Fan perception can change quickly in professional wrestling and sports entertainment. This goes beyond being a heel or babyface. While that is a part of it, there can be a shift in the perception of a wrestler's overall performance in the ring and as a character. Karrion Kross is going through such a perception shift. It's an unexpected one, but one that can have important payoffs for both Kross and WWE as a whole.
No one can deny the failure that was Kross's first run in WWE. Triple H booked him as a dominanting champion in WWE NXT. Putting him over performers like Keith Lee, Finn Balor, and Adam Cole, all to the eye rolling response of the fans.
Things were even worse when he was moved up the main roster, only to be complely embarassed by Vince McMahon and eventually released. The damage was done. So much so that fans were not interested in his return and leading The Final Testament. Nothing WWE attempted to do seemed to work. Kross added nothing to the angles he was involved in and the disinterest from the fan base grew.
Karrion Kross gets a second wind
Suddenly, things began to change. Kross would start to play a role on camera, the willing agitator. He'd get under the skin of several babyfaces and start to push them over the top. He'd push so much they'd eventually become a heel. Even introducing a new character from some.
Drew McIntyre, The Miz, Xavier Woods, and even The Bloodline were all "hexed" by Kross in one way or another. Their interactions cause them to all shift. Even breaking up one of the most important teams in WWE history in The New Day. The character is well-booked on television, and its slowly worked to get him over as an important figure.
Plus, Kross is doing the work online as well. He continues to take to social media to play up the angles that occur on television and twist the narrative enough to keep things interesting beyond what fans see on television. And it's working.
I’d be lying if I said I haven’t felt a major shift in the way a lot of fans feel towards me over the last year, more so recently.
— Karrion Kross ⏳ (@realKILLERkross) February 23, 2025
Just putting it out there that I see you and appreciate you.
🙏🏼⏳👊🏼
Karrion Kross is a testament of what works when a performer sticks to the game plan to get over on teleivision and behind the scenes. He has the look and abilities of someone who should be a superstar in WWE. Perhaps he can swing this transition into a main event run, because if he can't then there's more to question about how high a ceiling he can reach in WWE.