Kross Communication, Part 02

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In-between Karrion Killer Kross’s post-WrestleMania performance and leaving WWE on August 10, there are two other stories to discuss that, while having nothing to do with Kross specifically, would affect his situation by the time August 10 came to pass.

 

In chronological order, first was the release and immediate re-signing of Ron Killings. R-Truth was primarily a comedy character but one that was beloved not just by fans but by his fellow performers. No one knew just how beloved, though, until Killings announced that he would no longer be with WWE after the end of May:

 

 

Reaction was swift and ugly. As fans continually chanted for “Truth” on the following WWE television shows, many of his peers also expressed regret and disbelief that Killings was going away. The reaction from all sides was so swift and ugly that he was brought back a mere six days later to an explosive reaction.

 

Reactions then changed to confusion. Was this the plan all along? Was Killings really let go or was this, as WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque would put it when asked about Killings’s return later that night, “All part of the show, man”?

 

In reality, it was a company recognizing its mistake and correcting course. It is rare that WWE changes its mind on releasing a talent this soon, but the reaction to Killings informed the company that it was wiser to keep Killings on the roster.

 

However, this would not deter a company already known for using real-lifer situations to tell a story prevent it from attempting to do so here to save face. Nor would it prevent them from blurring the lines of reality very soon after, albeit in a much different situation.

 

On the July 12 edition of Saturday Night’s Main event on NBC, Seth Rollins appeared to re-injure his knee in a match with L.A. Knight. Rollins made media appearances informing that he would be on the shelf “for an extended period of time.”

 

However, word had gotten out that not only was Rollins not injured, but that this was “all part of the show, man.”

 

POST Wrestling’s John Pollock revealed he had been informed that Rollins was not injured on July 12 and was planning on participating in a major story involving Rollins winning the World Championship after revealing his injury had been faked. That is exactly what came to pass at SummerSlam on August 2 when Rollins revealed his injury was a ruse and cashed in an immediate World Championship match contract (the proverbial “Money in the Bank”) on his arch-rival, CM Punk. Rollins left SummerSlam as a perfectly healthy World Heavyweight Champion.

 

It's been eight paragraphs and an embedded X post since Karrion Killer Kross has even been mentioned. So what does any of this have to do with his situation?

 

WWE is no stranger to taking advantage of a real-life situation – or even manufacturing one – to further interest in its product, characters and storylines. Two instances of which that have happened within the last 90 days have been detailed here. Pro wrestling fans are accustomed to asking if any given situation is real life or if the fans are being worked because of the lengths that wrestling companies will go to in order to attempt a suspension of disbelief.

 

That same question had been asked of Kross’s situation. Is he really on his way out the door? Is he really underappreciated? Or is the presentation of his character, both online and on television, really just an elaborate story?

 

Kross has gone on record since leaving WWE to detail the contract negotiation that took place and to emphasize that his story is very real. The interest in Kross and his wife, Scarlett, has already demonstrated to be palpable as Kross has engaged a feud with another former WWE performer turned independent superstar, Matt Cardona. The story began in one independent company and a separate one has signed the match. But along the way, Kross had to address whether or not those appearances are part of a larger, more elaborate story.

 

It's wholly possible that Kross could sign another contract with WWE and all of this could retroactively become “all part of the show, man.” But the lesson to take away from Kross’s final months in WWE comes in the form of similar outside factors.

 

Kross himself admitted that his post-WrestleMania performance was just that – a performance. Yet it was one specifically designed to suspend the fans’ disbelief and convince them that his feelings were real. The questioning of reality had already begun with Kross’s own performance.

 

Add to that two other instances where reality was used to advance stories all within the same timeframe. It becomes difficult for fans to believe what the news they read isn’t manufactured to advance the stories being told in this fictional world.

 

And that is part of what Karrion Killer Kross had to deal with. Yes, he beat both Ron Killings and Seth Rollins to the punch, but as those stories grabbed attention, the timeline became immaterial. Fans had been cheering for him at WWE events but the reaction was somewhat muted. Was he really leaving or was this just part of the story, too? It was difficult to tell for sure, and that uncertainty may have affected reactions.

 

The takeaway here is being aware of your environment. Using reality to advance your character or story in pro wrestling is not a bad idea if it’s done correctly. Or if several other people aren’t doing the same thing at the same time. If the environment is one of constant questioning of what’s real and what’s fiction, the effect is diluted and the interest is lessened.

 

How it affected Kross can be discussed in both negative and positive terms. Kross has said that working in WWE is his dream and that’s where he wants to be. As of this writing, he is not there. But he is in high demand across the country as an independent performer and his career is thriving at that level. It’s a matter of perspective.

 

But if his goal was to remain in WWE, that did not happen. One of the reasons for that can be attributed to attempting to convince his fans and those in charge of the company he was performing for that his actions were “all part of the show” when none of them could believe him.

Kross Communication, Part 01

Reprinted from Substack, 08.26.25

Many reading this that follow professional wrestling with some regularity are probably very familiar with the story of Karrion Killer Kross in 2025. For those that aren’t, Wikipedia actually has a decent summary, so I’ll let it do the heavy lifting for a moment:

After the disbandment of The Final Testament, Kross would be involved in backstage segments where he would try and convince various superstars to embrace their dark side, some of whom include Sami Zayn and AJ Styles. After months of being involved in backstage segments, Kross had his first match since February on the April 14 episode of Raw, where he took on Styles in a losing effort.^[90] Kross would go on to appear in Styles’ match against Logan Paul at WrestleMania 41, preventing interference from a member of Paul’s entourage. Kross would attempt to persuade Styles to hit Paul with brass knuckles, to no avail, after which Styles proceeded to lose the match. Kross would appear later on the WrestleMania 41 recap show with Scarlett where he would cut a highly acclaimed promo, expressing frustration with Styles and WWE as a whole as well as not having a match on the card. At the end of the promo, he referenced himself as "Killer Kross" for the first time on WWE programming.^[91] Kross continued to taunt Sami Zayn in backstage segments on Raw, eventually leading to a match against Zayn at Night of Champions, which he lost. During his feud with Zayn, Kross began receiving massive support from fans on social media and at live shows with "We want Kross" being chanted during shows.^[92] On August 2 at SummerSlam, Kross was defeated by Zayn, ending their feud. This would also be Kross' final appearance in WWE.^[93] On August 10, Kross and Scarlett's WWE contracts both expired and were not renewed, ending their three-year second tenure with the company.^[94] After departing from WWE, Kesar revealed that he was only given 24 hours to sign his new contract offer, which didn't include Scarlett re-signing along with him and is ultimately why he chose to depart the company.^[95][96]

 

Second return to independent circuit (2025–present)

Kesar, as Karrion Kross, made his return to GCW on April 17, 2025 at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport XIII, where he defeated J. R. Kratos.^[97] On August 23 at GCW Homecoming, Kesar, as Killer Kross, and Scarlett made their first post-WWE appearance, where they attacked Matt Cardona.^[98]

For the purposes of this specific analysis, we go back to April when Kross gave a performance on Sam Roberts & Megan Morant’s WrestleMania Recap show that did not sound like a performance at all:

There had already been discussion in the fandom that the Karrion Kross fans were seeing on social media wasn’t matching up with what was seen on television. The television character was similar to its social media counterpart, but the latter felt much more genuine. More like the real Karrion Kross. At least that was the perception.

 

As we would learn later, however, this may have been Mistake Number One. While fans and even some media outlets were singing Kross’s praises for his online authenticity, those in charge of the company he worked for at the time weren’t made aware that his post-WrestleMania performance was just that. As he recounted to Canadian sports journalist Ariel Helwani:

I let everybody know, let’s make sure this is somewhat protected from the audience, but let everyone know internally that this is a work because not every department is in lock step communication with one another. So, I told everybody that. Sure enough, not everybody knew that it was a work.

 

A lot of everything that you see goes through the creative process. It goes through a team. I was under the impression that I was doing something improvisational and it was okay. But like I said, sometimes the communication is not in lock step with each other. So no one told them that this was a work.

 

So, they’re under the impression, like a week goes by, that I flipped out. So like, one day I waited for Hunter outside a production meeting. Once it was actually brought to my attention that he was not okay with it, and I explained everything to him. No one told him anything. So, as far as I know, at that point, we were good, but everyone was under the impression, a lot of people thought I just lost my mind. I was just trying to do my job. My job that day was to make people believe, like any other day.

Yes, pro wrestling is scripted most times. It is a very physical performance art that relies heavily on characterization and storytelling. But it is also very much a business. Would you go off on an explosive diatribe about how much your boss and your workplace sucks, and not let your boss and higher-ups in on the fact that it was a joke when it really didn’t sound like one at the time?
 
Effectively, that’s what happened here. Kross angrily disparaged his workplace without telling his workplace that it was part of the performance.
 
There is a term in pro wrestling known as “going into business for yourself.” Basically, it translates into: Prioritizing yourself over what has been planned for you. At a cursory glance, there seems to be nothing wrong with that. Until you realize that pro wrestling requires working with someone else 95% of the time. Whether it’s on a story, a match, a talking segment, you name it. That collaboration is key to making the performance art succeed.
 
Kross, whether he meant to or not, most likely broke that trust with WWE by “going into business for himself” with that segment. I’m convinced that wasn’t his intent. He was performing up to what the show producers wanted in that moment. To hear Kross tell it, it was not his intent to put his interests ahead of what the company had planned for him creatively. But, by Kross’s own admission, it apparently didn’t come across that way when it happened.
 
Not making sure that was the case before going “off-script” is the first lesson to take away from the Karrion Killer Kross story. But it isn’t the only one.
 
To be continued…

An Introduction to Navigating the Digital Landscape for Pro Wrestling

Originally published on Substack and reprinted here. Yes, I now have a Substack page specifically for, as mentioned below, "Stories about the intersection of social media and pro wrestling." 

Those pieces will be reprinted here because, although I may neglect this poor thing, I can't bring myself to abandon it.

Introduce Yourself, right on!

 

Welp, that’s what I’m here to do.

 

My name is Michael Melchor. Believe it or not, I’m doing school work as I write this. Sort of.

 

Most current and pertinent to this space, I am in the final semester of my Master’s degree at Indiana University. My thesis is a creative one detailing the book that will be born from it.

 

The title of the book? Social Media Is a Work: Navigating the Digital Landscape for Pro Wrestling. I am building a guide for independent professional wrestlers on the best ways to create and utilize digital platforms. In doing so, I can help independent professional wrestlers build the foundation to attract a following to carry through their pro wrestling careers. The guide is meant for those willing to turn pro wrestling into their career, as the information herein is intended to help pro wrestling performers and social media influencers alike grow their digital platform and convert that into a steady business.

 

I understand that seems a very specific niche to target. But I also believe others using social media to further their brand can also benefit from this, as they will be able to understand the concept of selling an engaging persona by using social media and marketing. With pro wrestling being a unique realm in entertainment that employs charisma and creative storytelling, the traits needed to succeed in pro wrestling can translate to a wider audience online.

 

 

So, Why Me?

 

I can see people asking who am I to do this? What qualifies me to be the expert on this specific intersection?

 

How is Started vs How it Ended, in Logo form

I worked as Digital Media Manager for Ohio Valley Wrestling (yes, that OVW) from November of 2019 to November of 2022. During this time, I managed all of the company’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube) as well as its website. That meant planning and scheduling content, creating graphics, scheduling and posting, working with Al Snow and the creative team at OVW to ensure characterization and stories were kept consistent while simultaneously promoting live events and driving tickets sales via online promotion.

 

In May of 2022, I also began my tenure as Digital Media Manager at Grindhouse Pro Wrestling, a separate company based in Jeffersonville, Indiana. I currently serve in that role, doing everything listed above only at a different company. And, instead of Al Snow, the people I work with to ensure characterization and stories are kept consistent while simultaneously promoting live events and driving tickets sales via online promotion are owner 2 Tuff Tony (TNA, JCW) and Head Trainer/Booker “Reverend” Ronnie Roberts (OVW, Netflix’s “Wrestlers” series). The “Social Media and Marketing Seminar” that I conducted for Grindhouse Pro Wrestling in 2022 was gathered, organized, and presented as an instructional course rather than telling a story. The origins of this project can be traced back to that.

 

There are several other companies I have worked for, largely in social media and digital media capacities. I started filming shows and working on video in Orlando, FL in 2012. I spent almost three years with Frank Goodman’s Pro Wrestling Xtreme, which reverted back to the name of his new York promotion USA Pro Wrestling. I served as a Social media Consultant for CHIKARA in 2019 until the company folded in 2020. My primary responsibility was working a younger crew of talent learning about pro wrestling outside of the ring. I served that same role for Camp Leapfrog from late 2020 (after CHIKARA had folded) until Spring of 2021 (when Leapfrog also sadly folded).

 

In early 2023, I was also Head of production for New Wave Pro (where I filmed, directed and edited their live events for IWTV and other outlets)  until – you might start noticing a pattern, and I swear I’m not the cause – it also went on indefinite hiatus in 2023.

And then there is the academic aspect. The combination of social media and pro wrestling, from a business and (specifically) marketing standpoint, has been the primary focus of my Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies since I began that track in Fall of 2020. The amount of research done on both topics and where they meet leave me cross-eyed two-to-three times per week.

 

To that end, I have also done academic presentations on the subject. One of the most notable ones was done for the IU Southeast Student Conference and built around a narrative thread. “How Social Media Led to the Creation of Another National Pro Wrestling Company” told a story of the creation of All Elite Wrestling and how the use of digital platforms largely made it possible.

 

 

So What Can You Expect Here?

 

The short answer: Stories about the intersection of social media and pro wrestling, and how can affect the other and vice versa. SPOILER ALERT: That starts tomorrow with an analysis of Karrion Killer Kross and the disconnect between the digital landscape and the real world.

 

The longer answer: Various things may occupy this space. It could well be a place wherein I document the process of creating this guide. It could be short missives of pro wrestling stories with a digital component or angle to them. Anything from advice to analysis to documentation containing the intersection of pro wrestling and digital media.

 

It’s honestly tough to say because even I’m not 100% sure. I’m basically here to work out ideas, conduct research and gather ideas and thoughts for the thesis and (ultimately) the book. But I can say with certainty that whatever is published here will, in some way, shape or form, stick to the topic of the intersection of pro wrestling and digital media.

 

There will certainly be exclusive / standalone pieces like the aforementioned Karrion Killer Kross analysis. There may be some short thoughts. Informal survey questions (not to be used as academic data but more for ideas). Brief (or long) missives on current related stories. We’ll find out together.

 

Thank you for reading and (if you so choose) embarking on this process and journey with me. As Lash LeRoux* would have said in late-90s / early-00s WCW, “Laissez les bon temps rouler!”

 

*Fun fact: I once dated his brother’s ex-wife. Does that count as experience toward this project?