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| karrion kross |
This made me raise several questions that we will answer in today’s article:
1- Has WWE lost hope in Karrion Kross, especially after not offering a new deal to renew his contract with the company?
2- Is this just a work, and is WWE planning a strong program for Karrion Kross’s return in a more powerful way?
3- If WWE’s release of Kross is true, what would be the best destination for him after WWE?
4- My personal opinion on Karrion Kross during his return and my current view of him.
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| Karrion Kross and Sami Zayn |
1- Has WWE lost hope in Karrion Kross, especially after not offering a new deal to renew his contract with the company?
This is one of the possibilities some might think of, especially since when WWE wants to release someone or not renew their contract, they try to benefit from them as much as possible by having them lose to wrestlers they want to push to be over with the crowd. The feud between John Cena and Batista in 2010 is the most famous example we can cite. When Vince McMahon learned of Batista’s desire to leave WWE and head to Hollywood, he decided to make the most out of Batista’s name, history, and popularity to make then-company champion John Cena even more over with the audience. This was done through a feud between them that included three matches, all of which Cena won, especially their last match at Over the Limit 2010, which portrayed Batista as a coward and is considered one of his worst matches.
On another note, what happened with Batista in 2010 is similar to Karrion Kross’s current situation. WWE made him the losing side in most of his feuds and used him before his contract expired to elevate Sami Zayn and make him more over with the audience, setting him up for a feud against World Champion Seth Rollins for the world title. Kross’s losses to Sami Zayn at King of the Ring and SummerSlam could be a strong indicator of WWE’s unwillingness to renew his contract, in addition to making the most of him before releasing him.
2- Is this just a work, and is WWE planning a strong program for Karrion Kross’s return in a more powerful way?
I do not rule out this option, as WWE tends to favor shocking surprises. The plan would be as follows: pretend they have no intention of renewing with Karrion Kross, then leak the news to sports sites so people speculate about his next destination. While everyone is busy thinking about where he’s headed, we get surprised by his return at one of the major events. This is similar to what happened with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2025, when the company’s rumor team leaked that he would not appear and was excluded from returning, making his comeback an unexpected surprise that received significant reaction.
In addition, the documentary video Karrion Kross posted just hours ago on his personal YouTube channel about the end of his WWE contract, which is filmed professionally, confirms that the news of not renewing his contract is just rumors and a setup for the audience, so his return will be a surprise.
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| String them up T-shirt |
From a financial standpoint, TKO would not give up on Karrion Kross because of his large fan support. His “String Them Up” T-shirt topped the WWE Shop in May 2025, and strong sales were observed at live events. WWE decided to make it available in arenas, not just online, starting with Raw, especially after fan pressure. SEScoops reported that orders for the shirt were higher than expected, while Ringside News confirmed that the shirt sold very well after the May 19, 2025 Raw episode, despite Kross not appearing in person, which indicates a strong hidden popularity.
3- If WWE’s release of Kross is true, what would be the best destination for him after WWE?
Certainly, the best destination for him, if the news of not renewing is true, would be AEW. AEW lacks a strong dark character that connects with the audience after Malakai Black left the company and returned to WWE. In addition to the fan support he receives on social media, I see this as an opportunity Tony Khan would not pass up if he gets the chance.
4- My personal opinion on Karrion Kross during his return and my current view of him.
When Karrion Kross returned, I was indifferent to his comeback, but over time I started focusing on his segments and saw that we are in front of a genius who knows what he’s doing. I felt like he is a new Bray Wyatt, and I wished the company would care for him like they did for Bray Wyatt, who came late before his death. However, I lean towards the second answer—that WWE is not that naive to let him go to AEW because they know very well he would get full creative freedom there.
In the end, none of us knows what the future holds. We have a popular Egyptian proverb that says: “The news today is for money, tomorrow it will be free.” Ultimately, Karrion Kross made me care about him and enjoy everything he offers, so I wish him the best and believe the best will be at AEW.
You can also tell me in the comments below your opinion on this matter: Is it real or just a work?
And what is the suitable destination for him if he leaves WWE?
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