WWE NXT: Carmelo Hayes was the perfect choice to dethrone ‘Swerve’ Scott

There was a big title change on this week’s edition of WWE NXT. The headlining match featured Isiah Scott against Santos Escobar. With Hit Row being moved to the main roster, it looked like the perfect opportunity to write the group out of the brand. However, the outcome was quite the swerve as viewers saw Carmelo Hayes end up with the North America title with his Breakout Tournament contract. It’s a great decision that falls within the apparent plan to focus on youthful names in WWE NXT. Hayes is someone the brand can be built around.

The Hayes title victory was basically a Money in the Bank cash-in. When Hayes and Trick Williams made the save to keep Legado del Fantasma from interfering, it was clear that some shenanigans were about to go down. Hayes attacked, signed the contract, beat Scott, and walked out with the title.

This was the best way to get the title off Scott and keep that group “strong” heading to their new destination on SmackDown. Hit Row’s explosion in popularity on NXT caught a lot of pundits by surprise and it will be interesting to see if it carries over to the main roster. Keeping Scott credible is a key step in doing so and this fulfills that part of the obligation.

Then there’s Hayes. Of course, many expected him to use that open contract to get a shot at the NXT Championship, but that belt is as good as Bron Breakker’s to lose. WWE is hitching the NXT cart to the son of Rick Steiner, and Hayes’s opportunity to shine as a champion shouldn’t be limited to fodder for his run. It’s not a far shot to see Hayes’s getting his chance with that title at some point in the future.

But for Hayes, the North American championship should be a chance to show out. This iteration of NXT 2.0 is a stark deviation from what fans enjoyed for years, but there are some troupes that could become enjoyable. One is that the North American title could be the “workers” title on the show. Just like the United States, Intercontinental, and even the WCW Television title were, that belt is the place where some of the best wrestling in NXT occurs. Look at the runs and matches from men like Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Roderick Strong, and Damian Priest as examples. Scott didn’t get the opportunity to defend that belt, but those familiar know that he would have fit this mold as well.

Hayes has been an exceptional addition to the NXT roster, as his in-ring abilities translate over to what fans have consistently enjoyed about the show. As the new North American champion, he should be featured more often, consistently in matches, and defending that title against the top names. Right now, WWE NXT is all about building new contenders and personalities, and using this belt to help Hayes get over, build a record, and introduce those individuals sounds like a strong strategy.

The only question left to ask is where does Escobar and the rest of Legado go from here? They’ve consistently lost when placed in the title picture, but they are continually booked as a threat. In order for that to change, they are going to have to pick up some victories somewhere to remain relevant. Thankfully, they are so over with fans that their stock hasn’t been too damaged – yet.

Carmelo Hayes was the right selection to make to get the NXT North American title off Swerve Scott. Now that it’s done, Hit Row can go to the main roster and Hayes can put on a show each week with the worker’s title on NXT.