Kevin "Killer" Kross sat down with Brian Fritz of The Sporting News yesterday to discuss his ongoing issues with Impact Wrestling.
Where the issues began: "The issues began last year regarding merchandising… I’ve been advised not to go into the full detail of the issues, but I am hoping that they can be resolved as quickly as possible. It’s something I’ve been working on for many months.”
Issues with creative and pay: "I'm in a situation right now where I have to be very careful how I choose to address things. My hands are completely clean in all of this. I have been attempting to get clarification on things that were supposed to be given to me in a timely manner. Some of them have been ... I'm not even sure how to put it. It's so difficult to answer. It's very difficult to even discuss. I'm doing my absolutely best to remain civil and professional on the entire ordeal and it's extremely difficult. I'm really just looking to being treated fairly and I'm just looking to put my best work out there. There are now situations that are occurring where, basically, opportunities are being delayed and I guess, what the easiest way to put it, opportunities are being ... I apologize. It's really the first time I've talked about it. These things I'm attempting to pursue in my career, I'm being blocked from pursuing them for really ridiculous circumstances."
On reports he is seeking to sue to the company: "I’ve actually made it abundantly clear that I have not been interested in going into litigation. I’m not interested in going down that road. I’ve been trying for many, many, many months. I’ve been exhausting all options on how to fix this situation. There’s an attorney involved and we’re not suing anyone. I’ve been trying to avoid litigation as much as possible and, again, I have nothing to worry about in all of this. I really don’t. I’m not on the wrong on any of this and I’m just trying to follow my lane here. I have everything on paper. As I said before, I’m not worried about anything at all. I’ve done nothing wrong — at all. I’m just trying to do the right thing and I wish I would be met with that as well because there’s only one right thing to do here and it’s not being done.”
Whether he regrets signing with Impact: "I don't regret signing the deal from last year despite all of this, to be honest with you, because I've met a lot of really wonderful people and I've been able to have a lot of great life experiences. I think sometimes you get the bad with the good and you get the good with the bad and I always try to remain optimistic that it will work out. There's a sense of gratitude that I can find in all things. Regarding the finding out about other people making more money and whatnot, I want everyone to make as much money as possible. I don't think there's such a thing as an overpaid person in this business. You get what you get. I was led to believe that these things were not available on any stretch of the imagination and a lot of personal things began occurring in my life where I was really no longer able to maintain being there under the circumstances I was under. I was told that a lot of things were going to happen that year that there was no follow through on. I tried to express that and I was initially interested in staying onboard. I wasn't trying to leave. I wasn't trying to hold anybody up or strong arm them. That's all, like, insane stuff that people are creating their own context about. That wasn't at all what was happening. In the process of all that, I was attempting to retrieve something that was owed to me by the company. I had been trying to retrieve that for an extended period of time and I was very cool about it and I was very professional about it. I got along with everyone and I tried to put my best foot forward and I think anyone who watches my work, you'd never know anything was wrong because I had a very small window to optimize my time to perform to the best of my ability for that company and I think everyone would tell you that I came with my working shoes every single time."
Why he wasn't offered a release when he asked for one: "Because I was under contract. That's basically what they told me. They said that they were not going to be giving me my release and I thought that was ridiculous because literally in January, in front of the entire roster in Nashville, management stood in front of everyone and said 'If you are not able to be here or can no longer be here or don't want to be here, we don't want you here and we will part ways.' That's something that has been told to just about everyone in the company, even prior to me being there, and at that time, it still hadn't even crossed my mind. I was trying to improve my current situation and be on par and track with the things that were supposed to be done for me, essentially. So, they're just ... I guess you'd have to ask them. I wouldn't even be able to speak on their behalf because we're on two totally different pages, unfortunately. "
Not wanting to Blade: "I want it to be understood that I absolutely love Eddie Edwards. I actually used to call him 'The Commander.' That was my nickname for him because I looked at him as the guy who set the standard for work ethic and passion and dedication in the company. He had been there for an extended period of time and had some of the best matches in the company's history and it was a great pleasure to work with him. Eddie and I had an idea for what we wanted to do that night and the company had a different idea. Eddie and I did the best we could with it. Obviously, there's a story out there and people are discussing it with the whole blood issue. I was pretty pissed about that,"
Being concerned about the recent spread of Hepatitus C on an independent event right before the Slammiversary First Blood Match: "One-hundred percent and I brought that up that day. I talked about it with everyone that day. Some people knew about it, some people didn't. I was really blown away that they were so interested in going in that direction. Why did we have to do it like that? I just did not understand at all. I actually spoke with Tommy Dreamer and I told him I was absolutely not doing that. It's just infuriating."
His reaction to the First Blood match being announced: "Yeah. I was very concerned. I was like 'What the hell?' I was like 'Who's volunteering me for this? We need to have a discussion about this.'
Blading: "I was expecting certain precautions to be taken leading into that and nothing was really formulating. It was an HIV or hepatitis or something, I don't recall exactly, but there was some sort of blood-born pathogen outbreak shortly before that. I've never been OK with people doing that. I never volunteered anyone to do that and I've never asked anyone to do that. I really haven't. If people want to do that, that's fine, but there's a series of steps that should be taken. This isn't the medieval times — we kind of need to grow up here. It's not about who's tough and who's willing to do this or do that. You're losing blood from an area in your head near your brain. This is no f— joke. There's complication that can occur with that and depending on someone's vitals, their diet that day, water, altitude, there's a lot of s— that could go wrong. I've very passionate about this subject. It's just frustrating. You'd think we'd be entering into things very differently. There was even one idea pitched that ... Eddie was supposed to be on apron and he was going to grab the cane and hit me directly in my f— face with the cane. That's a real cane — that's not a prop. I'm supposed to put my hands down and get clipped in my f— face? Come on, what are we doing here? I'm all about putting on the best show possible. I really am. But the best show possible doesn't have to entail, I don't know, possibly getting disfigured or contracting a disease. I don't think that needs to be part of the story."
Kross also confirmed that he has been removed from this Sunday's AAA event in New York City at the Hulu Theater, noting, he "was given that date and information brought to my attention as per Ed Nordholm (Executive Vice President of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, IMPACT Wrestling’s parent company), I am now off that show." Kross stated he was told he is still working for AAA in Mexico, but with Impact co-promoting the NYC event, he had been removed from the NYC date. Kross commented the situation was "Pretty unbelievable" and when describing the decision to pull him, noted "It's really actually changed my life and my career. This is just, in my opinion, a really gross circumstance that's occurred and I think it was pretty ill-mannered, respectfully."
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