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Karrion Kross is a wrestler who has it all. Thanks largely to a diverse wrestling style and dominant persona, he quickly rose through the ranks. Kross won the NXT Championship less than seven months after his debut, becoming one of the more popular wrestlers on the black and yellow brand in the process.
Unfortunately, the 36-year-old's success in WWE was shortlived. After a lackluster debut and gimmick change on the main roster, he was released from his contract with the company in early November of last year.
While WWE may have dropped the ball with Kross, AEW could easily benefit from having him appear on its programming, along with Scarlett.
Here are five strong reasons why AEW should sign Kross and Scarlett as soon as possible.
#5. Karrion Kross can be impeccable in the ring
Kross's debut in NXT and subsequent title reign are proof of his incredible in-ring skill. As seen from his matches in WWE, he's effective as a brawler and suplex specialist, able to blend an almost MMA level of submission holds and rapid-fire kicks and elbow strikes to his opponents.
A competitor with as diverse and unique a wrestling style as Kross could make for some incredibly physical matches when paired against the right opponent. Whether going up against an imposing heavyweight like Miro or Wardlow, or the more ground-and-pound style of Bryan Danielson, the former NXT Champion's in-ring style could mesh well with numerous wrestlers in AEW.
#4. Karrion Kross has potentially great feuds ahead of him
Karrion Kross is more than capable of delivering a showstopping match, as seen during his various noteworthy programs against Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, and Samoa Joe in NXT. With AEW having so many great performers at the moment, the possibilities when it comes to potential feuds for him are endless.
Fans have long speculated what a match would be like between Kross and wrestlers like Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, or Darby Allin. Additionally, the former NXT Champion could settle the score against past opponents from WWE such as Adam Cole or Kyle O'Reilly. With Kross being a current free agent, those "what-if" scenarios might indeed become a reality should he sign with AEW.
#3. Scarlett would be a unique manager for Kross in AEW
Karrion Kross himself might be incredibly talented in the ring, but a major reason that his overall gimmick works so well is his partnership with real-life fiancée, Scarlett. A literal Beauty and the Beast combination, their chemistry off-screen translates effortlessly well into the ring, making for a unique manager-client association that fans loved.
Such a partnership would only flourish in AEW, with Kross having the wrestling talent to hold his own in the ring and Scarlett more than capable of continuing her role as his valet (something she did extremely well in NXT). Given how many veteran wrestlers there are managing AEW talent at the moment, (Sting, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard, to name just a few), having a young female manager would be a welcome change of pace.
#2. Karrion Kross works well on his own and in a faction
In WWE, Karrion Kross fashioned himself as a loner whose only companion came in the form of Scarlett. However, fans have also seen him work very well both as an enforcer -- as part of Austin Aries' Impact stable -- as well as the leader of a group during his short-lived stint in Lucha Underground's White Rabbit Tribe.
As AEW places a heavy emphasis on factions, having Kross on the roster could make for an endless amount of possibilities in terms of storylines. As a singles wrestler, he doesn't necessarily need to be paired with anyone aside from Scarlett, and could be a one-man wrecking crew taking out entire stables. However, it would also be interesting to see him either join a pre-existing faction or even start his own.
#1. Karrion Kross likely to be better booked in AEW
Many fans view Karrion Kross's dismissal and poor booking as some of the biggest mistakes WWE management made in recent memory. With how impressive Kross has proven himself to be in the ring and on the mic, there's no question that he could be a valuable addition to AEW's growing roster.
The biggest flaw with Kross's booking in WWE when he was moved up to the main roster was the unnecessary gimmick change, complete with the strange Mad Max-esque ring gear that fans absolutely hated. If that weren't enough, Kross also lost his debut match, in which he was defeated by Jeff Hardy in less than two matches.
AEW has long proven itself to be a company where wrestlers are able to grow and maintain their creative freedom in terms of gimmicks and wrestling styles, giving many performers the platform and attention they deserve.
Should Karrion Kross sign with AEW, it's more than likely we'll see him return to form as the dominant wrestler fans last saw him as in NXT, rather than the watered-down version that debuted on Raw.
