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Killer Kross was released from Impact Wrestling earlier this month, finally opening him up to potentially join another wrestling promotion. He could easily stay an independent worker and simply chose his dates to fit his lifestyle.
The problem is that he's too talented of a star to not become a part of a big promotion like AEW, WWE or NJPW. He could also choose Ring of Honor or Major League Wrestling, but neither of those two promotions could offer him the amount of money that AEW or WWE can.
Kross already has a date scheduled with MLW in February for its Fightland show. While he may still appear for that show, he might still sign a deal with a bigger promotion. That potential inking, especially if it's with WWE, will likely force him to cancel that booking. AEW seems to be letting its stars continue outside bookings, like MJF and Jimmy Havoc in MLW and others in promotions overseas.
There is also a likely bidding war taking place between the big guns, AEW and WWE. His services are in high demand and would fit in either promotion. 2020 starts this week, so where will he be calling home in the coming months? If he signs with the WWE, here are five potential opponents for Kross to face.
#5 Braun Strowman
Strowman is over with the crowd regardless of his spot on the card. He's a dangerous physical threat to any of his opponents, but is a big kid when placed in spots with the likes of the New Day and others.
One thing that has been a consistent fact about Strowman is that he is usually booked as a monster or obstacle for performers to overcome. He's lost to Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and hasn't won a singles title in his WWE tenure. What I'm trying to say is that the Monster Among Men is used to put over other stars who are heading further up the card. A potential feud with Kross would be a physical affair because both men are big and dangerous.
A win in a possible feud with Strowman would also mean that Kross is here for trophies and that he's a big deal. If he won a feud over Dolph Ziggler or Zack Ryder, than it wouldn't mean much. Beating the Monster Among Men, especially in a physical capacity, would sell to casual fans who may not know him that he is a monster of a different kind.
#4 Aleister Black
As Strowman would offer up a physical task for Kross to overcome, Aleister Black would be as well. He'd also be a cerebral battle for Kross because even though Black pleads for people to pick fights with him, there is clearly more behind that desire as evidenced by his backstage promos.
Black is a dangerous striker and submission specialist, just like Kross. The former Impact star is physically more imposing, but that doesn't mean that the Dutch Destroyer wouldn't be able to hold his own. It appears as if the current feud with Buddy Murphy is being done to get both men over, but when it's finished, both men will need a different challenge.
Should Kross sign with WWE, he could easily knock on Black's door or leave a Riddler-esque "Tick Tock" message outside the door. Mind games are fun for Kross as he tests the mental limits of his opponents. He tried to push Johnny Impact over the edge and he played with Eddie Edwards' psyche during their feud over the summer.
Both men could also offer up dueling rhetoric as Kross is more of an agent of chaos/anarchy while Black is merely sitting on the edges of society because he thinks that many people misunderstand him. He isn't trying to get people to do bad things, he just wants to fight. But we don't know exactly why. Maybe a feud with Kross would open up some more behind just why Black is the way he is.
#3 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is back in active competition after getting put through the RAW announce table last week. He's been out with a thumb injury and has been providing some great commentary for Monday nights.
The Samoan Submission Machine was only holding the spot until he was cleared to return and he has been given the green light. After a likely feud with Seth Rollins and AOP, Joe should be placed onto a path for a program with someone important at WrestleMania 36. I'm not suggesting that he face Kross at The Show of Shows because we don't even know if he'll sign with WWE.
A great feud for post-WrestleMania could be between Joe and Killer Kross. Both men are physically imposing and enjoy inflicting pain upon their foes. While Joe is likely now going to be a face, he'll still maintain a dangerous edge so as to compete with heels.
I'm guessing that Kross would be a heel or tweener when and if he joins WWE. Both men are also great on the mic so both aspects of a potential feud would be great. Joe has done well against bigger opponents like Kane, Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar as well as against smaller foes like Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles.
#2 Brock Lesnar
I'm guessing that Brock Lesnar will hold the WWE Championship until April. He may not, but he rarely walks into WrestleMania without gold. The current WWE Champ will either be defending or challenging for titles at the biggest PPV of the year.
Like with Joe, a Lesnar-Kross battle would be a battle of titans. Both men have legit grappling and combat skills which would give any potential showdown a greater sense of legitimacy. I'm not sure the Beast would consider a possible program, but he should.
Paul Heyman would obviously match wits with Kross on the mic, as Lesnar likes to throw people around; Kross likes to throw people around with mind games. The Beast is going to need some new opponents if he sticks around past April. That isn't a known fact as of this writing because he usually waits until the last minute to come to new deals with the WWE.
If he loses the title between now and WrestleMania, a good non-title program for the Beast would be with a big name. Kross isn't as big a name as Tyson Fury or Cain Velasquez, but he knows the pro wrestling game and how to sell feuds. He's also one of the few stars who could probably throw Lesnar around as much as he throws others around.
#1 "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt
The first name that came to mind for a potential opponent for Killer Kross was obviously Bray Wyatt. He's remade himself into arguably the biggest star in WWE since Becky Lynch's fire has been slightly fading due to lack of quality foes. She's still the biggest star in the company, but Wyatt has ruled the last five months.
As with Aleister Black and potentially Samoa Joe, a feud with Wyatt would be multi-layered. Wyatt has the Firefly Funhouse and that's something that no one has really dissected yet. Someone with a strong psychological game could do that and Kross is one of the best in pro wrestling today with mind games.
If he didn't get anywhere with the sweater-clad Funhouse host, then things would obviously lead to a battle with the Fiend himself. The Fiend usually ends feuds or takes care of business in the ring. Extreme Rules takes place in the beginning of summer, so they could have a hardcore match or some other type of gimmick match at the PPV.
SmackDown in particular is in need of some main-event level stars. There's Wyatt, Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns and potentially Strowman. King Corbin, the Miz and Kofi Kingston are also in play at times, but the blue brand needs legitimate and believable threats. I think Kross could slide into the main event as a top heel if given the chance.
