Carmelo Hayes is making it clear—he’s coming for John Cena. During an interview with MuscleManMalcolm for Muscle Memory, the former NXT Champion reflected on his brief but memorable interaction with Cena in NXT. While it was a huge moment, Hayes sees it as just the beginning.
“Cena, you know, as all of us… you’re about the same age as me… we looked up to him. He was our superhero,” Hayes said. “Getting to do that thing with John Cena was really cool.”
But Hayes isn’t just satisfied with a backstage moment—he’s looking to step into the ring with the 16-time world champion. He knows John Cena is busy man with a long line of people eager to be one of his final opponents. However, Melo isn’t going to be left out.
“Even at that time, I said, ‘I’m going to be seeing you.’ Most people can’t [see him], but I will. I’ll be seeing you across the ring, and tomorrow might be the day. And if it ain’t tomorrow, it’ll be the day after that. So we’re going to make it work.”
Hayes’ confidence is undeniable, and with Cena’s in-ring career winding down in 10 months, a potential match could be a passing-of-the-torch moment for the young star.
If the 16-time champ is looking for a fresh challenge in his final year as an active Superstar, Hayes is more than ready to step up.
The fans in Charlotte, North Carolina were treated to a special appearance from Cody Rhodes after the February 17, edition of WWE Monday Night Raw went off the air. In a special dark match, Rhodes received a hero’s welcome as he arrived in Charlotte to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Carmelo Hayes.
These two have a history, with Hayes ambushing Rhodes after an episode of Monday Night Raw in January 2025. This week, however, it was Rhodes who had the last laugh as he retained his title against ‘Him.’
Dark match after WWE Raw . Cody Rhodes vs Carmelo Hayes for the WWE championship pic.twitter.com/kXVvGFFp7J
Rhodes’ victory marks another succesful title defense for the Undisputed WWE Champion who has held the gold since WrestleMania 40 in April 2024. This match marked Rhodes’ 57th succesful title defense as the American Nightmare is proving himself as a workhorse champion.
With another win under his belt, Rhodes’ attention now turns to the Elimination Chamber 2025 Premium Live Event. While Rhodes isn’t set to compete in Toronto, the Men’s Chamber match will determine who will face the American Nightmare at WrestleMania 41. On Raw, Seth Rollins earned the final spot in the Chamber match, joining Drew McIntyre, John Cena, CM Punk, Logan Paul, and Damian Priest.
Carmelo Hayes made a bold statement after WWE Raw went off the air at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on January 27, 2025, the final episode before Saturday’s Royal Rumble.
The SmackDown star ambushed Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in a surprise attack, leaving fans buzzing. Taking the mic, Hayes declared,
“Plot twist, Atlanta. I’m closing this show out.”
Carmelo Hayes attacks Cody Rhodes after #WWERaw goes off the air.
This unexpected confrontation adds intrigue ahead of the Royal Rumble, with speculation mounting over Hayes’ potential role in WWE’s main roster storylines.
This isn’t the first time Hayes and Rhodes have clashed, as Hayes previously challenged the champion in a standout SmackDown match in April 2024, where Rhodes secured the victory.
Stay tuned for updates as this story develops heading into the Rumble.
2024 was a huge year for WWE NXT, with exceptional matches and moments over the 12 months. During the final WWE NXT of 2024, the silver brand handed out its end-of-year results.
Carmelo Hayes recently revealed that he received valuable advice from CM Punk.
During last night’s edition of WWE SmackDown, Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens had a fiery exchange of words during a promo segment as they almost brawled before WWE officials intervened to separate them.
Following that, Hayes came across Rhodes backstage as they had a staredown. Later that evening, Carmelo Hayes took to his social media and revealed CM Punk’s advice, about backstage fights on SmackDown.
Ran into Cm Punk. Just gave me the best advice to never lose a backstage fight again #SmackDown
Carmelo Hayes is scheduled to face Cody Rhode on the upcoming edition of WWE SmackDown which was taped after this week’s show.
On the other hand, the Women’s United States Championship tournament will also continue next week with a triple threat quarterfinals matchup. A mystery competitor will face Piper Niven and Michin in a triple threat quarterfinals tournament match on next week’s WWE SmackDown. Jade Cargill was originally set for the match but she is seemingly written off after an injury angle last night as she was hit by a car backstage.
The announced lineup for the Friday, November 29 WWE SmackDown:
Cody Rhodes vs. Carmelo Hayes
Tournament Quarterfinals for the Women’s United States Championship: Piper Niven vs. Michin vs. one more Superstar TBA
Carmelo Hayes says he’s felt “survivor’s guilt” after Baron Corbin’s recent release from WWE. The two worked together closely in NXT last year.
Corbin marked his return to the developmental brand in May 2023 by ambushing Hayes, who was the NXT Champion at the time. They had an intense feud, with Hayes emerging victorious. They wrestled once again on SmackDown during this year’s King of the Ring tournament. Hayes tells Metro that Corbin’s firing hit him especially hard.
“It’s kinda like a survivor’s guilt, you know what I mean? After a day or two, you’re like, “Man!” You just hate to see that for them.”
– Carmelo Hayes on Baron Corbin’s WWE release
Hayes says Corbin took a liking to him, and helped him tremendously by offering all sorts of advice – about wrestling, personal finances and life in general. Those lessons will serve him for years to come, and he’ll always hold a special place for his one-time onscreen rival.
“I’m forever indebted to Baron Corbin, he adds. “Super talented, and I hate to see him go. That was one of those ones that really kinda hurt.”
LA Knight was able to defy the odds to retain his WWE United States Championship at WWE Crown Jewel 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Knight was forced to defend the title against both Andrade and Carmelo Hayes after attacking both men during a recent edition of SmackDown. With the triple-threat stipulation meaning Knight didn’t have to be involved in the decision to lose the title, the Megastar tried to remain involved as much as possible. The finish of the match saw Hayes hit his facebuster on Andrade, only to eat a BFT from Knight.
WWE Crown Jewel is taking place from the Mohammad Abdo Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The card for the show is as follows:
Cody Rhodes Vs. GUNTHER (WWE Crown Jewel Championship)
Nia Jax Vs. Liv Morgan (WWE Women’s Crown Jewel Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Bronson Reed
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens
LA Knight (c) vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes (WWE U.S. Championship)
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair (c) vs. Damage CTRL (Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky) vs. Meta-Four (Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson) vs. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
Roman Reigns and The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and Tama Tonga) (with Tonga Loa)
Fans may have had quite the pause after it appeared AJ Styles may have gotten injured during his return match against Carmelo Hayes.
Styles returned to WWE SmackDown after being away for months and he got thrown right into the fire with a singles fight against the upstart Carmelo. However, the match got stopped early when Styles seemingly injured his ankle after an awkward landing. Styles crawled underneath the rope to be checked on by a doctor and the match was called. This allowed LA Knight to hit Hayes with his BFT finisher. Styles was helped to the back and it was later shown that “The Phenomenal One” was taken to a hospital.
If one were to go back and watch the footage, it would appear that Styles’ injury could indeed be legitimate and not an angle, but fear not. According to Fightful Select, AJ Styles injury is all apart of an angle and the former WWE Champion is just fine.
Styles’ persona is taken a new turn as he was the full-fledged heel in his previous feud against WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes. Styles went out in a memorable way in an “I Quit” match at Clash At The Castle when he was handcuffed to the corner and found himself between the turnbuckle and the steel stairs wielded by the “American Nightmare.” However, on SmackDown AJ said that he regretted his actions earlier this year and plans to make up for his past transgressions, aiming to rebuild his legacy.
NXT star Trick Williams is open to the idea of possibly joining forces with his former partner, Carmelo Hayes.
After NXT was rebranded to NXT 2.0 back in 2021, Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes started teaming up. During their run together Hayes thrived as champion while Williams was a star in the making. Williams tried to come out of Hayes’ shadow and went after gold as well.
Trick Williams recently spoke to Going Ringside about the idea of burying the hatchet with Hayes. The former NXT Champion stated that Hayes was always the one with the issue. However, Willims assured if Hayes needs help, he has got his back.
“I mean, to be honest with you, I never had a problem with Melo. He had a problem with me. But, of course (there’s a chance we could rekindle that friendship). If I tell you, ‘You’re my boy, you’re my brother,’ I mean that all the way thick and through so, man, I can see us having room to — you know, if he needs my help, I got his back.”
Trick Williams will have another opportunity to reclaim the NXT Championship. NXT is set to premiere on the CW Network in Rosemont, Illinois on October 1st and Williams will challenge Ethan Page for the NXT title. It has been also announced that CM Punk will serve as the special guest referee.
Carmelo Hayes says he would have loved to get in the ring with Eddie Guerrero and learn from the legend if he was still around.
IGN published a new video asking a number of WWE superstars who would be their dream SummerSlam opponent ahead of the WWE PLE on August 4.
One of the names participating in the video was none other than Carmelo Hayes. When asked about his dream opponent, the former NXT champion said that Eddie would have loved to work with the younger generation if he was still around:
“I think Eddie Guerrero man. He’s one of those guys like I truly believe if he was still around, he’d be helping coach the younger generation.”
https://youtu.be/IJyjZsmiWa0
So Much Knowledge: Carmelo Hayes
The SmackDown star mentioned how anyone who worked with Eddie Guerrero has great memories of the late star and he would have liked to experience that firsthand:
“I just think he had so much knowledge to give and I love talking to guys that got work with Eddie. Finding out like ‘Oh what he was like? What did you learn from Eddie?’ and they’ll all tell you something that’s really good, really knowledgeable. That’s a guy that I’d love to get in the ring with for sure.”
Eddie Guerrero unfortunately passed away back in 2005 at the age of 38. His memory is kept alive by fans and the many talents who chose to pursue a career in wrestling because of the Latino Heat.
Carmelo Hayes was involved in the Money In The Bank ladder match at the namesake PPV earlier this month. So far, he has not been booked for any match at the SummerSlam event.
The Nation of Domination was a controversial stable when it first appeared on WWE television in the 90s, and it would likely be just as provocative today. WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry, a former member of the original group, has now shared his picks for rebuilding the faction in modern-day WWE.
The group responsible in launching The Rock’s career hasn’t seen a new version, although other groups like The Hurt Business and The Pride have come close. There hasn’t been a new Nation of Domination yet, but the World’s Strongest Man has his eye on a few possible members.
Speaking to K & S WrestleFest, Henry discussed his picks for a new Nation of Domination stable and made a surprising choice by picking Velveteen Dream over Trick Williams. While he praised Trick Williams, he felt Williams was too well-liked for the group’s dynamic. Instead, Henry chose Velveteen Dream, also known as Patrick Clark, as his wildcard pick, believing it’s time for Clark to have a second chance in wrestling.
A New Nation of Domination
Nation of Domination alum Mark Henry would include Patrick Clark (Velveteen Dream) in a new Nation over Trick Williams
Henry acknowledged the significance of cancel culture and its role in accountability but stressed the importance of grace and forgiveness.
“Number one draft pick, (Powerhouse) Hobbs, and then number two, Omos, and then I would go Carmelo Hayes and as much as I love Trick Williams, I think that Trick is — he’s too liked. I want people that people don’t like. I want Bobby Lashley. I want people that you just don’t like ‘em. And there’s a lot of young guys that I think could hold up.”
“But, my wildcard would probably be Velveteen Dream, would be Patrick (Clark). I think it’s time for his second chance. A lot of people in the world of wrestling love the talent. We’re in a cancel culture that is justified as so. We need a cancel culture. But, at some point, you gotta have grace and forgiveness and you gotta see if that person is gonna bury themselves again because habitual line steppers, that’s exactly who they are. Once they get that second chance and they’re out, I ain’t cosigning for you no more. But, everybody needs their second chance.”
Mark Henry’s AEW contract is reportedly up very soon. It will be interesting to see what he does next in his pro wrestling career. Henry made his AEW debut on May 30, 2021, at Double or Nothing, where it was announced that he would join the commentary team for the new show AEW Rampage and also serve as a coach.
Patrick Clark’s Controversies
In April 2020, Patrick Clark faced allegations of sending indecent images to underage boys, which he denied. During the Speaking Out movement in June 2020, further accusations emerged that he had inappropriate communications with underage individuals. WWE investigated but found no evidence of wrongdoing. He couldn’t appear on NXT television without #FireVelveteenDream trending. Velveteen Dream was subsequently released from his WWE contract on May 20, 2021, after five months of inactivity.
Clark’s legal issues persisted in August 2022, with two arrests in Florida: one for first-degree battery and trespassing, and another for possessing drug paraphernalia, though these charges were later dropped. After more than three years out of the wrestling spotlight, he made a return on February 18, 2024, at The Dynasty promotion, debuting under the new ring name Velveteen Man. He is working to rehabilitate his image, but he obviously has a long road to redemption ahead of him.
Welcome to our Daily Drop for Sunday, April 28. There is always something going on in the pro wrestling world, and today is no exception.
Before we get going, Drew McIntyre finally inked a new WWE contract. This is the first round of big contracts to come due since TKO took over the operation, and it is interesting to see how they are waiting until the final moments to lock down these deals.
Dolph Wins Gold: Nic Nemeth, who performed as Dolph Ziggler in WWE for years, picked up gold in AAA. He is now the company’s Mega Champion.
WWE Rivals: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Booker T’s epic rivalry will be the focus of tonight’s episode of WWE Rivals on A&E. The show starts at 8:00 PM EST.
Melo Don’t Miss: Carmelo Hayes quote re-posted an old tweet from 2021. That old tweet said he would be a first-round draft pick. His updated post said that it took long enough. Melo was picked #2 in the first round by SmackDown in the 2024 WWE Draft, only coming in behind Bianca Belair.
MJF’s Surgery: MJF will be out of action for even longer now, as he had shoulder surgery. At this time, there is no return planned for him.
Darby Allin’s Latest Injury: Allin may be out of action with an injured foot, but now he has even more problems. He was hit by a bus in New York City. He seems to be okay, all things considered, but this will not help speed along his in-ring return.
Grizzled Young Vets Aren’t Happy: The Acclaimed beat Grizzled Young Veterans in the former NXT tag team’s first AEW match. James Drake and Zack Gibson are not happy about how that match on Collision turned out, and they let everyone know this with a furious promo.
Wrestling fans who were live in Orlando for this week’s NXT tried to give Carmelo Hayes a proper send-off after the show went off the air, but the former champion was having none of it.
Hayes competed in a Steel Cage Match against his former best friend Trick Williams in the main event, a rematch from Stand and Deliver (which saw Williams get the W). Carmello’s security detail getting involved was the beginning of the end. They started climbing the cage but Williams meet them up at the top and sent everyone crashing.
Another guard, however, entered the cage with a chair, and when Trick was busy taking the guard out, Hayes picked up the weapon. Though Trick Williams showed some quick thinking and delivered the Trick Shot to Hayes through the chair for the win.
After This Week’s NXT
The 4/16 NXT went off air with Ilja Dragunov making an appearance at the ringside with his NXT title and staring Williams down. Once both Williams and Dragunov had returned to the back, the crowd began a “Thank you, Melo.” He was interested and left after doing a bras d’honneur.
The NXT Crowd was thanking Carmelo Hayes after his loss tonight but he wasn't impressed.
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) April 17, 2024
What’s Next For Carmelo Hayes
WWE has announced that the Drafts will be returning on April 26 and April 29 on SmackDown and Raw respectively. NXT’s involvement has been confirmed and Carmelo Hayes is one of the two stars believed to be main roster-bound.
Hayes with Ilja Dragunov are expected to be assigned a brand during the upcoming event. More names could be added to the list and there is even a real possibility of some main roster names leaving Raw or SmackDown to join WWE’s third brand.
The A-Champion has had a successful run with NXT which includes multiple impressive title reigns. There is little doubt that he will fair well in the main roster under the creative supervision of Triple H.
The 2024 WWE Draft will see the Superstars of the main roster be eligible to move to NXT in a break from how the draft usually affects the gold brand.
Sources close to NXT’s creative process told Fightful Select that talent from Raw and SmackDown could be moved to NXT as part of the draft. The WWE Universe recently saw The Final Testament and Viking Raider appear on NXT where they ambushed new tag-team champions Nathan Frazer & Axiom, Viking Raider Ivar also appeared to confront North American Champion Oba Femi.
This is all part of WWE’s efforts to make NXT the third brand of WWE once again. In 2019, WWE attempted to put NXT on the same level as Raw and SmackDown when the gold brand was moved to the USA Network. The next two weeks of NXT programming will focus on the draft in the lead-up to Spring Breakin.
Being Called Up
While some main roster Superstars could soon call NXT home, fans can expect some call-ups as part of the WWE Draft. , Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov are said to be “a lock” for RAW or SmackDown. Roxanne Perez’s fate remains uncertain despite her call-up being teased on TV.
Tony D’Angelo’s Family and Baron Corbin have been discussed as possible additions to RAW or SmackDown. Corbin’s tag-team partner Bron Breakker was recently moved to SmackDown and it has been reported in the past that WWE was considering keeping them together.
The Timing of The Draft
The WWE 2024 Draft will kick-off on the April 26, SmackDown and conclude on the April 29, Raw. The timing is no mere coincidence as WWE planned for the week of the NFT draft to capitalize on ‘draft fever’ which they’ve done in the past.
It was noted that WWE will receive input from their media partners, especially the CW (the future home of NXT) and Netflix (the future home of Raw.) One source added that with the Raw-Netflix move being closer to next year’s draft as opposed to this year “that won’t be something we need to worry about for a while.”
WWE will certainly have a different feel to it by the end of the WWE draft with all three brands set to be affected. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for all the latest WWE Draft news and to find out who goes where.
WWE brought an action-packed show for NXT Stand & Deliver. The main event match certainly brought it on every level, as Trick Williams sought vengeance on Carmelo Hayes.
Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams battled in the main event of NXT Stand & Deliver. They made history in the process as the first-ever all black main event for an NXT premium live event. In the end, Trick Williams defeated Carmelo Hayes in the middle of the ring.
The crowd was on fire for this match, which included a few notable close call two-counts. Trick Williams and Melo avoided each other’s finishers, but then Melo nailed his Nothing But Net diving ax-kick for a two-count.
Ava told the referee to give the two stars leeway in this match, because she wanted to see a definite winner.
They kept going, and Melo started to use a chair, until Trick Williams landed his trick shot knee to Melo’s face, and he got the clean pinfall after that.
The Wells Fargo Arena crowd chanted “Whoop that trick” loudly as he celebrated during the closing moments of the premium live event. This was a historic win for Williams, as it elevated him in a huge fashion.
After the two were a duo for the longest time, Trick started teasing the idea that he wanted to break off on his own while still remaining friends, which he eventually did. Hayes didn’t take the split too well.
Hayes shocked everyone by admitting he was the one who had attacked Williams back in October 2023. The two were enemies from that point on, and things escalated in a hurry.
At NXT: Roadblock on March 5, Tony D’Angelo used Williams’ entrance music to distract Hayes during their match. Tony D won that match to become #1 contender, and then Trick attacked Melo for real after the match.
The conflict between Hayes and Williams intensified the next week on NXT when Williams challenged Hayes to a match at NXT Stand & Deliver.
Everyone has to start somewhere, even HIM. Carmelo Hayes is a breakout star on NXT with a WWE main roster call-up on the horizon, but his current character took a lot of work to find itself.
While speaking to SEScoops‘ Muscle Man Malcolm, Carmelo Hayes dove into his first-ever pro wrestling gimmick, and where it came from.
Melo had a Michael Jackson impersonator persona, and HIM recounted that gimmick as something he did to get his feet wet in the pro wrestling business. He eventually became Christian Casanova, a gimmick that was more true to who he really is.
“The Thriller of New England […] I remember my coach was like, ‘you need something, you need to be something,’ and I was like, ‘I don’t know,’ and he goes, ‘what do you like?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know, I like this, this, Michael Jackson,’ and I did a moonwalk or something, and he goes, ‘yeah, play into that.'”
“I was like, ‘alright I need an identity.’ So, I remember doing that kinda identity and I kinda got stuck in it for a year and some change, and finally I found myself and I broke out. But, it was really to get my feet wet. I used to tell people that all the time. Just to get my feet wet and get comfortable being a character and then after that, I became kinda more true to me.”
Carmelo Hayes was a MICHAEL JACKSON impersonator when he started in pro wrestling 🕺🏾😂 pic.twitter.com/8hUjLws63e
Melo also stated that he has his own barber shop now. He kicked Trick Williams out, and now a guard is stationed at the door to make sure he doesn’t come back. We will see the two collide at NXT Stand & Deliver.
Carmelo Hayes’ Main Roster Call-Up
WWE doesn’t want to rush anyone’s call-up to the main roster, especially someone with the potential that Carmelo Hayes has. He is certainly in line for a call-up, but he needs to get Stand & Deliver taken care of as well.
Hayes was selected by Shawn Michaels to represent NXT in SmackDown’s WWE United States Championship #1 Contender Tournament. In his debut match on SmackDown on December 15, he secured a victory over former rival Grayson Waller in the first round of the tournament. However, Hayes lost to Kevin Owens in the semifinals.
There are some within WWE who reportedly want to see Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams take their feud to the main roster. Those two, while they were outstanding partners, are even better enemies, and they will prove it on April 6 at the Wells Fargo Center.
NXT: Stand & Deliver starts at noon EST. You can check out the updated card below:
Singles Match: Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes
NXT Championship Match: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Tony D’Angelo
NXT Women’s Championship Match: Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Roxanne Perez
NXT North American Championship Match: Oba Femi (c) vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs
NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Baron Corbin & Bron Breakker (c) vs. Axiom & Nathan Frazer
Thea Hail, Fallon Henley & Kelani Jordan vs. Jacy Jayne, Kiana James & Izzi Dame
WrestleMania weekend is always packed with events. There are indie pro wrestling shows going on, and other fan conventions. WaleMania went down at the Philadelphia at Franklin Music Hall on April 4, and there are a ton of highlights.
Since its first show in 2015, WaleMania has combined hip-hop and wrestling. It stands apart from other events during WrestleMania weekend, serving as a gathering where fans and wrestlers come together, and every year it’s usually the best party all weekend.
Pro wrestlers from practically every company on the planet linked up for WaleMania this year. As you can see, it was quite a party, and there are many highlights to feature.
WaleMania 2024 Highlights
First off, we have to give Samantha Irvine all the flowers for this one. She not only rocked Razor Ramon’s theme music, but she did it on a flute.
Samantha Irvin, singing and playing a flute to razor Ramon’s theme was not in our bingo card today. pic.twitter.com/7geSUH2XPF
Rob Van Dam was there, smoking on stage, alongside Katie Forbes. It was quite a party as the crowd fed into the performance on stage, who were having just as much fun as the fans.
R-Truth was present at WaleMania, and he gave fans in attendance a different kind of show than they’re used to seeing from him. He grabbed the microphone and spit some fire bars for the fans.
Although he’s not booked for WrestleMania, WWE Hall of Famer RVD was also present. NXT Superstar Kelani Jordan couldn’t resist the opportunity to snap a photo with the Whole F’n Show.
Big E couldn’t miss WaleMania, either. The New Day member cut one of his trademark promos for fans, where he introduced Wale. As you can see in the clip, Trick Williams was there as well, and he had a wonderful time ahead of his main event match at NXT: Stand & Deliver against Carmelo Hayes.
Zilla Fatu didn’t miss the show, either. He was there in attendance at WaleMania, and he had a great time. As you can see in the video below, he also spent some time on the stage.
Kiera Hogan stunned the crowd with her dancing skills. Willow Nightingale didn’t miss WaleMania, either, as the two AEW stars had a great time on stage in front of the live crowd.
WWE has their eye on the NXT brand, and they have big plans brewing for two breakout stars, as Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams’ rivalry is finally come to a head.
NXT Stand & Deliver will go down on April 6, the afternoon prior to WrestleMania night 1. The night will include some of the biggest matches NXT has to offer, and one match has received a ton of attention that doesn’t even have a title involved.
WWE already has plans to call up Carmelo Hayes. There are also quite a few eyes on Trick Williams, and some are pulling for the two to bring their feud to the main roster. Right now, WWE has significant plans for NXT superstars Carmelo and Trick, and Shawn Michaels is heavily involved in crafting the storyline, indicating its importance within NXT.
Carmelo Hayes’ WWE Main Roster Plans
WWE has significant plans for two NXT superstars. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams have been a duo for most of their time in NXT. Recently, Hayes turned on Trick, leading to a showdown between them at NXT Stand And Deliver during WrestleMania weekend.
Corey Brennan of Fightful Select was told that WWE has their eye on a main roster call-up for Carmelo Hayes this summer. He has been tapped for a call-up since before the Royal Rumble event.
Many have asked us about what the status of both men’s callups are. One source told Fightful Select that Carmelo has been set for his main roster callup since prior to the Royal Rumble and is expected to move up to the main roster fulltime in the summer.
It was also noted that WWE has paid attention to Trick Williams, and “officials took notice of the reaction Williams got in his surprise SmackDown appearance back in January.”
At this point, there have been pitches for the pair to continue their rivalry on the main roster after Stand And Deliver.
Trick vs Carmelo at Stand & Deliver
It was also reported that the current intention for Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes’ match at Stand And Deliver to close the show. While not yet confirmed, there’s a strong push from officials to give this intense storyline the main event spotlight.
Shawn Michaels has been heavily involved in Trick and Melo’s story. He has been instrumental in planning and shaping the storyline alongside Carmelo and Williams. HBK has been a huge fan of Carmelo for a while now.
SEScoops will have continued coverage of WWE NXT, and Stand & Deliver. Please keep checking back throughout the day for updates as they are made available.
The identity of the masked man who aided Carmelo Hayes on the March 19, episode of WWE NXT isn’t a secret anymore.
During the show, Trick Williams was ready to fight Hayes but was confronted by Melo’s henchman. A figure then appeared on stage, pretending to be Hayes, which allowed the former NXT Champion the distraction to jump his former ally.
Masked Man Revealed
The figure who appeared on the stage was none other than head WWE NXT referee Darryl Sharma, aka Adrian Butler, Fightful Select reports. Sharma and the masked man could be seen wearing identical shoes during the show.
Sources within WWE NXT also confirmed to Fightful that Sharma was the man in question.
Who is Darryl Sharma?
Before donning the stripes as a WWE NXT official, Sharma wrestled under the name ‘Hornet’ around the world. He is a student of the Battle Arts Academy, owned by WWE alum and current TNA name Santino Marella. At the academy, he trained in both wrestling and MMA. He ranked #437 in the PWI 500 ranking in 2016 but joined WWE in November that same year to be a referee.
Sneak Attacks
Carmelo Hayes is hardly the first Superstar to use subterfuge to get the upper hand. As seen in the video below, several wrestlers have used disguises and other tactics to take out their opponents.
What’s Next?
Melo and Trick will face off at NXT Stand & Deliver on April 6, mere hours before WWE WrestleMania 40. The show will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, less than a mile away from the Lincoln Financial Field that’ll host WrestleMania.
Austin Theory and Carmelo Hayes endured a scary sequence of events on the January 12 episode of WWE SmackDown.
The moment in question occurred when Theory looked to hit Hayes with an Avalanche Spanish Fly from the top rope. Unfortunately, both competitors seemed to awkwardly land on their heads, which prompted the referee to signal for an immediate match stop.
While there was initial concern about possible concussions, both Hayes and Theory turned out to be okay, later facing off in a rematch two weeks later.
Injury Scare
In a recent interview with The West Australian, Theory provided more details on his injury scare, revealing that it was Hayes’ foot accidentally hitting the top rope that caused their awkward descent. Luckily, both men were ultimately able to walk away with minimal damage.
“In this scenario with Carmelo Hayes, [I was] going for a move I’ve done plenty of times. Just so happens as we’re going through the rotation, if you go back and look, the back of his foot as he’s rotating off, hits the top rope. So all the momentum of us rotating, when his foot hits, it takes us straight down,” Theory said.
“Just based off of the video, it looks insane. And to be honest, after that, I seriously could have been paralyzed or my career could have been done. I could have been seriously hurt, broke my neck. There’s so many factors, but luckily as we came down, for some reason, I let go to catch myself and I turned my head all the way to the left.”
“When we landed, the back of his head hit my face pretty hard, but when we were laying there, I was fine. I didn’t feel like rocked or lost or that feeling of ‘Oh, what’s going on you?’ I felt fine, but at the same time, that’s such a a scary moment, especially when you’re out there and something goes wrong and doesn’t feel right. Then seeing the video footage back of myself upside down literally on the top of my head — Wow. Very grateful for that.”
Coming off of this close call, Theory added that the Avalanche Spanish Fly is now officially retired from his moveset. While Theory was fortunate to avoid a concussion, he did note that his face was “pretty sore” from the impact of Hayes’ head colliding with his face.
Members of the WWE Universe who attended this week’s episode of WWE NXT were encouraged to watch their language following one un-PG chant during the show.
The February 6, 2024, edition of WWE NXT was the fallout show from last weekend’s NXT Vengeance Day Premium Live Event. Vengeance Day went off the air with Carmelo Hayes betraying Trick Williams and laying out his former friend with a steel chair. Trick had unsuccessfully challenged NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov and the Trick Melo Gang had lost to the Wolf Dogs in the Dusty Rhodes Men’s Classic earlier in the show.
Censored at WWE NXT
Carmelo Hayes opened up this week’s WWE NXT to a chorus of boos from the fans. In fact, the negative response was so loud, that Hayes simply told the fans “not yet,” and left without explaining his betrayal of Trick Williams.
The negative response to Hayes was a bit too much for those at WWE. PW Insider reports that the crowd was told by staff not to use the F-word, as used in their “F*** you Melo” chant. The opening segment had to be heavily censored on TV. Hayes would explain his betrayal of Trick later in the show.
More WWE NXT Notes
After the show, Joe Gacy came out from under the ring and was attacked by Carmelo Hayes. Hayes had attacked Ilja Dragunov after his main event match with Dijak. The crowd booed a clip teasing the WrestleMania press event on Thursday, and there were “We Want Cody” chants in support of Cody Rhodes.
Carmelo Hayes is the victim of being betrayed by Trick Williams, contrary to what we saw at Vengeance Day, according to the former NXT Champion.
At WWE NXT’s latest Premium Live Event, Williams failed to dethrone NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov in the show’s main event. After the match, Hayes ambushed his friend and attacked him with a steel chair. This came after months of teased tensions between the pair, who also lost the Dusty Rhodes Classic finals earlier in the show. As he left, Melo told the fans that they had made him this way.
Carmelo Hayes Gives No Explanation
This week’s episode of WWE NXT kicked off with Carmelo Hayes, who walked out to the ring with a steel chair in his hand. Hayes took a seat in the ring to a chorus of boos from the fans in Orlando. After taking his time, Hayes told fans “not yet.”
Later in the show, Hayes came back and said he was not jealous of Trick as he wanted Williams to be successful. With that said, Trick betrayed him by pursuing the NXT Championship, according to Melo, who added that the two of them are not on the same level.
Hayes also admitted that he was the one who attacked Trick several months ago. He said that since Williams went behind his back for the NXT Championship, he had to put him in his place. Trick’s theme then played which earned a massive ovation from the fans. This however was just a ‘trick’ from Melo, who relished in fooling the fans.
Hayes then closed the segment by saying that Trick Williams was his hype and that’s the way it will always be.
WWE’s NXT brand held their Vengeance Day event on Sunday night, and the pro wrestling world didn’t know what to expect. No titles changed hands, but they certainly gained a lot of momentum as the brand hits the road to Stand & Deliver on WrestleMania weekend.
WWE NXT Vengeance Day’s Big Finish
Ilja Dragunov faced Trick Williams in the main event of WWE NXT Vengeance Day at the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, TN. The two left it all in the ring, bleeding hard way, about a minute into the match. Then Dragunov was able to pull down the win.
The talk among fans shifted to the final angle of the show. Following the match, Carmelo Hayes betrayed Williams, assaulting him with a chair multiple times, ending their long partnership.
The post-main event actions were shrouded in secrecy, with rehearsals limited to those directly involved in organizing the sequence, according to Corey Brennan of Fightful Select.
“There was a lot of secrecy surrounding the main event aftermath, as rehearsals for the main event were kept to those who were directly involved in putting it together.”
The event kicked off with the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals, pitting Hayes and Williams against Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin. The heels secured victory, claiming the tournament trophy. Now, Breakker and Corbin are one of the top teams in NXT, as Melo and Trick are no longer together.
What’s Next For Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes
The NXT roster is now on the road to defend her NXT Women’s Title at March 5th’s Roadblock event. Then Stand & Deliver is coming on April 6.
Odds are, Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes’ feud is far from over, and fans will see the two collide soon enough.
WWE’s Vengeance Day main event match saw Ilja Dragunov defend the NXT Title against Trick Williams. The Tennessee crowd was more than ready for the match, as they chanted “WHOOP THAT TRICK” loudly. The end of the night included a shocking moment that fans will be talking about for weeks to come.
Trick Williams’ NXT Title Match
Trick and Ilja battled in a match where they were both bloodied. Trick was already busted open in the first match of the night, one where he and Carmelo Hayes lost the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic final to Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker. Then Trick busted Dragunov’s nose open early on in their match.
This match got the crowd to a boiling point, and then Dragunov was able to pull off the big win. This came after several dramatic moments where it appeared that Trick Williams would pull down the title.
The Mad Dragon retained his title at Vengeance Day. In the end, Carmelo Hayes told Trick Williams that he’s his boy, and “you were so close.” Suddenly, the moment Trick’s back was turned, Melo’s face changed.
Hayes nailed Williams with a chopblock, which sent the big man down holding his knee. Then Carmelo got a chair from underneath the ring to lay down a few chair shots on Trick’s knee for good measure.
This turn has been coming for a while. Now, Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes are officially broken up. As “F*ck you Melo” and “Melo Sucks” chants rang out from the crowd, he left with a satisfied look on his face.
As Carmelo Hayes left, he blamed the crowd, saying “you made me like this, it’s your fault.” We will have to see what’s next for Melo and Trick.
The NXT roster is now on the road to defend her NXT Women’s Title at March 5th’s Roadblock event. Then Stand & Deliver is coming on April 6.
WWE NXT Vengeance Day took place on February 4, 2024, at the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee, marking the first NXT livestreaming event to be held in Tennessee.
This week’s SmackDown will have an NXT flair to it with several gold brand Superstars set to be present at the upcoming show.
Tomorrow’s SmackDown will be the first episode of the blue brand following last weekend’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. The show will take place at The BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
WWE NXT Superstars at SmackDown
NXT’s Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, and Trick Williams are all slated to be at this week’s SmackDown, PW Insider reports. It’s interesting that these three men have been selected, as speculation grows considering potential call-ups. Hayes has been competing on SmackDown as of late, including on last week’s episode. Last week’s show also saw Trick Williams earn a massive pop from the fans as he made the save for Hayes who was being attacked by Austin Theory & Grayson Waller.
Bron Breakker has yet to arrive on SmackDown but that could change very soon. On this week’s Raw, Andrade signed a contract with the red brand, much to the delight of Adam Pearce. Pearce and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis would trade some barbs before Aldis took a phone call from the two-time former NXT Champion.
These NXT Superstars will be just part of a stacked first SmackDown on the road to WrestleMania 40. 2024 Womens Royal Rumble winner Bayley will be on the show alongside her Damage CTRL allies. Bayley will reveal which challenges she will face at WrestleMania 40. Her current options are Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley or WWE Women’s Champion (and Damage CTRL sister) IYO SKY.
Men’s Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes will also appear on SmackDown, as will Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. WWE U.S. Champion Logan Paul is also set to appear. LA Knight, Bianca Belair, and IYO SKY are also advertised.