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WWE Superstar Karrion Kross is scheduled to compete against Lucha Libre legend Rey Mysterio on SmackDown this Friday night on the go-home edition of the show. Both wrestlers will be having a busy weekend as they are also entering the 2023 Royal Rumble.
The Herald of Doomsday returned to the Stamford-based promotion on the blue brand back in August last year, and has since feuded with The Scottish Warrior Drew McIntyre, even scoring a huge win over the latter at Extreme Rules in October.
His bout against Rey, albeit with no stakes, is perhaps his most significant main roster match to date. In an interview with Muscle & Fitness, Kross shared some insight into his on-screen persona and described how he doesn’t view his character as a human being.
“I like to think of Karrion Kross, not actually as a human being. I like to think of him as a very dark energy in the room. Like, when you walk into a place that you know you shouldn’t be, late at night, like a haunted house or something. You know you shouldn’t be there, but you feel like you should stay because you are about to see something that you are not going to be able to see anywhere else! He is the dark energy in the room, manifesting as a person," Kross said. [H/T: WrestleZone]
Kross rose to stardom on AAA, Lucha Underground, and IMPACT Wrestling before making his WWE debut in 2020.
He had a dominant run on NXT, despite an injury that forced him to relinquish the NXT Championship after he won it for the first time, and later moved up to RAW in July 2021. After an incohesive few months, he was released, only to return mid-2022.
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Karrion Kross on entering his first WWE Royal Rumble
During a recent interview with MySanAntonio, Karrion Kross seemed confident about outlasting every other participant in the Rumble match, and specifically pointed out the prestige of winning the annual 30-Man Battle Royal.
"Everybody's time is ticking in the Royal Rumble, my friend, let me tell you. I cannot wait for this. I have been in so many different types of battle royal type matches, but none of them can compare whatsoever. This is a whole other animal."
He added that the Royal Rumble is 'just as important' as WrestleMania, and that it is an honor to simply be 'included' in the match.
To me, especially growing up watching WWE as a fan, and now as a professional, the Royal Rumble is just as important to me as WrestleMania... So, if you are included in that match, it's a great honor. It's a great privilege," said Kross.
It remains to be seen in what capacity WWE will use Karion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux at WrestleMania 39. But for the time being, The Herald of Doomsday has a masked man and a Rumble to worry about.
Tune in to WWE SmackDown this Friday night to find out who will prevail in the first-time ever contest.
Who would you like to see Karrion Kross face at WrestleMania 39? Sound off in the comments section below.
