By Joe Puccio

While the recent scuttlebutt revolving around popular pro wrestling sensation Kevin Robert Kesar – more widely known as Karrion Kross – has primarily focused on the New York City-born competitor’s complicated and somewhat cryptic contract situation, it would be a shame if one of the talented performer’s many other endeavors was overshadowed because it.

Kesar’s brand new memoir, appropriately titled Life Is Fighting, is a vast and detailed exploration of the grappler’s entire existence, beginning with his frenetic childhood, highlighted by a shocking story about a vagrant tossed out of his father’s (Ted Concepcion, an amateur wrestler/jujutsuka) car’s trunk on their way to a local boxing gym, all the way through his tumultuous World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) exit in 2021 (and unexpected return the following year). In between, Kesar lived quite an eventful life, from his days bouncing at dangerous clubs filled with inebriated patrons, to competing in unsanctioned brawls at sketchy fight clubs, to learning to deal with disrespectful colleagues at his pre-stardom independent wrestling gigs, fighting has been and continues to be a recurring theme for the multiethnic entertainer.

Initially expected to be published three years ago but delayed due to a lengthy review process, Life Is Fighting coincidentally was released concurrently with Kesar’s second departure from WWE, occurring less than a week apart from each other. And although speculation swirls on whether the split from the top wrestling company in the world is legitimate, Kesar is insistent that it is. “I’m very optimistic about everything and I have some big surprises coming up this year,” said Kesar, during a recent conversation with Generation X Wire. “They might not be the surprises that people think they’re going to be but they’re definitely going to be enjoyed and welcome. That much I can tell you.”   

The grappling game that Kesar has become synonymous with, undoubtedly a pivotal subject in the autobiography, is clearly not its only focal point. The renaissance man also paints a vivid picture of himself via the plethora of other talents he has, including music – teaching himself to play guitar. “I only took one or two lessons, and I don’t think I had the mental capacity at the time to retain what they were trying to teach me,” he believed. “I was also learning ahead of what I was being taught so I felt the lessons were going backwards.” Once determining that he was progressing on his own, the aspiring musician bought a guitar and played with friends in bands. “I learned to listen by ear, how the fretboard worked, and all that stuff. So, I didn’t stick with the lessons – although maybe I should’ve,” he laughed.

Kesar names the horror genre as an important facet of his life. In addition to being a fan of fright films, he has even used them for inspiration in his own vocation, pitching his initial character overview submission loosely based on Michael Myers, the seminal villain in 1978’s John Carpenter classic, Halloween. “I really like Carpenter, obviously. Clive Barker. I love David Cronenberg. I tend to watch a lot of movies by certain directors or writers since they have a particular signature on how they develop them,” he shared. “Cronenberg plays a lot on the duality of the subject matter, like in A History of Violence and Nightbreed. I have so many that I love – Hellraiser, Videodrome, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wishmaster.”

As afficionados of the sport are aware, Kesar’s wife, Elizabeth Chihaia, better known as Scarlett, has been a regular part of Kross’ television act since the duo debuted in WWE at the start of the decade. While working with one’s spouse isn’t always a recipe for success, his experience in traveling the world with the stunning wrestler/manager/model has been nothing short of wonderful. In 2022, the pair married in Alaska, an area that has uncoincidentally become Kesar’s favorite place in the world. “Alaska has a certain vibe where people are just moving at their own pace, taking their time, and they seem more cognitively available for social interaction.” Kesar, who’s traveled all over the globe for his work, feels that the location has a much different feel than anywhere else. “Alaska is in first gear and everyone’s getting exactly where they need to go on time or even early. That’s the best way I can describe it in a metaphor.”

While rock and roll, scary cinema, and beautiful destinations all get the approval of Kesar, not everything is to his liking, however. The engaging book contains its share of levity, including his disdain for soccer. “I played it a little when I was younger near the Appalachian Mountains in the summer and not only were we chasing the ball up and down the field like animals, but we were also running from mosquitos. Playing soccer in 90-degree weather with humidity while getting bitten up – no wonder I lost my mind and started play fighting in my underwear with steel chairs on TV,” he smiled.   

Despite Life Is Fighting being less than a month old, a second publication is already in the planning stages. “It’s not finished yet, but it could be soon. It just depends on how much I’m going to put into it,” Kesar acknowledged. “I don’t know exactly how it will end at this point but one way or another, it will be a happy ending.”

As for becoming a professional wrestler, a job and lifestyle that is both difficult and grueling while simultaneously rewarding, the man recognized as Karrion Kross to millions of people wouldn’t change a thing. “Life is about discovery. You can go through it playing it safe and I lived like that for a long time. There’s nothing wrong with that but it was never enough for me, spiritually.”

And even with his current wrestling career in a state of transition, Kesar is decidedly content. “I’m very happy with where I am in my life right now. It didn’t play out exactly how I thought it would but it’s still wonderful. I have my health, a loving wife, my family, and we’re all in a place where we can take of each other, and I can’t think of anything more important than that.”