Karrion Kross was "dead on arrival" and has "done nothing" in WWE, legend says
Karrion Kross appears on WWE RAW alongside Final Testament stablemates Akam, Paul Ellering, Rezar, and Scarlett. Dutch Mantell, formerly known as Zeb Colter in WWE, believes the 39-year-old's character has been damaged since his NXT days.
Kross re-signed with WWE in August 2022 shortly after Triple H replaced Vince McMahon as the main roster's creative figurehead. Upon his return, the two-time NXT Champion was booked in a high-profile storyline with Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns. Two years on, he is currently feuding with The Wyatt Sicks.
Mantell made it clear on Story Time with Dutch Mantell that he has not been impressed with WWE's presentation of Kross:
"On TV they have almost depersonalized the guy. He speaks in a monotone [voice]. There's nothing exciting about him at all." [0:24 – 0:39]
Mantell also believes Kross' "tick-tock" catchphrase is not strong enough to captivate fans or strike fear into rivals:
"I said he's dead on arrival. But I listened to him and, not just me, I think a wrestling fan would say, 'Hmm, I don't know about this guy,' because he's not really controversial. 'Tick tock' is not controversial. He's done nothing, really." [0:53 – 1:23]
Many fans criticized WWE's repackaging of Karrion Kross in 2021. Under Vince McMahon's creative leadership, the Final Testament leader lost in 100 seconds against Jeff Hardy on his RAW debut. He was also instructed to wear a helmet to the ring.
Dutch Mantell compares Chris Jericho and Karrion Kross
Although he is not a fan of Karrion Kross' storylines, Dutch Mantell thinks the RAW star is capable of entertaining fans if he has more creative freedom.
Mantell added that WWE legend and current AEW wrestler Chris Jericho is proof that someone can make fans care if a character is compelling:
"I did see some of his videos. He is fairly entertaining. It's like if Chris Jericho went there and they wanted to make him something other than Chris Jericho, he wouldn't have got over. Chris Jericho was Chris Jericho. He knew what worked for him before but, to his defense, he went to the creative team and pitched all these ideas and to Vince [McMahon], therefore the Chris Jericho that we saw was the Chris Jericho that he's still doing today." [1:24 – 2:02]
Kross has not wrestled a televised match since defeating Akira Tozawa on the September 26 episode of WWE Main Event.
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Dutch Mantell and his wife Cathy have battled life-threatening health issues in recent months. You can show your support by leaving a donation via GoFundMe.
Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.