Karrion Kross is one of the most interesting performers on the WWE roster today. It’s not because of his great in-ring work or solely the character he’s crafted for himself. Instead, the online discourse about Kross has taken on a form of itself. Fans are calling for WWE to push him up the roster, but there are reports that his contract is set to end soon. Should WWE rush to sign Karrion Kross? No, no, they shouldn’t.
On June 4, Fightful Select provided an update on Karrion Kross’s contract status. According to the report, Kross is in a contract year, and that contract has a “few months remaining.” The report also states that according to Fightful sources, “WWE has not yet approached Kross about a contract extension or renewal, and we haven’t heard if they’ve indicated interest in doing so.”
The online conversation around Karrion Kross is interesting. There’s one loud group of fans who would claim he’s the most held down, and underrated performer on the roster. Their movement is gaining momentum as there are hashtags bubbling up calling for him to get more opportunities.
Then, there’s the other side of the debate where he’s seen as simply overrated. Kross does some great character work, cutting promos and having intriguing segments with other performers. But then, the bell rings. Kross has had 15 single matches in the last two years. This isn’t because WWE is trying to develop him as a character and build the work around that like they did with a Bray Wyatt or Roman Reigns. It is because his in-ring work isn’t that great. His average match rating on Cagematch sits at 5.72 and he hasn’t had a singles match worth reviewing since his 2021 match against Finn Balor in NXT. He’s not that good in the ring, and that cannot be ignored.
WWE does not need to re-sign Karrion Kross
This is the tough part of the conversation. WWE does not need to re-sign Karrion Kross. Are fans excited about him? Sure. Is it enough excitement to really move the meter? That doesn’t seem to be the case because his place on the roster hasn’t changed much.
Kross is a few weeks away from his 40th birthday. Age is becoming an increasing factor, whether right or wrong, when it comes to contract decisions for the TKO-led WWE. Is being 40 years old an automatic death sentence to your WWE tenure? Of course not. But it is not a great sign at all. Kross doesn’t have the same cache as other 40-year-olds on the roster, nor does he have the same upside as names like Carmelo Hayes, Bron Breakker, or Jacob Fatu.
Roster management is a big part of professional wrestling at this level. Especially when TKO is an organization known for being tight with purse strings when paying talent and keeping talent expenses low. Re-signing Karrion Kross at this time could potentially impact the budgeted resources available to re-sign a younger talent, or a free agent available in the future. Think of this as your favorite sport team deciding not to re-sign a role player in a contract year. It happens every season.
Karrion Kross is popular. His fans want to see him succeed. But today’s WWE is much different than that of years past. The company is now focused on the bottom line and extracting as much value as possible. Fan enjoyment or excitement are not a part of those equations. Karrion Kross may be a casualty of the moment, and that speaks to a lot of different factors, including his abilities and what WWE values in today’s sports entertainment marketplace.