WWE SmackDown Superstar Karrion Kross has dismissed rumors that talent are fearful for their jobs following the return of Vince McMahon.
McMahon was reappointed to WWE’s Board of Directors on January 6, 2023, after retiring from the promotion in July of last year.
While initially claimed that McMahon’s return was solely to oversee a sale of WWE, the 77-year-old has since been appointed ‘Executive Chairman.’
Fear
In the final years of McMahon’s first era as head of WWE, the company undertook mass releases of talent, with Kross one of the names cut in 2021.
With McMahon back, it has been reported that talent are concerned that it will be just a matter of time before these mass layoffs to the roster happen again.
Speaking with the San Antonio Express-News, Kross dismissed the idea that McMahon’s comeback has Superstars shaking in their boots.
“It’s in my news feeds, it’s everywhere. It’s inescapable at this point. But the people that I have spoken to about it, like my personal friends in the business, no one’s really concerned or afraid for their job.
“All of us are ready to adapt…. I think everyone’s just taking it day by day to see where everything lands, and we’re all trying to remain optimistic.”
Karrion Kross.
Kross, who was released in November 2021 alongside his wife Scarlett, was one of the first names Triple H rehired after becoming head of Talent Relations.
WWE Sale
WWE has not cut any names from its roster in 2023 thus far, but it could happen as talks of a sale of the promotion ramp up.
The cuts to the roster in 2020, 2021, and 2022, came at a time when the promotion was boasting record profits.
Many at the time felt that these cuts were to make those profit margins even bigger, and therefore look more appealing to a potential buyer.
Names reportedly interested in purchasing WWE include Comcast, FOX, Disney, Netflix, Amazon, the Saudi Arabia PIF, and Shahid & Tony Khan.
