Karrion Kross says WWE pulled contract offer after 24 hours: 'We still want to work it out'

Karrion Kross insists his WWE contract has lapsed. Kross attempted to clear up the misconception about his status after recently parting from the professional wrestling company.

WWE's recent creative decisions have made it more difficult to separate fact from fiction. Seth Rollins' knee injury at Saturday Night's Main Event was scripted. By all reports, Ron Killings legitimately received his release before returning, despite WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque's (Triple H) allusions. Now, Kross attempts to clear up his situation.

"The truth of the matter is...my contract was up last week," Kross told "The Ariel Helwani Show" on Wednesday, insisting he was speaking out of character as Kevin Robert Kesar.

Kross said he received a contract renewal offer last Tuesday. He also noted that his wife, Scarlett Bordeaux, who served as his manager under the pseudonym Scarlett, did not receive a contract renewal.

"I got the offer," Kross said. "I wanted to know how they came to the valuation of that offer. I just wanted, you know, some information, some metrics, some analytics that support, 'Hey, this is how we got here.'" 

When he requested additional metrics to make an informed decision, WWE gave him a sharp deadline. WWE's urgency was atypical as far as Kross is aware or has experienced.

"When I inquired about that, they were unwilling to provide that information and told me I had 24 hours to agree to the offer or they would rescind it," Kross said. "So, you know, the next day, we talk. I ask if they have the information. They don't. 

"And I said, 'I can't make an informed decision without the information and I'd like to keep the dialogue open.' And they rescinded the offer. And that's...that's actually where we're at."

Kross said that he's still at the negotiation table. He expressed hurt feelings but didn't outright disparage WWE. Kross hopes the two parties can revisit working together sooner rather than later. Kross' desire to set the record straight was also a business decision. He claims WWE's renewed effort to blur lines has other promotions on guard. He's heard through mutual parties that promotions are hesitant to contact him, fearing contract tampering. 

"This isn't to disparage WWE, but because there are so many convoluted stories out there going on, and actually to even some degree affect our livelihood of what we're supposed to be doing afterwards," Kross said. "People don't want to reach out because they're not sure if they're tampering and stuff like that. 

"The goal has always been to be with WWE. My wife and I still want to be with WWE. I'm at the table for conversations. I did not step out of the conversation. We still want to be there. We still want to work it out." 

Because Kross' contract expired, he's immediately free to speak to accept bookings from other companies and speak to the media. Traditionally, WWE has a non-compete clause when releasing actively contracted talent. 

Kross and Bordeaux's departures mark the second time they've left WWE. The married couple was previously released in 2021 after one year with the company. They returned in 2022 under Levesque's creative leadership and enjoyed a three-year run with the promotion. 

Though Kross was mostly featured as a midcard act, he received a groundswell of support around WrestleMania 41 through quasi-real segments off WWE television. Fan support led to his brief appearance at WrestleMania and pay-per-view matches with Sami Zayn at Night of Champions and SummerSlam. Kross also became a primary merchandise mover for a short time, with his shirts selling out.