Speaking to Steven Goforth on the Chairshots to the Cranium podcast, Erick Redbeard (f.k.a. Erick Rowan) has recalled how Karrion Kross’ new ring gear was originally pitched to The Bludgeon Brothers.
Rowan and Luke Harper were repackaged as The Bludgeon Brothers after previously teaming up together as members of The Wyatt Family. As part of their character change, WWE’s higher-ups wanted the former SmackDown Tag Team Champions to carry mallets and dress like the legendary tag team Demolition.
Redbeard said they agreed to carry mallets to and from the ring. He also explained that the ring gear idea, which they rejected, closely resembled Karrion Kross’ new look.
“I remember the first pitch meeting for it,” Redbeard said. “They showed us pictures of what they wanted The Bludgeon Brothers to look like. I think it’s almost exactly what Karrion Kross is wearing right now. It’s the Demolition leather straps that look like suspenders while you wrestle. We both looked at each other like, ‘No…’ I think that’s when I had a few friends design some things.”
The Bludgeon Brothers had four separate spells working as tag team partners in WWE between 2012 and 2019. In December 2020, Brodie Lee (f.k.a. Luke Harper) sadly passed away from a rare lung condition.
From May 2020 to July 2021, Karrion Kross was presented as one of the most unstoppable superstars in NXT history. With Scarlett by his side, the 36-year-old won the NXT Championship twice and went undefeated in singles competition for over a year.
Kross debuted on WWE’s main roster with a 100-second loss against Jeff Hardy on RAW in July. So far, he has won five and lost two of his seven main-roster matches, with his only other defeat coming against Keith Lee.
Kross now wears Demolition-esque straps as part of his ring attire. He has also worked without Scarlett by his side since becoming a member of the RAW roster.
