10 Things You Need To Know About Carmelo Hayes

Carmelo Hayes is still an unknown name for most wrestling fans. Those who watch NXT, however, know him very well. Hayes made his NXT debut several months ago and has already become one of the top acts of the brand.

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He's very talented and has earned the trust of the higher-ups in WWE. And perhaps this is why he's also gotten some big opportunities in a short time. Hayes believes he'll become a top guy in WWE, and when that happens, fans will definitely want to know more about him.

10 Won The NXT North American Championship In 2021

On the October 12 edition of NXT, Carmelo Hayes defeated Isaiah Scott to become the new NXT North American Champion. Scott had already defended his title successfully once that night against Santos Escobar.

But then he got challenged by Carmelo, and this time he couldn't retain his belt. Hayes has a lot of potential as a wrestler, and fans only hope that he'll have a great run with the belt.

9 He Wants To Steal The Show With Kofi Kingston

Carmelo Hayes wants to have his dream match against Kofi Kingston. The former WWE Champion is one of the most versatile wrestlers in the company and can easily work with all sorts of talents. Hayes seems to be his huge fan, considering that a few weeks ago, he tweeted about having a dream match against Kofi.

RELATED: 10 Things About Kofi Kingston's Career That Make No Sense

Hayes said that when the opportunity comes, this match will steal the show. The NXT wrestler has gotten a great head-start in WWE and if he manages to stay relevant then a match against Kingston will most likely happen in the upcoming years.

8 He Chose WWE Over AEW

Recently, Carmelo spoke with DailyDDT.com and talked about various subjects. During this interview, the NXT North American Champion indicated that he rejected AEW's offer to work for WWE.

He probably made the right decision at that time as he's already achieved a ton of things in NXT. If he had chosen AEW, he would have had to work his way through multiple Dark shows to get a contract, and even then, he might not have won a title this soon.

7 Referenced John Cena's Debut

On his second night in NXT, Carmelo paid homage to John Cena's WWE debut and referenced "ruthless aggression" before slapping Adam Cole (who refused to face him).

This led to a match between them, which Cole won in the end. But this segment really helped Hayes stand out as a legitimate competitor.

6 He Is The NXT Breakout Tournament Winner Of This Year

NXT Breakout Tournament made its return this year and Carmelo was one of the participants in it. He faced Odyssey Jones in the finals, and surprisingly even defeated him to win the whole thing.

This victory was a surprise for Hayes also who originally thought Odyssey was going to win the tournament.

5 He Used To Wrestle As Christian Casanova

Before he signed with WWE, Carmelo Hayes was known as Christian Casanova in the independent wrestling scene. He worked for several promotions such as Beyond Wrestling, Chaotic Wrestling, and Limitless Wrestling.

Hayes even had world championship reigns in some of these promotions.

4 He Made His Wrestling Debut In 2014

Those who don't know, Carmelo Hayes has been in the wrestling business for many years now. He made his debut in 2014 and has been working for promotions all over America.

He's only 27-years-old so WWE can take some time with him before calling him up to the main roster. Until then, Hayes can build his character and gain some experience as an NXT Superstar.

3 NXT Allowed Him To Cut Unscripted Promos

Fans often complain that most WWE promos sound quite unnatural and forced. That's because the company scripts everything from top to bottom and wrestlers aren't usually allowed to change their promos unless they are one of the top names in WWE.

RELATED: 10 Times WWE Superstars Messed Up Their Promos

It seems like Carmelo Hayes is one of the few exceptions. The company allows him to say whatever he wants on the microphone as he has earned their trust.

2 He Didn't Want To Wrestle On 205 Live Only

Some months ago, Carmelo Hayes and Shawn Michaels had a conversation regarding his career. The original plans were to have Hayes debut in 205 Live and perform there. But he didn't want to be a 205 Live wrestler only and told Michaels that he wants to be a top guy.

Hayes believes that this conversation helped Shawn realize his potential. Perhaps this is why Hayes became the NXT North American Champion in just a few weeks after his debut.

1 He Is Shawn Michaels' Project

It shouldn't be a surprise anymore that Carmelo Hayes is reportedly Shawn Michaels' project. Reportedly, his match against Kushida impressed WWE officials and it earned him more opportunities in NXT.

Reportedly, some people in WWE view Carmelo as a Shawn Michaels project. Some even think that Michaels see a younger version of himself in Hayes.