Karrion Kross is living something of a double life these days in World Wrestling Entertainment. The man formerly known as Killer Kross on the independent scene, and the White Rabbit to audiences of the defunct Lucha Underground, entered the WWE Universe via NXT in 2020. He captured the NXT Championship but had to vacate it due to injury. Kross captured the title again, in April 2021, from Finn Balor at NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver. Rumors began to swirl that Kross was bound for the main roster on Monday Night Raw, and he and valet Scarlet worked dark matches with other NXT talent in auditions for WWE officials in the last days of the ThunderDome at Amway Center. This led to the first Karrion Kross vs Jeff Hardy showdown.
Karrion Kross vs Jeff Hardy – The Beginning
Kross did, indeed, debut on Raw, and that’s when the schism in how he is portrayed across WWE programming began. On NXT, Kross is still the champion, a palpably enigmatic and formidable fighting champion who retained his title by outlasting no less than four challengers in a fatal five-way at June 13’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House, besting Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, and Kyle O’ Reilly. Kross’s rivalry with onscreen authority figure Samoa Joe has been a highlight of the broadcast for some weeks, and the two are going to face off in a matter of days at August 22’s NXT TakeOver 36. On the ‘black and gold’ brand, there is no question: Kross is a force to be reckoned with.
That was not, however, how he was represented upon his Raw debut, on July 19. He was paired off with, and quickly put away by, legendary WWE performer Jeff Hardy. Despite his electrifying past as a revolutionary of the Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match format alongside his brother Matt Hardy as the Hardy Boyz, the younger Hardy’s recent appearances on WWE programming have been a sporadic and ignominious string of mostly defeats on Main Event. The outcry from fans was swift and sudden that Kross had been ill-used. On NXT, Kross dispatches opponents brutally and easily with his punishing style, an expertly dealt encyclopedia of suplex variations. It seemed unbelievable that he would not prevail against the aging Hardy, whose signature agility is naturally not what it once was.
Taking a Deeper Dive Into the Feud
Rematches are inevitable on Raw, and when the two met again on August 9 Kross was the victor, submitting Hardy with his guillotine maneuver the Kross Jacket. On August 16, Hardy gave a defiant interview segment, railing against Kross, who attacked him backstage. In the ring, Kross once again gained a swift victory via submission with the Kross Jacket.
Kross’s introduction to the Raw roster, his loss to Hardy, was controversial. However, the optics of their storyline may serve him in the long term. Hardy is a generational legend, a veteran of the second wave of the Attitude Era, in which the hardcore mentality of outlaw promotion ECW had irrevocably suffused mainstream pro wrestling. The shock of Bret Hart bloodying the face of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 and the enfant terrible antics of D-Generation X were the era’s opening salvo in the early 1990s, but extreme was the norm by the dawn of the new millennium.
Hardy, alongside his brother Matt and their frequent rivals Edge and Christian Cage, broke new ground in defying death for the sake of pro wrestling with their TLC Matches. His Whisper in the Wind, Swanton Bomb, and Twist of Fate maneuvers are iconic. His face paint, entrance theme, and signature fist-pumping are a reliable collective delight to the crowd. Having Kross menace such an established, beloved figure only makes him look more fearsome in the end, creating the myth of Kross for anyone who didn’t see him first on NXT.
Karrion Kross vs Jeff Hardy – In Conclusion
If Kross passes the NXT title onto Samoa Joe at TakeOver 36, he will most likely become a permanent fixture on the Raw roster. If that’s the case, his rivalry with Hardy has yet to have its climax and August 16’s victory for Kross may be a sign of things to come. Despite the controversy at its inception, the feud is as good a way as any to establish Kross on the main roster.
