Killer Kross Name
We're told the Karrion Kross name was Kross' idea as opposed to WWE's. "Carrion" is the decaying flesh of dead animals, so FYI, there ya go. There are also ties to Latin and Greek mythology and "Kharon" in the name. Kharon was the ferryman of Hades who carried the souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron. Kross also has a tattoo of "Kheiron" on his back.
X-Pac
We're told that X-Pac's Podcast has quietly ended for the time being, and he's opted to take a break from Twitter.
AJ Gray
AJ Gray is an interesting interview, as he STRUCK me for trying to get him to actively bury people on social media. He wouldn't bury RJ City, which is somewhat surprising, as was him winning the GCW Title from Nick Gage. He said that it was a little surreal for him to have actually done that considering the reign of Gage, and he got brought back into GCW after getting booked from a Facebook message.
He doesn't have a goal promotion that he's aiming for at the moment, but just wants to provide for his family and make money doing what he loves. Gray saw his profile rise significantly in 2019, especially as it pertained to venues, promotions and opponents that he faced. He thinks southern wrestling should adopt the same mentality that many midwest promotions have and build for the present and future instead of relying on the past, noting that many of them book shows like it's 2000 instead of 2020. He singled out Anthony Henry and James Drake as great talent to emerge from the south.
AEW
- We heard from a lot of AEW talent this week, who put over Tony Khan's leadership through these times. Without providing specifics, he's went above to make sure that everyone is taken care of and doing well, including some per-show employees. There was a lot of concern from those we spoke to on the AEW roster about the loss of work within WWE. There were some who were also curious as to how high up the totem pole the cuts would go.
- We're told that AEW was not informed of the executive order deeming WWE essential media ahead of the announcement. We also learned that major sports teams in the region and state were not made aware of it, either.
Mike Bennett
WWE has been very lenient with talent scheduling their own interviews and doing them. They usually are anyway if talent schedules themselves, but going through the company is the preferred method. Mike Bennett told me that WWE didn't have a problem or even contact him about it when he would do wrestling seminars and speaking engagements for free.
Bennett confirmed that WWE was well aware of he and Maria's plans to have another child when they re-signed last year, and said that they even broke the news to Paul Heyman first after he came to them with a creative idea. Heyman pivoted into what we saw on TV instead, and even asked their permission to tell Vince McMahon. Originally, Mike and Maria hoped she could help out in creative, and even had credited her with the idea for them to have the love ballad theme song that they both loved. Billy Corgan was also given credit for helping come up with that idea.
Bennett and Maria's first pitch was similar to what we saw unfold in that she would be very controlling of him, but he would develop more of a mean streak instead of being embarrassed.
WWE Notes
- Based on talent we've heard from, almost no talent have been wearing masks around at the WWE tapings, and about 80 percent of staff is.
- As mentioned, Sarah Logan is actually still in Orlando as she and Erik of the Viking Raiders have stuck around while he still has to film content for WWE Raw.
- To follow up on the WWE releases, the NXT no-compete dates aren't as solid as originally told to the talent. Some were given "rough" non-competes slightly beyond the 30 days.
- Not that it's any surprise, but the Triple H 25th anniversary segment went way over the planned time for it on Friday's show. Fortunately, that part was pre-taped. It was originally set to go about 10 minutes, but ended up going closer to 19-20 as they filmed it.
FTR
The Revival's new tag team name is not as cut and dry as many are speculating. The team have spoken with Caleb Konley and Zane Riley to clear up the situation, but we don't know if that has been resolved as of yet.
Deonna
Canyon Ceman approached Deonna Purrazzo at WrestleMania in New Orleans on the understanding that they had a "short term contract," but Purrazzo wasn't interested in that. She positioned herself to leave ROH after that, and wanted to work All In under that umbrella, but WWE told her that she wouldn't be used for TV or be paid during that period. He told Deonna that he wasn't sure the opportunity would be there in a year, and with 20/20 hindsight she wishes she'd have done All In.
Deonna and Chelsea Green had pitched their team and appeared on TV together, and got a text the day of their NXT on USA appearance saying they would be on the show. Triple H asked them to come up with vignette and character and name ideas. They sent ideas multiple times, and did shoots together collectively and with Chelsea as a solo. Deonna was then told she wasn't TV ready, which she admits made her go off because she wasn't given advice on how to be TV ready.
Deonna isn't sure if anyone went to bat for her in NXT but herself, and she thinks that the environment in NXT is a "be grateful for what you've got situation." However, she wasn't of that mindset, because she felt like she already worked hard to get to NXT. She'd expressed her frustration in March and asked WWE to let her go if they didn't have creative plans for her, and even let them know that. She believes a conversation about her not putting someone over may have led to her release, because she never heard from the company after that until she was fired. An e-mail had been drafted in December of her asking for her release, but she didn't send it out because she got the spot on WWE Raw against Asuka.
Velveteen Dream
While researching a different story, Fightful was sent an affidavit for an arrest warrant for Patrick Clark, also known as WWE's Velveteen Dream. However, it was later deemed that the situation was "not suitable for prosecution."
A man named Edgar Rodriguez reported a criminal mischief to Orlando PD on November 30, 2019, stating that he parked his 2015 Infiniti QX70 on North Magnolia avenue. When he returned to the vehicle, he found his driver's side window smashed, and the incident was caught on the building's surveillance footage. The footage featured a black man in a pink shirt and dark colored pants approaching the vehicle, and motioning as if he was smashing the window, before riding off in a blue Ford Mustang. On December 18, Rodriguez contacted an officer, saying he saw the same man in the same car in his parking garage. The man was identified as Velveteen Dream after a December 29 police lineup, and the Mustang's license plate showed it was registered to Clark (Dream). The damage was stated to equal $1800 according to the warrant affidavit.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Clark for criminal mischief with bail set at $1000. However, on February 11, the warrant for arrest was recalled, though no further details were given.