Killer Kross says he did ask IMPACT Wrestling for his release last month, but he’s still attempting to find “common ground” when it comes to compensation from the company.
Kross joined the Wrestling Perspective Podcast with Petey Williams and Dennis Farrell this week to discuss the “inaccuracies” he said were in the initial report that he asked for his release. The report by PWInsider.com stated Kross made the request after the two sides couldn’t agree to terms on restructuring his existing deal, but IMPACT would not be letting him out of his current contract. Kross says the request for his release was “100% true,” but that he was still attempting to work things out with how he should be compensated.
Kross said he had a good idea of his value, but admitted he wasn’t a well-known name prior to signing with IMPACT. He said he never asked for anything in his original contract he didn’t think he earned, but feels that he was misled to believe certain compensation wasn’t available. “If you get to a job and are told that something you’re looking for is not available and then you find out six months later that it’s not true, that it is available and other people have it, that’s upsetting,” Kross said.
Kross said when it came time to renegotiate, the offer he got back from IMPACT didn’t make him angry or upset, but he knew that it couldn’t work where he could be well off financially. At the time of the original report, a source speaking with Wrestlezone said Kross was seeking a salary comparable to some of the higher-level talent currently on the IMPACT roster, some of which are bringing in a six-figure salary he allegedly requested for himself. It was noted that IMPACT’s counter offer was much lower than expected, and was less than half of his original request.
Related: Killer Kross On His Character’s Presentation, Bringing A Level Of Sincerity To His Promos
Kross maintains he’s very happy at IMPACT and has nothing bad to say about the company, but he’s still attempting to work things out contractually. He was recently used on the company’s TV tapings last week, and will continue to work in a professional manner.
Kross said his current deal also allows him to take independent bookings as a way to supplement his income, but it’s not something that could be a long-term solution.
“If you don’t have guarantees and you’re not clearing enough, hypothetically, to pay for health insurance, there’s a lot of pitfalls in pro wrestling. Nowadays, there’s a certain level of compliance…a certain level of ‘this is an opportunity, and you should take it because it’s all you got right now’ that’s promoted. And people aren’t thinking about what could happen if it goes wrong. I could do the Indy stuff, but I think that’s a short-term solution and it could go up in flames.
It’s the phobia of [my career] being over faster than I anticipated and having nothing to show for it when you have to take care of people. I personally don’t really need much. But when you have people to take care of, circumstances change. Getting told to get another job, by your job, that’s fucked up. You’re struggling to make ends meet, and the job you have is telling you to take another job, so you can keep that job. It’s like working at a corporation being told to go work at McDonald’s.”
(Transcription credit to Jeremy Lambert / Fightful.com)
