Carmelo Hayes is among the brightest younger superstars within the WWE proper now. At 28 years previous, he has an excellent 12-15 years left if he stays wholesome and chooses to maintain going.
The previous Christian Casanova was one of many hottest impartial wrestlers on the earth competing for corporations like Past Wrestling, Chaotic Wrestling, Northeast Wrestling, and so forth, successful a number of championships within the course of. In fact, his huge break got here on February twelfth, 2021 when he signed with WWE and was assigned to the Efficiency Middle with a brand new title, Carmelo Hayes. He was a part of the biggest recruiting class in firm historical past. Names you realize who’re nonetheless with the corporate comparable to NXT Champion Bron Breakker, LA Knight, Cora Jade, former NXT Tag Crew Champion Brutus Creed and former NXT Ladies’s Tag Crew Champion Gigi Dolin.
Some individuals take a look at Carmelo’s success in NXT 2.0 and neglect that he’s really one of many holdovers from the earlier model of NXT, having debuted on the June 1st, 2021 version of NXT, accepting Kushida’s open problem for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Most individuals, nonetheless, in all probability keep in mind his look on the June twenty second version of NXT a bit extra as he accepted an open problem from Adam Cole in a section that referred to as again to the traditional John Cena debut towards Kurt Angle in 2002. You may inform they’d huge plans for Carmelo as they positioned him within the 2021 Breakout Match. Hayes defeated Josh Briggs, Duke Hudson, and Odyssey Jones on the best way to successful that Breakout event and a contract to face any champion he chooses.
Carmelo was good, however issues actually took off on the September 14th version of NXT, when Hayes formally aligned himself with the smooth-talking Trick Williams. Hayes proved his price on October twelfth, 2021, when he cashed in his Breakout contract on then North American Champion Isaiah “Swerve” Scott the seize the North American Championship, thus finishing a long-teased heel flip. Over the following 12 months, he would maintain that title twice whereas additionally unifying it with the NXT Cruiserweight Championship by defeating Champion Roderick Robust on January 4th. Hayes would lose the North American Title to Cameron Grimes at NXT Stand and Ship earlier than regaining it at In Your Home on June 4th. Hayes misplaced the title to Solo Sikoa in controversial trend on September thirteenth and didn’t regain the title at Halloween Havoc after it was declared vacant on account of Solo not being approved to be within the match.
The query is, what’s subsequent? What’s subsequent for the Man who doesn’t miss? He’s a former 2-time NXT North American Champion so it might really feel like he’s simply spinning his wheels. The one factor that’s actually left for him in NXT is the NXT Championship. Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker haven’t actually crossed paths in a significant feud. They had been teammates at NXT Conflict Video games in 2021. Nevertheless, they’ve been both deliberately or unintentionally saved aside since then. That’s the largest match you may have for that NXT Title proper now. The one different one who comes near the extent of readiness and success in NXT proper now could be Bron Breakker. Do the NXT higher-ups wish to go that route? NXT has a Premium Dwell Occasion on December tenth referred to as Deadline. That might be a hell of a prime match for that present. Personally, I believe Carmelo Hayes is past prepared for a call-up to the primary roster.
Not too long ago, Shawn Michaels on a convention name to advertise Halloween Havoc, had nothing however good issues to say about Carmelo. Right here’s a part of what Michaels mentioned about Hayes.
“I’ve taken curiosity in Melo from day one. I obtained him on tv as rapidly as I might. On the time, I imagine it was nonetheless 205 Dwell. I used to be speaking to him and I mentioned, ‘I simply wish to get you on the market, get you in entrance of the individuals and in entrance of Hunter.’
He mentioned, ‘I don’t wish to be dwelling in 205.’ ‘I do know. For me, it’s extra essential to get you on the market so everybody can see that this child can go.’ Carmelo and I get alongside nice. He’s an excellent child and I believe the sky is the restrict for him. He’s particular. He’s proficient.”
It’s clear that Shawn sees one thing in him. Possibly a younger Shawn Michaels? I might see it.
It additionally makes me suppose Hayes is prepared for the primary roster. Lots of people have been fantasy reserving Hayes because the thriller accomplice for Hit Row on Smackdown towards Legado Del Fantasma. I wouldn’t hate it however I would favor a barely extra impactful debut.
To be clear, I believe Trick Williams must be with Carmelo when he comes up. Trick is important to that act and I imagine their routine would recover from massively with the primary roster viewers, even people who may not watch NXT. Carmelo not too long ago talked about working together with his Trick, who’s an ally to Hayes together with being a bodyguard of kinds similar to Diesel was for Shawn Michaels virtually 30 years in the past.
“It’s like a cheat code. I obtained it by myself. But it surely’s like someone that simply makes you so a lot better, you realize what I imply? He enhances me so properly. I complement him so properly. And there’s so many alternative issues that we are able to do as a duo in a single match. There’s so many alternative backstage segments, promos; it’s countless with Trick and I, we’re simply so inventive individually.”
“Then we put it collectively, and we simply make what we do each week on TV. [Shawn] informed us, ‘Hey, we have to get you guys doing one thing, however possibly we’ll throw you guys in a barber store or one thing like that.’ OK, no downside. We get a few individuals, and we actually simply riff, man. We simply sit within the barber chair and we simply discuss how we might discuss. And clearly we nonetheless obtained to tug again on lots of issues that we might say we might do, however yeah, man. So {smooth}, man.”
There are such a lot of proficient wrestlers on Uncooked and Smackdown that we now have but to see Hayes cross paths with. Guys like Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, GUNTHER, AJ Types, Finn Balor, and my private favourite alternative, United States Champion Seth Rollins. Are you able to think about a rivalry between Hayes and Rollins? Banger after Banger. There’s additionally the upcoming return of The American Nightmare. A Cody Rhodes and Carmelo Hayes feud can be magic in 2023. Hayes at all times refers to himself as simple. The proper option to show that’s by dealing with the person who went from Undesirable to Simple, Cody Rhodes.
There are such a lot of prospects for Hayes on the primary roster as a babyface or a heel. A part of me would suppose it might be superior to see Carmelo turn out to be the NXT Champion however part of me additionally is aware of that seemingly means an extended stint in NXT and I truthfully suppose he has performed all he can for that model. I strongly imagine Melo is greater than able to take the ball on Uncooked or Smackdown. I don’t need WWE to deliver him up except they’ve a strong plan for him. however I can see a number of choices for him proper now. I belief the inventive regime of Triple H to do the suitable factor and produce Carmelo up the best way he ought to be, because the potential main celebrity that he’s.
Solely time will inform what occurs to the previous North American Champion. Whether or not the NXT Title is in his future or an opportunity on Uncooked or Smackdown. One factor I do know is that no matter they offer Hayes, and Trick Williams for that matter, he’ll knock out of the park. Similar to he has performed every little thing else he has been given.
Melo’s match with Ricochet at Worlds Collide is proof of what he might do on the primary roster. All they should do is give him the ball. In spite of everything, when Melo shoots, he doesn’t miss.
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