Main-roster bound? Ending a friendship - 4 directions for Carmelo Hayes after his loss at NXT No Mercy

Carmelo Hayes entered into NXT No Mercy with the NXT Championship, but he did not leave Bakersfield with the title. Ilja Dragunov finally captured the belt after several unsuccessful attempts this year.

Dragunov would certainly be a targeted man now that he is the top dog in NXT. From his showings in every match, including slugfests with Gunther, Bron Breakker, and Hayes, he would look forward to welcoming the challenge.

As for the former NXT Champion, where does he go following the loss of his title? He claims to have never missed but suffered one of the first big setbacks of his young career. The following four directions could lead Carmelo Hayes to his next big triumph following his title loss at No Mercy.

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#4 Carmelo Hayes could seek a trilogy match with Ilja Dragunov

As things sit after No Mercy, Hayes and Dragunov each have a win in their ongoing feud. The Mad Russian's win is obviously more recent, having resulted in the title swap.

Wrestling loves a good rubber match feud, and the action in this angle has certainly not disappointed. The easiest direction for Hayes would be to seek a rematch following a hard-fought loss at No Mercy.

It would keep Dragunov busy until November and, eventually, the deadline for the last WWE Premium Live Event of 2023.

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#3 He could pursue the NXT Tag Titles with Trick Williams

For the duration of Williams' time in NXT, he has been aligned with Carmelo Hayes. The two have had each other's back for over two years, leading to many victories. A lot of those wins have been because the other person interfered in the bout.

Now that the roles are reversed and Trick has a championship belt, one easy direction for the duo could be to pursue the Tag Team Titles. Hayes will feel empty-handed without his own belt, as he often passively ignored Trick on his recent singles journey.

The duo would be one of the strongest tag teams in NXT. They could also be a good choice as champions if Tony D'Angelo and Stacks Lorenzo are forced to vacate due to an unfortunate injury to the former.

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#2 Carmelo Hayes could join the main roster in several ways

Carmelo Hayes is more than ready for main-roster business.

Over the last several months, Carmelo Hayes has crossed paths with both Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits. They were just having normal conversations, but this could lead to something in the future.

Hayes is one of the top NXT stars ready for the main roster. He could talk well and is polished in the ring. His official main-roster debut could be saved for the Royal Rumble 2024, or he could pop up on RAW or SmackDown before the year ends.

He would be a no-brainer addition to what Lashley is building on SmackDown. It would give the group four legitimate stars and champions. It would also ease Hayes onto the main roster.

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#1 Could jealousy lead Hayes to go after his friend's title?

Carmelo Hayes gave a hard look at his friend's newly won title.

Throughout their partnership, Trick Williams never really politicked for a shot at the NXT Championship. He would battle any of Hayes' challengers, often in defeat. Through those matches, however, Williams gained the respect of other stars like Dragunov.

Carmelo Hayes is Williams' friend, but he seemed to care infinitely more about what he had to deal with and less about what Trick was doing. Both men wanted to leave No Mercy as champions, but only Trick emerged victorious in his bout and was able to do so.

In the last image from No Mercy, Hayes apologized to Trick for being unable to complete their dream. However, during the exchange, Carmelo gave several looks to the North American Title over Williams' shoulder.

He could easily go after that title since it made him a top star in NXT. It would test their friendship and could even lead to each man pursuing their individual singles career.

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What do you think would be the best option for Carmelo Hayes following his title loss at NXT No Mercy? Sound off in the comments section below!