Former WWE Star Killer Kross Thinks ‘Door Has Always Been Open’ For AEW Move, Addresses Talks With Tony Khan

Published: 22 minutes ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 1 second ago by Dave Adamson

Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.

WWE/AEW

Former WWE star Killer Kross has opened up about the possibility of signing with AEW, reflecting on past conversations with Tony Khan.

The star known to many fans as Karrion Kross parted ways with WWE after his contract expired on August 10 last year. Kross would later reveal details of the contract talks he had with WWE, including being offered 24 hours to agree to the deal being offered.

Now a fixture, once more, on the independent wrestling scene as Killer Kross, the former WWE star recently appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show, where he was asked about potentially heading to AEW.

Kross would indicate that conversations had taken place with AEW owner Tony Khan, saying to Helwani:

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Tony, and he knows that. I prefer to keep those conversations private out of respect for Tony and myself.”

When it comes to the reason why he hasn’t yet appeared in AEW, Kross would go on to note how packed his calendar, in an exchange with Helwani:

Helwani: “Is there a door that’s open?”

Kross: “I think it’s always been open.”

Helwani: “What the hell’s taking so long? Did you have a non-compete?

Kross: “No, I didn’t.”

Helwani: “You could have showed up the next day?”

Kross: “Sort of. I was booked out until into the new year, into 2026. I filled out my schedule immediately, and I’m very serious about my commitments. The only time I’m gonna pull out of a commitment is if there’s something happening in my family or something’s wrong with me.

“My schedule is what it is. I’m not one of those guys that wants to just drop a title or go missing because a big opportunity comes up. I feel like that tells the local fans who paid to see you and cheered for you and put you in a position to carry a title, ‘Hey, thanks for your money and thanks for your support, there’s more money over here, so I’m just gonna dip and put this belt on the ground.’ I don’t like doing that, I really really don’t. So, if everything aligns, I think anything is possible.”

When it comes to his objectives, Kross would be asked whether he’s seeking a new “big money” deal or whether he’s happy with how things currently stand for a few years yet, with the star stating:

“I’m happy dude, and quite frankly, super financially stable. When I was in WWE, I did my best to study the business model. I’ve always said that. I looked at how they treated the talents, you know, return on investment obviously, but how they would monetise individual means of revenue.

“So what I’ve been doing since I’ve been a free agent is I’ve been making contact with a lot of independent vendors and building those lanes myself. So just cutting out the middle man, the super platform, so to speak, that just broadcasts you out to the world and be like, here’s my platform, here’s what I have.

“So I’m not reliant on just doing wrestling shows, and this is something that I’ve been trying to teach indie guys. I know it’s very hard when you’re unknown, that might not work, that might not be available. But if you’ve been broadcast to the world by some kind of super company, or even like a strong streaming service, or even some of the YouTube wrestling shows like DEFY, House of Glory, a lot of people in the United States know about those. You potentially could contact some of these vendors and get a deal going. You totally can, or if you have representation you can do that too.

“So if I go to any company, whether it be anywhere, the story has to be there. That’s the most important pitch before we talk about money or availability.”

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With Scarlett also no longer under WWE contract, having parted ways at the same time as her real-life husband, Kross has previously commented that they are ‘not necessarily‘ a package that has to appear together.

Kross Purposes

Karrion Kross’ final months in WWE were a high point for the star, with his Devil’s Advocate persona being well received by fans as he continued to play mind games with other members of the roster.

His final two WWE PLE matches would see a positive reaction, which stands out more due to the fact that he was facing fan favorite Sami Zayne at Night of Champions in June and then SummerSlam just two months later.

With plenty of upside for the star both as a character and in-ring performer, it’s curious that WWE offered him “mid-card money” to re-sign, according to DDP.

A two-time NXT Champion, Kross and Scarlett would be released from their WWE contracts in November 2021, returning in August the following year and establishing themselves as a force to reckoned with, alongside their Final Testament teammates, the Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar), under the management of Paul Ellering, the latter three being released in February of last year.

WWE PLE cards have far fewer matches than previous years, with Kross finding a spot on night two of WrestleMania 40, again giving an indication in the faith creative had in the star to feature him on a major Premium Live Event.

Despite being a prominent player, championships wouldn’t follow Kross from NXT to the main roster, though there’s always a chance for another return to WWE if all the pieces fall in his favor.

If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.