Kevin Robert Kesar (born July 19, 1985), is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is performing on theindependent circuit under thering nameKiller Kross. He is best known for his tenure inWWE, where he performed under the ring nameKarrion Kross.
Kesar signed with WWE in February 2020 under the ring name Karrion Kross and began a winning streak on theirNXT developmental brand that led him to winning theNXT Championship before having to relinquish it due to injury. Kross regained the title in April 2021 atNXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. After making his main roster debut on theRaw brand that July, his winning streak was immediately broken, he lost the NXT Championship toSamoa Joe the following month, and hison-screen character was subsequently altered. WWE released Kesar in November 2021 and began making appearances in variousindependentpromotions, as well as brief appearances inMajor League Wrestling (MLW) andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He returned to WWE in August 2022 and performed there until August 2025, after his contract expired.
On September 6, 2014, Kesar made professional wrestling debut asKevin Kross at Future Stars of Wrestling (FSW)[12] In 2015, he also participated onGlobal Force WrestlingGFW Amped taping.[13][14] On October 23, Kross facedBrian Myers andKongo Kong in a three-way number one contenders match for the GFW Global Championship, which was won by Kong.[15] In 2018, Kesar adopted the ring nameKiller Kross.[16] On July 5, 2019 at FSW Natural Born Killers, Kross wrestledJon Moxley to a no contest.[17] After the match, Moxley was so impressed by Kross that he gave Triple H's contact and was signed by WWE.[18]
Between 2015 and 2016, Kevin Kross worked multiple dark matches forLucha Underground. On December 14, 2015, Kross made his debut for the promotion, defeating Vinny Massaro in a dark match.[19][20]
On July 11, 2018, Kross returned with a newcharacter calledThe White Rabbit, he gave his wooden scepter toPaul London and ordered him to murderMascarita Sagrada in cold blood for leading the Rabbit Tribe to his secret lair.
On the June 14, 2018 episode ofImpact, Kesar, as Killer Kross, made his debut in a backstage segment posing as a police officer, arrestingPetey Williams for being the suspected mystery X attacker who had been laying out talent and personnel backstage for several weeks. Once in a secluded area backstage, however, Kross attacked and choked a handcuffed Williams, revealing himself as the actual attacker.[26][27] Kross made his in-ring debut on the July 5 episode ofImpact, defeatingFallah Bahh.[28] Two weeks later, Kross defeated Williams via referee stoppage after applying a choke hold.[29]
On the August 9 episode ofImpact, Kross helpedAustin Aries retain hisImpact World Championship againstEddie Edwards, hitting the latter with aSaito Suplex following aref bump.[30] Aries announced Kross as his "insurance policy" the following week.[31] The duo were joined byMoose, who betrayed Edwards during a tag team match on August 30.[32] AtBound for Glory on October 14, Kross and Moose were defeated by Edwards andTommy Dreamer in an impromptutag match. In the main event, Kross and Moose were in the corner of Aries as he lost the Impact World Championship toJohnny Impact.[33]
After his alliance with Aries ended, Kross entered a storyline with Impact, in which Kross told Impact that he needed him to keep up Impact's title run much longer. AtHomecoming on January 6, 2019, Kross attacked both Impact and his wifeTaya Valkyrie after the main event.[34] On the January 25 episode ofImpact!, Kross challenged Impact for the World Championship, however, the match ended in a double disqualification.[35] AtImpact Wrestling: Uncaged, Kross lost a fatal four-way for the title that also featured Moose andBrian Cage.[36] Kross then entered into a feud withEddie Edwards in May after Kross destroyed akendo stick that was gifted to Edwards byTommy Dreamer.[37][38] This resulted in them wrestling in hardcore matches such as astreet fight andfirst blood match.[38][39]
On May 13, it was reported that Kross asked for his release fromImpact Wrestling following contract renegotiations. His issue stemmed from problems with his creative direction, as well as his current pay per appearance deal. He was not released at the time.[40] AtSlammiversary XVII on July 7, Kross lost a first blood match toEddie Edwards, where he reportedly refused to do ablade job and they used fake blood instead.[41] Reports indicated there was concern over "lack of blood testing and the absence of an on-site doctor."[42] Following that match, he was not booked to appear at the July, August or September television tapings and the two sides continued to negotiate.[43] It was reported that his contract was set to expire in December but that the company had the option to roll it over for another year.[41] In December, Impact Wrestling released Kross from his contract.[44]
Before signing withWWE, Kesar made a one-off appearance on the February 16, 2015, episode ofRaw as Kevin Kross, where he teamed withDarren Young to faceThe Ascension (Konnor andViktor) in a match that resulted in ano contest.[46]
On the February 4, 2020 episode ofWWE Backstage, it was confirmed that Kross had signed with WWE.[47] In the following weeks, mysterious video packages were shown that were later to be revealed about Kross, revealing his new look consisting of a shaved head and a goatee. On the April 8 episode ofNXT, Kross andScarlett (shortened from her former ring name Scarlett Bordeaux) were seen in a car watchingJohnny Gargano following his match withTommaso Ciampa.[48] The following week, Kross debuted by attacking Ciampa.[49] On the May 6 episode ofNXT, under the new ring nameKarrion Kross, he made his debut by defeatingLeon Ruff in a squash match.[50] AtTakeOver: In Your House on June 7, Kross defeated Ciampa via technical submission.[51] AtTakeOver: XXX on August 22, he defeatedKeith Lee to win theNXT Championship for the first time.[52] However, the following day, WWE announced that Kross had suffered aseparated shoulder during the match, and on the August 26 episode ofNXT, he vacated the title; this ended his reign at only 4 days, making it the shortest in the title's history.[53]
On the December 9 episode ofNXT, Kross returned and attackedDamian Priest.[54] AtNew Year's Evil on January 6, Kross defeated Priest.[55] At the second night ofTakeOver: Stand & Deliver on April 8, he defeated Finn Balor to win the NXT Championship for the second time.[56] On the May 25 episode ofNXT, Kross retained the title against Balor in his first title defense.[57] On June 14 atIn Your House, Kross successfully retained the championship by defeatingPete Dunne,Kyle O'Reilly,Johnny Gargano, andAdam Cole in a fatal 5-way match.[58] On the July 14 episode ofNXT, Kross faced Gargano to defend the NXT Championship withSamoa Joe as guest referee where he successfully retained.[59] On August 22 atTakeOver 36, Kross lost the NXT Championship to Joe, suffering his first loss in NXT; this was his final match in NXT before he was moved toRaw.[60]
While he was NXT Champion, Kross made his main roster debut on the July 19 episode ofRaw, where he was defeated byJeff Hardy in a non-title match in less than two minutes, marking his first pinfall loss in WWE. Because of said result, many critics and audiences complained that it damaged the formidable character of Kross.[61] According to Kross in an interview after his release, the match originally was supposed to last 10-minutes before being abruptly shortened to 90 seconds just after he made his entrance to the ring.[62] After losing the NXT Championship, Kross was transferred toRaw on its August 23 episode, performing without Scarlett and debuting a new look where he wore a gladiator helmet and suspenders in his entrance; his new attire and character direction was further criticized, with many deeming these changes unnecessary and poorly thought out.[63]WWE Hall of FamerMick Foley talked about WWE's problems, saying that Kross' character was "greatly watered down and even made a joke of when they debut on the main roster."[64] Foley's comments were supported by another WWE Hall of Famer,Booker T.[65] On November 4, Kross and Scarlett were released from their WWE contracts, ending their one-year tenure with the company.[66]
In February 2022, Kross made his return toMLW, where he was absent for 2 years. He won his return debut match atSuperFight against Budd Heavy by referee stoppage.[67]
During night 2 of theWWE Draft, which occurred on April 29, 2024, The Final Testament was drafted toWWE Raw.[79] He, along with the rest of the Final Testament, began feuding withThe New Day, attempting to drive a wedge betweenXavier Woods andKofi Kingston, claiming that Kingston had been preventing from Woods from achieving success as a singles competitor, leading to several bouts between the factions.[80] The feud concluded on the August 19 episode of Raw when The Final Testament lost to The New Day andOdyssey Jones in a Six-Man Tag Team Match. On February 7, 2025, The Final Testament disbanded after AOP and Paul Ellering were released from their WWE Contracts, leaving Kross and Scarlett the only members left.[81]
After the disbandment of The Final Testament, Kross would be involved in backstage segments where he would try and convince various superstars to embrace their dark side, with the character being called "The Devil's Advocate" (inspired bySean O'Haire andKevin Sullivan's characters),[82] some of whom includeSami Zayn andAJ Styles.[83] Kross would go on to appear in Styles’ match againstLogan Paul atWrestleMania 41, preventing interference from a member of Paul’s entourage. Kross would attempt to persuade Styles to hit Paul withbrass knuckles, to no avail, after which Styles proceeded to lose the match. Kross would appear later on the WrestleMania 41 recap show with Scarlett where he would cut a highly acclaimedshoot promo criticizing the company and his booking.[84] The promo at the WrestleMania 41 recap show as well as the Devil's Advocate character gave him an increase of popularity,[85] even being cheered as a heel against the babyface wrestler Sami Zayn atNight of Champions[86] andSummerSlam. The SummerSlam bout would be Kross' final appearance in WWE, since he and Scarlett left WWE on August 10 following the expiry of their contracts which would not be renewed, thus ending their second tenure of three years with the company.[87][88] After departing from WWE, Kross, in an out-of-character interview, revealed that he was only given twenty four hours to sign his new contract offer, which did not include Scarlett re-signing along with him, ultimately leading to his decision to depart the company.[89][90]
Second return to independent circuit (2025–present)
Kesar, asKarrion Kross, made his return to GCW on April 17, 2025 atJosh Barnett's Bloodsport XIII, where he defeatedJ. R. Kratos.[91] On August 23 at GCW Homecoming, Kesar, asKiller Kross, and Scarlett made their first post-WWE appearance, where they attackedMatt Cardona.[92] On September 19, Kross made an appearance forDEFY Wrestling at DEFY Aeon, where he defeatedCalvin Tankman to become the inaugural Super Heavyweight Cup winner.[93]
He also appeared on the short action filmBlue Evening, where he also serves as an executive producer for the film.[98][99]
Kross has written a memoir,Life is Fighting, (2025).[100] A separate biography,The Karrion Kross Untold Story: A Complete Biography of WWE's Most Feared Competitor by Gustavo Williams, was also published in 2025.[101]
Kesar is married to fellow professional wrestler Elizabeth Chihaia, better known by her ring nameScarlett Bordeaux.[102] After becoming engaged on September 23, 2021,[103] they married in April 2022 in a private ceremony on a glacier.[104]
^Gustavo Williams (2025).The Karrion Kross Untold Story: A Complete Biography of WWE's Most Feared Competitor. Independent.ISBN979-8-9876543-2-1.{{cite book}}:Check|isbn= value: checksum (help)
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