This week on WWE SmackDown, Karrion Kross was defeated in less than two minutes by AJ Styles. Moreover, The Doom Walker's entrance was also cut short before the match.
The former NXT Champion has been on a decline in WWE in recent months. Kross' latest defeat seemingly continued the company's burial of the once-rising star. Meanwhile, many fans believe they could have found the reason behind his defeat against Styles.
According to some viewers, Kross was seen with a taped leg on SmackDown, which could be a storyline injury. On the other hand, some speculated WWE could have decided to allow him to have the match against Styles despite suffering an injury in the build-up. Here are some of the reactions to the 37-year-old losing against The Phenomenal One in under two minutes:
While Karrion Kross could indeed be injured, there is also the added rumor that The Bloodline segment ran too long. This could have forced the company to cut short the match's duration.
There are several factors in play here, and given the time constraints, it's likely that Kross will use the leg injury to have a rematch in the coming weeks. The promising angle could also continue the feud between Mia Yim and Scarlett.
Karrion Kross might not be the only star that has had his match time cut by WWE in recent weeks
While Kross' shocking loss is one of the biggest stories coming out of SmackDown, this isn't the first time the company has been forced to cut down a bout's planned duration.
Ronda Rousey took to Instagram following her loss at Money in the Bank and claimed that the duration of her Women's Tag Team Championship was shortened thrice. You can view her post below:
It appears that sometimes when other segments go longer than expected, there are always matches that can be shortened. While it is usually the women, Karrion Kross vs. AJ Styles was chosen this week.
If rumors about the Bloodline segment are to be believed, then the match between Kross and Styles could have gone for around 15 minutes, and The Doom Walker's entrance would not have been cut either.
The company was seemingly scrambling for TV time after the opening segment ran for more than 40 minutes, leading to Kross' entrance being cut.
Since his debut in WWE, the former champion has been known to have a lengthy entrance. Hence, the fact that the lights went out and he could not finish his usual walk to the ring meant that many fans felt terrible for him.
Do you think Karrion Kross is legitimately injured? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.