Karrion Kross Addresses WWE Rumors, Latest on El Grande Americano and the Righteous

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Kross Talks WWE Departure, Work Speculation

Despite a ton of speculation regarding the possibility of his WWE contract expiration being a work, Karrion Kross reiterated this week that it wasn't the case.

Speaking to Denise Salcedo on her YouTube channel (h/t WrestlePurists), Kross discussed his departure and explained why he would never pretend to lose his job as part of a storyline:

"There are hundreds of people who have been coming to the table, a lot of them angry because they were hoping it was a work and there would be a payoff. I would never work somebody like that.

"To me, it's not in good taste. Running an angle where you lose your job and upset people is not something I would do. I understand why people thought it was going to be a work, they were hoping it was going to be a work."

Kross last appeared on WWE programming last month at SummerSlam when he lost a match to Sami Zayn.

Based on the stipulation of the match, Kross was supposed to admit that his opinions on Zayn were wrong, but he never made another appearance on WWE TV, and his contract expired the weekend after SummerSlam.

Given how popular Kross and Scarlett became with fans after WrestleMania 41, the prevailing thought was that WWE would re-sign them and give them a significant push.

The fact that Kross had a match at SummerSlam further backed that line of thinking since it isn't typical for WWE to put a Superstar in a major match right before their contract expires.

Kross has been consistent in saying that everything that has happened is legitimate, though, including during an appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show last month.

He explained that WWE made him an offer shortly after his contract expired, but he was only given 24 hours to accept, and when he didn't, the offer was pulled.

Kross noted that while he wanted to "keep the dialogue open," no additional offers were made, meaning he is legitimately gone from WWE for the time being at least.

He has wasted little time in making an impact outside of WWE, though, as Kross and Scarlett appeared at GCW Homecoming on Aug. 23, confronting Matt Cardona.

WWE Reportedly Happy with Kaiser's El Grande Americano Portrayal

Ludwig Kaiser is reportedly turning heads within WWE for the work he has done since taking over the El Grande Americano gimmick.

According to BodySlam.net (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), WWE officials are "very impressed" with Kaiser's work and believe he may be an even better El Grande Americano than Chad Gable was due to the additions he has made to the character.

Gable was the original El Grande Americano, and he parlayed it into a great deal of success, including beating Rey Fenix at WrestleMania 41 and facing El Hijo del Vikingo for the AAA Mega Championship at Worlds Collide.

However, Gable has been out of action since June due to a shoulder injury, paving the way for Kaiser to replace him as El Grande Americano.

Under the El Grande Americano mask, Kaiser competed in a Fatal 4-Way match for the AAA Mega Championship at Triplemanía last month, which saw Vikingo retain.

Kaiser has cut promos and even sang in Spanish, which speaks to the type of commitment he has made to making it work as El Grande Americano.

As a result, he received a hugely positive reaction from the Mexican crowd at Triplemanía, which suggests he can be a major asset for WWE when it comes to events under the AAA banner.

Gable will return at some point, and while it is unclear if he will re-assume the El Grande Americano role when he does, there is a built-in rivalry with Kaiser waiting for him once he is cleared to wrestle again.

The Righteous Reportedly Linked to WWE

The tag team known as The Righteous reportedly could be on their way to WWE in the near future.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), The Righteous have told promoters they are finishing up their indie dates. They have reportedly received interest from WWE as well, and there is a belief within the business that they will sign with WWE in the near future.

Comprised of Vincent and Dutch, The Righteous originated in Ring of Honor in 2021 and later returned to ROH in 2023 after AEW purchased the promotion.

The Righteous made several appearances on both AEW and ROH shows after that before reportedly requesting and being granted their release this year.

Prior to signing with AEW, The Righteous took part in a WWE tryout, and they were even seen in the crowd during an episode of NXT in 2022.

While no deal was reached between The Righteous and WWE at the time, it appears as though their arrival may finally be on the horizon.

The Righteous have often been compared to the original Wyatt Family from a character perspective, which opens the door for them to become involved with the Wyatt Sicks at some point.

However, if WWE wants to sign them and start them in NXT, they could breathe some much-needed life into an NXT tag team division that is short on top-end talent.