Karrion Kross Dethrones John Cena & Penta as WWE’s Top Apparel Seller

Fort Worth, TEXAS – APRIL 25: John Cena addresses the crowd during SmackDown at Dickies Arena on ... More April 25, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Eric Johnson/WWE via Getty Images) John Cena has been amazing on his farewell tour, and Penta remains hot four months after he made his WWE debut. Fans have responded, pushing Cena’s St. Louis Blues-inspired T-shirt from WWE Backlash and Penta’s signature mask to the top of the best-selling apparel list on WWE Shop. However, neither item is occupying the top spot. That distinction belongs to the suddenly red-hot Karrion Kross whose ‘String Them Up’ t-shirt is currently in the No. 1 spot on WWE’s Top-Seller apparel list. When you consider how Kross has helped to engineer this run up the ladder and into the consciousness of WWE fans, it’s pretty impressive. After WrestleMania 41, Kross cut a soon-to-be-iconic, half-shoot interview with Sam Roberts. He targeted AJ Styles, who had just put over Logan Paul in one of the less-spirited matches of the two-day premium live event. “Let’s talk about how awesome it is that Logan Paul just won,” Kross said. “And let’s talk about, Sam, let’s talk about what Logan Paul represents. The shortcut. Feels so good to be here. Feels so good to be in the business. Thinking about all of the funerals that I wasn’t able to attend for the last 11 years in this business. All the holidays I miss. You know, I could have just started a YouTube channel. Could have just jumped in there with AJ Styles. Feels really good, right? It’s awesome. It’s really good. Do you guys know we have 25 years combined experience and what are we doing on Mania? They know because they’re normal human beings, but, and they actually love professional wrestling, but apparently that doesn’t mean s### anymore. That doesn’t mean s###. All I asked, all I asked Alan [Styles] to do was for once to not think about just himself. Think about everybody in the back and think about the professional wrestling fans. That’s all I wanted him to do. Sometimes to do the right thing, you have to do the wrong thing, but he’s a narcissist and he had to do it his way. Hey Alan, how many more WrestleManias do you have in your system? Probably, I don’t know, one, maybe this is the last one. And you just pissed that away for what? For what? For your way? Thanks a lot, bud. I really appreciate it.” In case you missed it, it’s here. Pay close attention to the t-shirt he’s wearing. Yep, it’s the one that is the top-seller on WWE Shop. Kross’ rage against the machine was brilliant because, while arguing against Paul’s path to success with WWE and taking a “shortcut,” the often-ignored Superstar is using social media to air his gripes and to make himself “undeniable.” In the promo, Kross mentions some advice he got from Goldberg. The wrestling icon told Kross to be a good soldier. Clearly, Kross thinks that plan has blown up in his face and he’s ready to do things his way. “Being a good soldier is coming to your hometown where you cut your teeth when you got started and not being on the card,” Kross continued. “It’s all about viral moments now. That’s what it’s all about. Viral moments. Well, guy, everybody’s been telling me that I got to become undeniable. And as soon as it happens, they ignore it and they shut it down. I never asked to wrestle Randy [Orton]. I never asked. That happened organically. And you ignored it for a viral moment. And good on Joe [Hendry]. Nothing against him. But you ignored it. And the crowd told you exactly how they felt about me on SmackDown when I was eliminated. And you ignored it. Become undeniable. My ass. My ass. You want a viral moment? On behalf of all of the true fans of professional wrestling, guy with the suit and tie in the truck, go f### yourself. That’s from Killer Kross. No.” Rarely will you see a WWE Superstar do a better job at playing a role in their own rise. Did WWE give permission and an indirect platform for Kross to “go rogue?” Maybe, but who cares. All that matters is the performance, and Kross is in the midst of weaving a masterpiece of self-promotion. He is playing the game the new school way. Look at the feature he got a week ago with his wife Scarlett by his side. Killer Kross is coming back and droves of fans are here for it–or at least on their way. Many of them figure to be wearing his t-shirt when they arrive. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianmazique/2025/05/14/john-cena–penta-dethroned-on-wwe-shops-top-apparel-seller-list/