Jeff Hardy showed up on Raw after a two-week absence to face NXT Champion Karrion Kross, and he entered to his old ‘No More Words’ theme song.
Hardy turned up on Raw to face Kross in what was the NXT standout’s first match on the red brand. Appearing minus his usual partner Scarlett, a short vignette appeared declaring that doomsday was coming. As the action cut back to live, Kross began to make his way to the ring. He was soon joined by Jeff Hardy who came out to his much loved ‘No More Words’ theme to the delight of the packed crowd.
Despite a power disadvantage, and starting on the backfoot, Hardy used his experience to pick up the win. After missing a Swanton Bomb, Hardy managed to reverse Kross in the corner, hitting a powerbomb on the NXT Champion before pinning him with a little help from the ropes.
The defeat was Kross’ first singles loss since joining WWE early last year. After the match Kross said that Hardy had made a big mistake, adding that everyone would have to fall and pray.
Jeff Hardy competed for the WWE Championship as recently as February inside the Elimination Chamber. Since failing to capture gold in that match, wins have been few and far between for the veteran. Hardy had not one in a one-on-one match since January until two wins came for the iconic tag team star over Cedric Alexander in June.
Despite the defeat, the future looks bright for Kross in WWE. Karrion Kross signed with the company in February 2020 and by August he was already holding the richest prize in NXT. However, it was a moment that was more than a little bittersweet. During his triumph over Keith Lee, Kross separated his shoulder which meant he had to relinquish the gold just a handful of days after winning it.
After giving up his newly won title, Kross immediately set his sights on getting back in the ring. This meant embarking on a “vicious” rehab program that saw him return to action in just three months.
After returning to action, Kross set about regaining the title that he never lost, which was now held by Finn Balor. Karrion Kross defeated Balor at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver to become a two-time champion.
Kross most recently defended his title against Johnny Gargano on the July 13th episode of NXT. It was an episode that ended with the champion choking out special guest referee Samoa Joe.