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Karrion Kross Recalls Challenging Batista After Bloodsport 2, Talks Being Called Out By Randy Orton

April 9, 2021 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Karrion Kross Scarlett Bordeaux NXT

New NXT Champion Karrion Kross looked back on his 2019 attempt to challenge Batista to a match at Bloodsport and being called out by Randy Orton earlier this year. Kross spoke with Comic Book Nation and was asked about the time after he beat Nick Gage at Bloodsport 2 in 2019 that he got on the mic and called out Batista, challenging him to face him in the company.

“Nope [he never responded],” Kross recalled. “I was just in the moment, I didn’t even tell Josh about it. I was there and I wanted it to be real. That show, when we were there, is as real as it gets. I was just thinking to myself, right before the curtain it just popped up in my head like, ‘Well he’s legit. He’s got a legitimate background, he’d be awesome here.’ I felt like a lot of people felt like Dave Bautista still had more in him than at the time when he retired, a lot of people were kind of bummed that he was retiring. … I thought, maybe sometimes people just need an invite to come into someplace other than just knock on the door.”

He went on to be asked about Orton challenging him in February on Twitter to “Get yo ass up here” and face him. Kross noted, “I was really flattered. He doesn’t have to acknowledge anybody. The guy is one of the greatest of all time, third-generation, everybody knows his story. I guess he saw something that night and decided to put it on blast. I can’t wait to work with him. When the time is right, I’ll be up there.”

Kross won’t likely be jumping up to Raw any time soon though, as he’ll be defending the NXT Championship he won from Finn Balor on Thursday night at NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver.