Ex-WWE Champion seeks retribution against Karrion Kross and his newly formed allies on SmackDown

A former WWE World Champion wants to get his hands on Karrion Kross after he formed a five-person faction with three returning stars on the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

The WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering and the former tag team champions Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) returned to television programming after a long time and joined forces with The Doom Walker.

On this week's Blue brand show, Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) were brutally assaulted by AOP and Kross. However, The All Mighty is not at all impressed by the sneak attack from the newly formed allies.

After being laid out by The Doom Walker, Akam, and Rezar, the former WWE Champion, Dawkins, and Ford were seen together discussing business in SmackDown New Year's Revolution 2024 Digital Exclusive.

B-Fab entered the locker room to check on Lashley and the former RAW Tag Team Champions. The female star stated that the trio of The All Mighty and The Street Profits are not a joke but are multi-time champions, stating that Karrion Kross employed a cheap attack.

Bobby Lashley vowed to settle the score with Kross and his allies - AOP - in what promises to be a brutal showdown on SmackDown.

"Oh, we will get them back. First rounds on them, now it's our turn," he said. [0:29 - 0:35]

Check out the full video below:

Karrion Kross breaks silence after teaming up with The Authors of Pain on WWE SmackDown

Rezar and Akam of AOP have been secretly signed to WWE for over a year ago now, but the company was waiting for the right time to pull the trigger on them.

Kross' new associates left a mark on Lashley and The Street Profits, making a statement on SmackDown. Following the drama, the former NXT Champion took to social media and broke his silence on teaming up with Paul Ellering and The Authors of Pain.

"Happy New Year. @WWE #SmackDown 💀⏳💀," Kross wrote.

Check out The Doom Walker's tweet below:

Fans are interested in how the storyline pans out for Kross, Akam, Rezar, Ellering, and Scarlett heading into 2024. Only time will tell if the former NXT Champion and the former tag team champions will go after The Bloodline.

What did you think of Karrion Kross' new WWE stablemates? Sound off in the comments section below.