As we noted a little earlier today, Karrion Kross debuted new ring gear during last night's RAW for a match against Ricochet. Normally, that wouldn't really be a big deal, but the fact he was wearing what many fans compared to a gimp mask (along with some silly-looking red suspenders) didn't exactly help sell what a major threat he was as NXT Champion.
Fans have widely ridiculed this new look on social media, and it will be interesting to see if WWE responds to that in any way when next week's episode of RAW rolls around.
As for why the change has been made to Kross' appearance, Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast has spoke to a WWE source who tells him, "Everything [and] everyone must be marketable. Toys, shirts, imaging, and accessories. You need to stand out to sell and this is how they sell."
In other words, WWE and Vince McMahon are looking to sell action figures.
There's no denying that Kross looked a little bland prior to this change, but his words on the mic and actions in the ring were more than enough to help get him over as a credible threat. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean much to Vince, and it's looking like Kross is going to be another NXT Superstar who struggles to find his footing on the main roster. We'll see how this one develops.