Karrion Kross might never get over despite having a faction, WWE legend bluntly admits: "I don't think you can get heat on him" (Exclusive)
WWE repackaging talents have helped revive several careers, and Karrion Kross would hope the same happens to him.
During the latest Smack Talk episode, Dutch Mantell shared why he wasn't confident about Kross getting over as a top heel in WWE.
Following an underwhelming run since his main roster call-up, WWE finally decided to shake things up creatively by pairing Karrion Kross with the returning Authors of Paul and Paul Ellering.
Kross is the leader of SmackDown's newest faction, and it seems like WWE is rolling the dice once again with the goal of getting the former NXT Champion over.
Dutch Mantell reacted to the new stable on Smack Talk and felt the faction could suffer the fate of many other forgotten teams within weeks. Mantell believed WWE had spent enough time on Kross to realize that he may never get over with the crowd.
The former WWE manager had a very honest take on Kross' future, as you can view below:
"They may go through three or four matches, and then it's gone. I don't know what they could do with this anyway. I don't know if you could get heat on Karrion Kross if you took a gallon of gasoline, threw it on him, and then threw a match on it. I don't think you can get heat on him." [From 51:00 to 51:30]
Check out the entire episode below:
Kross clearly has the talent and reputation, and because of that, WWE continues to give him chances. His alliance with AOP is the latest attempt to push The Doom Walker
"I like the guy, but you can't get heat on him:" Dutch Mantell on Karrion Kross
Kross was a top name in NXT, whose entrance and dark character caught the attention of fans of the former Black and Gold brand.
Karrion won the NXT title twice, and he was expected to be a breakout talent after moving to RAW and SmackDown. A few creative mistakes meant his stint went nowhere, and he was eventually released in 2021, only to be re-hired the following year.
Dutch Mantell personally had no issues with Karrion Kross but highlighted that the experiment of getting him over with the audience had already gone on for too long.
Dutch also explained that WWE could get heat on any talent if they tried, as they've done with Kross for over a year:
"I like the guy, but you can't get heat on him. How long have they tried to get heat on him? Sid? A year? And guess how much heat they've got on him, zero! If you can't heat on somebody in that amount of time, heck, you can get heat out of him by him just sitting there at ringside and putting the camera on them every now and then. You'd say, 'Why are they showing this guy? And then you'd have some heat on him." [From 51:36 to 52:12]
Is Cody Rhodes regretting leaving AEW after a WWE legend's return? Check out what Dutch Mantell had to say right here.
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