Karrion Kross joined the rivalry between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre ahead of Clash at the Castle. Kross (formerly Killer Kross) and Scarlett (formerly Scarlett Bordeaux) have returned to the promotion on Friday’s WWE SmackDown episode.
McIntyre deserved a challenge from Reigns after defeating Sheamus in the well-received game of “Irish Donnybrook” in last week’s episode of SmackDown. McIntyre was ready to take the fight on the bloodline before the unprovoked Kross attack.
Elsewhere on SmackDown, Shayna Baszler was crowned candidate # 1 for the Liv Morgan Women’s Championship on SmackDown. The two will collide in Clash at the Castle. In addition, Shinsuke Nakamura scored next week a shot at the Gunther’s intercontinental championship after he overthrew Kaiser Ludwig.
CBS Sports was with you all night, summing up and highlighting all the action from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett are returning killers
The undisputed WWE Universal Champion Reigns, flanked by The Usos, shut down SmackDown, referring to the upcoming title defense in Clash at the Castle. McIntyre interrupted The Bloodline and offered to shout the entire collective.
Suddenly the screen turned black and white. An unknown theme song echoed through the arena as the mysterious woman stood on the entrance ramp. McIntyre, distracted by the woman, was unprepared for an attack from behind. Kross showed up and did a little work with McIntyre before turning his attention to The Bloodline. SmackDown ended with a close-up of Kross’s end-of-world clock ticking in the ring.
Kross and Scarlett were some of the most promising Triple H projects during the 2020 and 2021 NXT run. Kross became a two-time NXT champion before being called up to the main roster. Kross and Scarlett split up when Kross made his main roster debut in July 2021, losing his Raw debut to Jeff Hardy. Kross was also repackaged in a new, heavily slandered wardrobe. The couple was then released by WWE in November 2021. Their return to WWE comes just two weeks after Vince McMahon retired as president and CEO as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. Since then, Triple H has taken more control of creative responsibilities.
What a surprise at the end of SmackDown. Your mileage will vary with Kross, but this writer has high expectations. Kross and Scarlett had one of the best presentations during their NXT run. In an industry full of physically gifted athletes, an unforgettable presentation has come a long way. The duo’s apocalyptic image and Kross’s strong offensive were the highlights of NXT during their tenure. It was expected that the duo could return under the creative direction of Triple H, but few predicted it would be so soon. Fresh faces, especially on the traditionally barren stage of major events, are always welcome. More than anything else, it will be exciting to see Kross and Scarlett present themselves in the main line-up with a creative direction closer to their NXT performances. Class: A
What else happened at WWE SmackDown?
- The Bloodline rolled into the arena after successfully defending the title at SummerSlam. Honorary Uce Zayn was repeatedly denied his request to speak to Reigns. Zayn accused The Usos of lunging at him. Enraged, Jey Uso warned Zayn that it was time to lift his weight.
- Ricochet def. Happy Corbin by pinfall after hitting the shooting star press with the help of Pat McAfee for a distraction. McAfee, Ricochet and other WWE superstars mocked Corbin’s defeat to McAfee at SummerSlam, which led to the match.
- Shinsuke Nakamura def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall after nailing it with Kinshasa. Nakamura will now face Gunther next week for the Intercontinental Championship.
- Liv Morgan faced a mixed response following a controversial win over Ronda Rousey on SummerSlam. Morgan said she only eavesdropped on Rousey because she believed the judge counted three. Sonya Deville broke off and promised to take the title from Morgan.
- Shayna Baszler def. Raquel Rodriguez, Natalya, Xia Li, Shotzi, Sonya Deville and Aliyah in a Gauntlet match to become the # 1 contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Rodriguez defeated four superstars before being pinned by Bashler. Morgan vs. Baszler will be held at Clash at the Castle.
- The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) def. Tommy Gibson and Jim Mulkey by Pinfall in a short squash match. Kofi Kingston attacked the Raiders with a kendo stick after the match.
- Kofi Kingston def. Erik by pinfall courtesy of the student’s pin.