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.