On the April 14, edition of WWE Raw, Karrion Kross lost to AJ Styles in a brutal match between the two. Speaking after the match, the former NXT Champion lamented his defeat in his first match on Monday Night Raw since July of 2024.
“I got a shot tonight, first time on Netflix, and I lost. I’m also not on WrestleMania in my home of Las Vegas.”
Despite his disappointment, Kross tried to look on the positive side of things. Along his many things he can look forward to, Kross celebrated being able to spend ‘quality time’ with his wife.
“I got some other things to be happy about. Like tomorrow morning I’m gonna wake up next to a naked Scarlett Bordeaux. I mean, that’s great.”
Focusing back on the match, Kross shared that he’s also pleased to see a “sliver” of the AJ Styles that the Phenomenal One needs to show if he wants to beat Logan Paul at WrestleMania 41. Concluding, Kross encouraged Styles to embrace a darker side to himself, not just for his match with Paul, but beyond.
“AJ, do what needs to be done tomorrow. Do what needs to be done the next day and the day after that, after that, until you get to Mania and then moving forward.”
Kross has been trying to brink a darker side out of Styles and his match on Raw was a masterclass in mindgames. As noted on commentary, Kross donned tights designed by the same person who creates AJ’s gear. Late into the match, Kross smiled as he realized Styles was setting up for a Phenomenal Forearm. Rather than dodge the move, Kross put his arms behind his back to take the hit.
It remains to be seen if Styles stands tall at WrestleMania, and if he does, whether it’ll be down to Kross’ mental games. Nevertheless, Karrion Kross was pleased with what he saw from Styles, despite taking the loss on Raw to the former WWE Champion.
