Karrion Kross lifts lid on dramatic WWE exit and stunning return as well as Roman Reigns and Logan Paul dream matches

WWE superstar Karrion Kross is targeting a dream match against Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns and Logan Paul following his sensational return, shortly after a dramatic exit.

Kross, 37, is set to compete on Sunday at the OVO Hydro Arena in Glasgow as he continues to feud with Scottish legend and the first ever British WWE world champion Drew McIntyre.

The American will then clash with McIntyre in a Steel Cage Match at Crown Jewel on Saturday in Saudi Arabia with both heavyweights keeping an eye on the main event, in which Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Reigns defends against YouTube sensation Paul.

The Herald of Doomsday is determined to be the next No1 Contender and is fully confident he could end The Tribal Chief’s two-year reign as world champion, if he retains against the social media star.

Kross told SunSport: “I think the very first person that pins Roman Reigns is going to have a career-changing situation occurring for themselves. Not only will they become champion but they are finally beating someone who has been undefeated for over two years.

“I plan on that being me. Which is why I need to stay in Drew McIntyre’s head so he doesn’t figure it out before I did.”

But Kross is also open to facing Paul, even though he is confident Reigns will “crush” him in Riyadh with the help of fellow Bloodline members The Usos, Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn.

The boxer, though, has earned the ex-NXT Champion’s respect despite the fact he’s only wrestled twice in WWE and has joined the main-event scene much sooner than other recognised stars.

Kross said: “I would be happy to face Mr Paul, I have no problem whatsoever being in the ring with him. Absolutely zero.

“In terms of him paying his dues or whatnot, I understand that that’s a perspective by many people [but] I personally don’t have an opinion on it. I can’t hate this guy’s hustle and I can’t hate his drive in order to challenge himself to do things that people are telling him cannot be done.

“I do believe that Roman is going to crush him and I think that if he believes that he is only competing against Roman and not the entire Bloodline at this point he’s completely out of his mind. No one else has ben able to figure that out against Roman. And I’m pretty sure Roman is well aware of that.”

Kross is just a whisker away from the main-event scene, but he had to go down a path with many twists and turns along the way.

The 37-year-old joined WWE’s developmental brand NXT in 2020 when he teamed up with his wife Scarlett Bordeaux and defeated Keith Lee for the NXT Championship at TakeOver: XXX, just six months after his debut.

The heavyweight athlete was called up to main roster last year with a bizarre new look and without Scarlett by his side, which led to a shock defeat to Jeff Hardy in under two minutes on RAW in what was his first ever pinfall loss.

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Kross said: “That was a decision that was made by management at the time and it definitely was not something that was my personal decision.

“I’m a very big believer in providing continuity for fans. We [Kross and Scarlett] were introduced to the WWE Universe together as a concept that Scarlett, Hunter [Triple H] and I kind of collaborated altogether.

“So of course my intention would be to preserve the initial presentation and provide that but they just wanted to try something different and you saw what that was.”

Kross and Scarlett were subsequently released just four months after his disastrous debut along with other stars due to budget cuts.

The New Yorker added: “I got a phone call one day and they basically just said that there were budget cuts. Scarlett and I got the same call.

“Her and I are very solution-based thinkers. We don’t spend a lot of time grieving about stuff, we like to move forward with things. Honest to God, I’m not just saying this, it’s hard for me to even remember the details of what happened.

“But I can tell you we were disappointed. But we were also relieved at the same time as well because we were not fulfilled artistically or creatively with what we were doing at the time and we thought, ‘Hey, this is a new opportunity right now, being released to improve different aspects of our lives personally and professionally’.”

The WWE Universe was enraged after Kross and Scarlett’s release and would constantly show their support on social media or whenever they met the couple in public.

But the heavyweight wrestler kept in touch with the company, especially with Chief Content Officer Triple H, and the pair rejoined the promotion in August, just nine months after their >longtime Chairman Vince McMahon’s retirement.

Kross said: “Well, I stayed in touch with everybody even after I left. So I stayed in touch with the boys and a few people in management.

“The last three months before I was released they were a little weird but I didn’t let that spoil my entire experience in the company. I had a really good experience with WWE. And the experience working there was life-changing in all the best ways.

“So every once in a while we would check in on Hunter and see how he’s doing, just personal stuff – we never talked about work – and he would check in on us.

“One day he was wondering if we were around for a call. And then I think it was the week that you guys saw me on TV. I jumped on a call with Hunter and he proposed the concept of coming back. He said, ‘Would you guys like to come home?’ And we were like, ‘Of course we would’. And then you guys saw us two days later, we were on TV.

“We’ve always had a good relationship with everyone. We loved our experience there. That bridge was never ever burned or damaged or anything like that. It was just a series of unfortunate events that led to where we’re at and we came full circle.”

Kross and Scarlett were part of a group of returning stars, such as Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt and Dakota Kai, after McMahon’s controversial retirement.

However, Kross insists the WWE owner’s exit didn’t play a role in his decision to come back.

He added when asked if McMahon’s departure helped him come back: “Not necessarily, I wasn’t overly fond of the concept they had pitched to me when I was coming up on the main roster the first time.

“But it wasn’t anything personal. When you sign a contract with WWE this is what it is and I’m very much of the old school belief that whatever I’m given I’m gonna do my absolute best to get that over so it’s enjoyable towards the audience.

“It wasn’t my idea but that’s okay, we’re given other people’s ideas all the time – that’s part of the job – and we do our best to make it entertaining. While I wasn’t fond of it and it wasn’t my idea that didn’t really matter to me.

“There was no animosity towards anyone at all. It was just something that in the end didn’t work when we did our best to try and make it work.

“Had we received that call from the previous management, if the call went well we would have considered it because at the end of the day it’s really about being in front of the fans.”

Kross now has big plans set for when his feud with McIntyre is completed as he added: “When we become WWE Undisputed Universal Champion together, I think you’re going to see a proper supervillain. It’s not going to be any sort of grey area, you’re gonna know that we are the bad guys.”