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WWE On the April 26 episode of WWE SmackDown, Carmelo Hayes had his first main roster match against Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
The match can be seen below this news story, with Hayes recently reflecting on the trust placed on him to face Rhodes after his main roster call-up.
In his recent interview with CBS Sports, Hayes would also discuss the ‘mixed’ reaction he’s encountered among the WWE fans following his call-up from NXT.
Hayes reflected on the need to ‘reintroduce’ himself to the audience, some of which are ‘not familiar with NXT’ saying:
“Reintroducing myself to a new audience is something you have to accept.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to go to Scotland, France and Saudi Arabia. Even in Chicago, you’re going to new places where people don’t know who you are. They’re not familiar with NXT in a lot of places. There are a lot of casual fans so when you come out, the reaction is mixed.
“At one point you’re the top guy in NXT and everyone knows who you are. They know your story and they know everything about you. They know your highs and lows. They’re connected.
2Now going into all these new venues and situations, you’re going up against their favorites. They’re thinking, ‘Who is this guy? They’re going to make quick work of this guy. He’s a nobody.’ Little do they know, I’ve accomplished a lot to get to this point.”
Hayes signed with WWE in February 2021 and would make his in-ring debut against Kushida in an NXT Cruiserweight Championship Open Challenge which took place in June of that year.
He would go on to hold that championship as the final recipient, along with being NXT Champion and NXT North American Champion.
Transcript from CBS Sports.
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5 hours ago by Dave Adamson
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