Former WWE star Karrion Kross has given his first interview since leaving the company, addressing the many rumours that this may be part of a bigger storyline.
On August 10, fans noticed that Kross and his wife Scarlett had been moved to the alumni section of WWE’s website, indicating that their time with the company had come to an end. With the promotion blurring the lines more than ever before, there was heavy speculation that the former NXT Champion had not actually left the company and that his exit was part of a much bigger storyline. However, multiple reports have indicated that despite the groundswell of support for Kross online, he has indeed departed the company.
On August 13, Kross spoke with Ariel Helwani about the events that have transpired over the past few days and the rumours surrounding his status. Kross first confirmed that he would not be answering the questions in character:
“No, I’m not answering questions today as a character.”
Karrion Kross Addresses WWE Contract Talks & More!
When speaking about how contract negotiations went between both sides, Kross noted that he didn’t receive an offer until the week before, and that he only had one day to make the decision:
“I never actually received a contract offer until last week. I got the offer. I wanted to know how they came to the valuation of that offer. Just wanted some information, some metrics,” he continued. “When I inquired about that, they were unwilling to provide that information and told me I had 24 hours to agree to the offer or they were rescinding it. So, the next day we talk, I asked if they have the information, they don’t. And I said I can’t make an informed decision without the information and I’d like to keep the dialogue open.”
Kross then confirmed that the offer was rescinded and that Scarlett was not presented with an offer, as the company would only speak with her after his deal was confirmed.
Later in the interview, Kross noted that he is still open to making a return down the road, but it is a two way street:
“I’m not trying to turn this into a game. It’s not a game for me, it’s my life. I’m very big on loyalty, but loyalty is a two-way street. I’m very interested in trying to recover what I think is easily recoverable, but it takes two people to come together and talk about it. I’m still here.”
Additionally, Kros referenced the possibility that the whole situation could be a work, noting that other promotions are not reaching out as they are unsure that he really is a free agent, to which he agreed that the situation makes no sense:
“People don’t want to reach out because they’re not sure if they’re tampering and stuff like that. The goal has always been to be with WWE. My wife and I still want to be with WWE. I’m still at the table for conversations. I did not step out of the conversation.”
“This seems so nonsensical to people. Believe me, I also think that this makes no sense. This is baffling to me, too. It drives me nuts that I have to actually even admit that. I’m still waiting. I’m waiting at the table to finish discussing the things that we never got a chance to discuss. I think there’s still a lot to talk about. I would like to explore the conversation more with WWE.”
H/t to F4WOnline.
Featured image: WWE
