In a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Karrion Kross stated that his increased television presence prior to his WWE departure was the result of fan demand, not a creative decision from the company. Kross explained that as his on-screen push began to fade, he and his wife, Scarlett, took to social media to create character-driven content to maintain their relevance.
“The audience actually forced their hand to use me,” Kross said. “It was really, honestly, it was the audience that really, actually called for me to be a bigger part of the show.” Scarlett supported this, adding that fan support helped keep him in prominent storylines.
The interview comes just weeks after Kross was abruptly released from WWE when his contract expired on August 10, 2025. The release came shortly after he lost to Sami Zayn at SummerSlam, ending what many fans saw as a resurgence for his character.
Following his exit, Kross has been direct in addressing fan speculation that his departure might be a storyline, or “work.” In a statement on August 31, he confirmed the release was legitimate, emphasizing that he would not deceive the audience with an angle that involved losing his job.
The departure followed failed contract negotiations. Kross revealed that on August 5, just five days before his contract expired, WWE presented him with a new offer and gave him only 24 hours to accept. When he requested metrics to better understand the offer, the company was unwilling to provide them and subsequently withdrew the deal. A significant factor in the negotiations was that the new contract offer did not include Scarlett.
Kross also noted that a major storyline planned for him on Raw was scrapped on the day his contract expired. He and Scarlett are now free agents and have already begun making appearances on the independent circuit. On August 23, they appeared at a GCW event where Kross, now performing as Killer Kross, attacked Matt Cardona.