Former WWE champion to help Carmelo Hayes qualify for Money in the Bank? Exploring potential SmackDown debut

Former WWE NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes has been making a name for himself with his unique skill set and incredible storyline with The Miz lately on SmackDown. The star is set to compete in a Triple Threat qualifier match this Friday against Andrade and the dangerous WWE United States Champion, Jacob Fatu.

While Hayes is undoubtedly an underdog in the match, considering the involvement of the US Champion, he might end up with a shocking win to make fans take notice of the star. Considering the fact that Fatu is engaged in a rivalry with LA Knight for the United States Championship, as well as the issues with Solo Sikoa and The New Bloodline simultaneously, Fatu getting distracted seems quite possible.

Further, a massive debut on the blue brand by the inaugural and former NXT Women’s North American Champion Kelani Jordan could end up causing complete chaos on SmackDown. Jordan could make an appearance and help her boyfriend, Carmelo Hayes, to win the match and qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Jordan could make her presence felt by distracting the referee during the match, resulting in Hayes using the distraction to his benefit. She could then join Hayes and The Miz, standing by their side as their manager. This could end up being one of the better storylines on the blue brand and could open a plethora of doors for WWE.

Carmelo Hayes and Kelani Jordan have been dating each other for quite some time now, and have been vocal about their relationship. The duo getting together as a couple on-screen in WWE would add a lot of potential storylines into the mix. Time will tell what WWE has in store for the star this Friday.

Carmelo Hayes completed one year on WWE SmackDown recently

The former NXT Champion has recently completed one year on the blue brand and has not managed to make as huge an impact as he did back in NXT. The star has faced the former Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes multiple times on and off TV, making a massive name for himself.

The star addressed his whole year on the blue brand recently, stating that he was happy with the opportunities he got.

"Regardless of what was expected or not this year, I never measured my success on championships or winning matches. When I got the ball, it was a first down or touchdown. Stole the show and had banger matches with anyone and everyone. Traveled the world and honed my craft against the best. Wrestled the WWE Champion 10+ times and got to work and learn from legends and future hall of famers. I'm winning in every way possible. I killed sh*t this year and was drafted first for a reason. You can’t deny what won’t be denied. Haven’t even started cooking yet."

Expand Tweet

While Hayes has not been able to make a big impact on the brand yet, he is still one of the most athletic stars in the company.

Fans will have to wait and see what the Stamford-based company has planned for the young star in the coming days.

About the author

Ishaan writes for the WWE vertical at Sportskeeda. While he is a finance student, Ishaan is an avid pro wrestling fan, which has led him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before joining Sportskeeda, Ishaan worked for various renowned websites such as GiveMeSport and Fansided, and has nearly three years of experience. He relies only on credible sources like Cagematch when reporting on a topic. Ishaan cross-checks his work multiple times to ensure it is factually correct.

Ishaan’s favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary’s never-give-up attitude and work ethic. In fact, it was The Shield’s memorable WWE debut in 2012 that got him hooked on sports entertainment in the first place. Ishaan would love to interview Rollins someday.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Ishaan loves to watch movies and occasionally play cricket.

Know More

Edited by Harish Raj S