Wyatts, that was not supposed to be the end of that story,” Kross stated. “There’s a lot of private details in it. But um, then my group was gone.”
Following that program, Kross said he was relegated mostly to minor backstage segments before being removed from the Royal Rumble, solidifying his sense that his standing was in decline. This on-screen sidelining occurred while Kross was attempting to negotiate a new contract, a process he reportedly initiated in January 2025. Reports indicate that months passed without serious discussion until WWE presented him with a new offer just days before his contract was set to expire on August 10, giving him only 24 hours to sign. The offer did not include his wife, Scarlett, which was a significant factor in his decision to leave.
Kross’s final WWE match was a loss to Sami Zayn at SummerSlam on August 2. In a turn of events, some fans on social media have connected Zayn’s United States Championship victory last night on SmackDown to the feud. During their storyline earlier this year, Kross repeatedly taunted that Zayn would “never be a world champion,” a prediction fans now ironically point to as correct, given Zayn won a secondary title.
Now performing on the independent circuit as Killer Kross, he made a surprise appearance at a Game Changer Wrestling event on August 23, attacking Matt Cardona. In a backstage promo, he emphatically stated his WWE departure was “clearly not a f**king work.” In a subsequent interview, Kross expressed his enjoyment of GCW’s “unhinged” environment, which he feels allows for a “wild and crazy” style.
As a free agent, Kross has already begun filling his schedule, with confirmed bookings for WrestlePro in September and House of Glory in October.