Thirty years old. One hundred and eighty-two days as WWE NXT Champion. Two hundred and seventy-three days as WWE NXT North American Champion. Third overall pick in the 2024 WWE Draft. Quite the accolades for Carmelo Hayes. But what have they translated to since moving to the main roster? Frustration. Maybe not frustration from Hayes himself, but certainly from the fans who’ve followed him since joining WWE. It is a developing situation that can’t be ignored because it is becoming a glaring issue.
Carmelo Hayes is a talented performer. He’s one of the best young names in professional wrestling. Someone who fans should be able to count on as a featured star for years to come. But how far will that carry him in the WWE? One year into his run on the main roster and fans are pointing out how his run compares to his peers.
Hayes joined WWE back in 2021, debuting on NXT on June 1, losing a great match to KUSHIDA for the NXT Cruiserweight Title. From his introduction alone, it was clear that WWE had high hopes for Hayes. That didn’t follow him when he made the move to the main roster. Take this stat into consideration. From 2021 through 2023, Hayes had a 51-17 win-loss record in singles matches according to Cagematch data. From 2024 to 2025, the win-loss record is 15-33. Quite the turnaround and not in a positive fashion.
Many fans point to the main roster runs of Lyra Valkyria, Bron Breakker, and Tiffany Stratton; three other performers who were moved to the main roster during that same draft. From 2024 to 2025, their win-loss records in singles matches are as follows, respectively: 33-11, 29-15, and 18-23. Stratton has yet to lose a singles match this year, while Breakker has only lost one singles match. The last time Hayes won a singles match was in February, defeating Braun Strowman by DQ. The last time he won a singles match via pinfall was against Ron Killings on Valentine's Day a few weeks earlier.
Valkyria, Breakker, and Stratton have all hit championship status while on the main roster. Hayes hasn’t had his moment with a title, and some are wondering if it will be too late when it finally comes or if he will ever be booked at the same level as his peers. It’s a question that must be asked because things aren’t looking great.
Fans are right to be frustrated with Carmelo Hayes’s booking
Look, Triple H may claim he doesn’t see color, but there are truly some questionable aspects of the booking on the main roster. While the women’s division is consistently packed with women of color near the top, and rightfully so, as they frequently have strong fan followings. The same can’t be said for the men’s division, at least as singles stars.
The New Day and Street Profits hold all the tag team gold on the main roster. But how frequently are they featured in PPVs? What does that mean for men of color looking to break out as singles stars? Samoans are one group who consistently find success thanks to the links to a particular family. Others? Not so much. There was hope that Carmelo Hayes would buck that trend, but that wasn’t the case. At least not to date.
“Wait and see” is often the response online when debates break out about Carmelo Hayes’s booking. That same idea isn’t true for Bron Breakker, Tiffany Stratton, or Lyra Valkyria, so why should people who love Hayes have to “wait and see?” It’s a question that is easy to debunk and intentional when it is brought up. With individuals like Trick Williams, Ricky Saints, and Oba Femi up next for a call-up from NXT, there isn’t a lot of hope that they will be booked any differently. Carmelo Hayes’s run doesn’t give a lot of confidence so far.