WWE's Karrion Kross on reinvention, rumours and rising fan support

Wrestler expects enthusiastic reception in Riyadh for SmackDown and Night of Champions contest against Sami Zayn

Karrion Kross has enjoyed a rise in fan support over the past few months. Getty Images

Karrion Kross holds a special place in his heart for Saudi Arabia.

He’s back in Riyadh for WWE’s weekend events, including SmackDown and Night of Champions, where he’ll go head-to-head with Sami Zayn. The match marks his first singles bout on a premium live event since his steel cage loss to Drew McIntyre at Crown Jewel in November 2022, which also took place in the Saudi capital.

Although it’s been a while, Kross (real name Kevin Kesar) is grateful for the chance to compete in a place where he’s always felt welcomed.

“I've wrestled once, I believe, out of the five times I've been here, and it was against Drew McIntyre inside of a steel cage,” Kross tells The National. “The other times I've been here, I have been received so overwhelmingly warm and enthusiastic by the fans.

“I was surprised because I'm not a hyper-featured character in comparison to other characters in the show. You'd think that they would go 10 times crazier for them, as opposed to me – just speaking with humility. But I've always been received really well by the fans here.”

The support hasn’t been limited to the Middle East. Over the past few months, Kross has been gaining momentum as more fans rally behind him for more TV time. But did he ever doubt himself?

“I knew we would get here because I had a career before WWE. Obviously, the peak of my successes is WWE – it's the biggest and best company in the world – because I believe in my ability to connect with the audience.”

Kross admits it’s not always easy to explain this without sounding critical. After all, WWE is a produced television show – “you’re not just showing up and doing or saying whatever you want,” he says – and that means working within the boundaries of the storylines provided.

When he was with NXT, he says he played a version of Karrion Kross that the company was high on: a cryptic figure. But in his view, that kind of character works best when it’s tied to dominance in the ring.

“If you’re quiet and stoic and you’re staring up at the lights a lot, there’s a disconnect for the audience,” he explains. Although it's taken some time, he made adjustments and created other versions of the character – ones that could still engage viewers without relying on the exact formula used during his NXT run.

It’s all about entertaining people and putting a smile on their face

Karrion Kross

He also points to another personal trait that helped him evolve: a dark sense of humour. “My whole family has it,” he says. “It’s how we deal with stress, loss and grief.” That same sensibility has eventually found its way into his on-screen persona. He felt that adding a layer of dark humour to the otherwise ominous and manipulative character would help audiences relate more – and so far, he’s been right.

“It’s all about entertaining people and putting a smile on their face,” he says. That connection, he adds, is also thanks to the people he shares the ring with. “It takes two to tango,” and having the right opponents – and enough time on television – has made a difference.

With success comes scrutiny. As Kross’s popularity grows, so do the rumours and theories about why his rise has taken time. One of the latest to circulate online is the claim that he doesn’t take “flat back bumps” – the wrestling move where a performer lands flat on their back after being hit.

Karrion Kross his wife have always appreciated the support of fans in the Middle East. JC Olivera / Getty Images / AFP

“I thought out of all the crazy articles that are fabricated about me every week, that was the weakest,” he says, laughing. “There was another wild one I saw last week that was even funnier. It said something like, ‘Karrion Kross is going to come to Monday Night Raw and he's going to quit and do a shoot promo live, and then walk out.’ I thought that was a good one.

“But I don’t really respond to any of them. There’s a crazy one about me every week or two. You just kind of have to laugh.”

Although he can’t predict exactly where his career will go next, Kross says he’s grateful for everything that’s happened so far and has a heartfelt message for his fans in the Middle East.

“I love you guys. You've all been so kind to me and my wife. Every time I've come here, we look forward to coming here every single time. We look forward to new experiences, meeting people and entertaining people, and being able to provide that little bit of relief – for escapism, for fun – when we have the opportunity to perform in front of all of you.

“Thank you for being with me. I'm learning how to track metrics online with videos and stuff like that, and about regions. I learnt this year how many fans that I'm able to track are here. And I'm very honoured and grateful and humbled by all of the fan support and I can't wait to fight Sami live. I can't wait to come back again after that.”

SmackDown airs at 9pm on Friday; Night of Champions airs at 9pm on Saturday; on Netflix