Former WWE Star Thought He’d Be A Lifer In The Company

Former WWE star Killer Kross never thought he would leave WWE. For years, the former star known as Karrion Kross believed that if he worked hard and gave his best every week, he would spend his entire career with the company. But after two runs in WWE, a release, a surprise return, and ultimately deciding not to renew his contract in 2025, things turned out very differently.

Speaking on the Off the Ropes podcast, Kross looked back on his WWE journey. He admitted that he always saw himself staying with WWE for a long time.

Killer Kross thought he would be in WWE forever

During the interview, Kross was asked if he had planned for life after WWE or if leaving forced him to figure things out as he went along.

“I’ll be honest, I had no plan,” Kross said. “I have said this for years. The story’s never changed. I always thought I was going to be a lifer with WWE.”

Kross explained that he used to believe that if you worked hard, performed well, and stayed committed, you would earn a long-term spot. But as time went on, he realized the wrestling business doesn’t always work that way.

“I didn’t understand how that really worked. It’s like, that’s not actually your choice. You’re thinking that, ‘Hey, if I just show up at 110% every single week, that should take care of it, right?’ It’s like, No, that’s not really how it works,” Kross added.

He learned that many factors such as creative decisions, business changes, contract talks, and shifts in management can affect a wrestler’s future.

Even though that reality surprised him, Kross said adapting to change has always been part of his life. Before joining WWE, Kross had already lived in several different places.

Born in New York, he spent many years in Canada, living in cities like Toronto, Montreal, and parts of British Columbia. Later, he moved to Las Vegas and now spends time between Nevada and Florida. Because of that lifestyle, Kross said he has become comfortable with change.

He admitted that he likes being disciplined and organized. This has helped him deal with the ups and downs of the wrestling business.

“I’ve lived all over the place. So instantaneous change and adaptability has never bothered me. I kind of like, in a weird way, I thrive on that because the monotonous routine of anything drives me crazy, which is also a weird paradox because I also thrive on routine and discipline. That’s just the way I am,” Kross said.