Killer Kross Talks MLW Embracing Shoot Styled Matches, Praises Simon Gotch's Skills

After a months-long contract standoff with Impact Wrestling, Killer Kross was finally released in December. He talked about it feels like to be in the spot he is in at the moment in pro wrestling's current landscape when he joined the debut episode of The Wrestling Inc Daily podcast, which drops this Monday.

"I'm definitely grateful for it. That would be the easiest way to summarize it. A lot of it also feels surreal but also at the same time this is something I've been working for since the beginning of my career to be here with options," said Kross.

"It's funny, you try to get to this situation and there's no playbook for it. You clock in every single day and do the absolute best job you can in finding the best version of yourself. You have to take a leap of faith and hope things land where you would like them to. You have to take a gamble because in this business there's 20-30,000 indie wrestlers in the US alone. Not all of them are serious, mind you, but that's just nationally and not in the world. Then there's just me and it's the talk of the town right now. There's a lot of mixed emotions but it's all good."

The Killer Kross character isn't just one character as it can go in many different directions. He was asked about how he would describe his character.

"Killer Kross in its character presentation is very much dictated by the audience he is in front of. So, on one occasion, it could be the The People's Executioner and, on another occasion, it could be The Tollman and the toll is always paid in time off of people's lives and careers. It really depends on the audience and the circumstances and situation," stated Kross. "I allow that to dictate itself and I allow that to be very organic on the night of for the situation or narrative. He's not necessarily a linear presentation of character of sorts. It could be a lot of different things, but one thing is for sure and that it's always gonna be very violent."

Kross' first post-Impact appearance will be with MLW at Fightland on Saturday, February 1st. Kross asked about the promotion adapting the Bloodsport-styled match recently.

"I think it's great. I really didn't ever think that this genre of wrestling was going to resurface," admitted Kross. "It was something I always fantasized about doing while growing up as a fan of UWFi in Japan. I think it was Bloodsport that would be respectfully solely responsible for bringing that back. Everything that took place at the first event and then GCW and Josh Barnett bringing it back in a resurgence."

He added that it's a genre that people can really get behind and is more of a British style, catch style that is resurfacing as of late.

"I am happy to see people utilizing it but you've gotta be careful how you market and approach that. If you put too much of it out there then it doesn't become special anymore," stated Kross. "I think it's great that they had that one-off and Davey [Boy Jr.] and [Simon] Gotch are the two most perfect people in the company to do a match like that. It's great."

Kross then talked about Gotch transitioning into a more Pancrase-styled wrestler than he showed in WWE.

"It didn't surprise me because, believe it or not, I actually saw it in his footwork and the way he was grabbing stuff like a wrist and an arm. Even in WWE I noticed that and I told Matt Stryker a while ago that I bet that he can go. It was just the way he was taking an elbow and a wrist. There's certain little things when someone has a legitimate background, it's in their tendencies and they can't even hide it because they've repped it up so many times. I'm glad that other people are getting a chance to see it and I'm glad that I'm getting a chance to see it because he's very good at what he does," stated Kross.

He then talked about how difficult it is to continue to show range after people have seen everything you've got and Gotch proved that he had more to show.

"He's the perfect person to be doing this along with Harry; it's awesome," said Kross.

Kross then talked more about his own character and how he likes to feel things out and then adapt the character to specific situations.

"I think it's very subjective as it really depends on what you want out of the business as an individual. It's also a combination of what people are seeing when they see you," said Kross.

"To give an example, a juvenile perspective of a pro wrestler might be, 'This is who I see myself as and I'm gonna shove that down people's throats until they agree with me.' You're not gonna have a very high success rate of finding your own personal fulfillment professionally or contributing to a show you're involved with. If you take a different approach as, 'These are the things I'd like to do and I'm certain I can get them across sincerely and I think people will thoroughly enjoy them.' You're probably gonna find higher odds of success, enjoyment and fulfillment in that direction."

He said it's a case by case situation and not everyone can be like The Undertaker and do Buried Alive Matches and be undefeated at WrestleMania for decades.

"It really has to do with the individual and for me it's been a feeling out process. I've kinda went out there from the beginning of my career with some ideas and notions. I just allowed it to come alive through the audiences that saw me," stated Kross.

Killer Kross will make his MLW debut at Fightland on Saturday, February 1st at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. For tickets and info please visit MLW.com.

Kross' full interview with Wrestling Inc. will air as part of the debut of our new podcast The Wrestling Inc. Daily. Subscribe to get the debut episode as soon as it's released on iTunes at https://apple.co/2NQnHuC.