Alright, so Carmelo Hayes has been having a seriously rough go on SmackDown lately. I mean, the dude can’t catch a break, missing both WrestleMania *and* SummerSlam, and just lost a US title match against Baron Corbin last week. You’d think he was in the doghouse, right? But apparently, the higher-ups at WWE are still all in on Melo.
The Melo Rollercoaster: From NXT Champ to Main Roster Mystery
Yeah, it’s wild, because according to Sean Ross Sapp from Fightful Select, nobody backstage views Hayes negatively at all. Sapp said Melo’s “always been referred to as dependable, professional, and with a lot of upside.” This is the same guy who was the face of NXT, holding the North American Championship twice and the NXT Championship once before getting called up in 2024. He was the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, for crying out loud! Everyone thought a huge push was coming. Instead, we’ve seen inconsistent booking and him struggling to find his footing as a big-time player on the blue brand. He finally got some traction winning the United States Championship in December 2025, holding it for three months, but then dropped it to Sami Zayn in late March. Now, after that Corbin loss and being left off the biggest shows, fans are totally left wondering what’s going on. But if Sapp’s intel is right, it sounds like Melo’s just a victim of circumstance, not some punishment.
Cena Was NOT Happy About That Rock Loss
Speaking of backstage drama, there’s a wild rumor surfacing about one of the biggest matches ever: John Cena vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 28 back in 2012. You remember that one, right? Rock won in his first singles match since 2003, and it was advertised as “once in a lifetime.” Well, former longtime WWE referee Mike Chioda, who officiated the bout, just spilled the tea on X. He wrote that Cena “was not happy about doing the job” to The Rock. Imagine that! Cena getting laid out by The Rock at WrestleMania 27 had already cost him the main event against The Miz, setting up this “once in a lifetime” showdown. Of course, it wasn’t a one-time thing at all. They ran it back at WrestleMania 29 a year later, where Cena actually won for the WWE Championship, getting his redemption and an embrace from The Rock afterward. So even if Cena was ticked about the loss, it totally led to one of the biggest redemption arcs in WWE history.
Logan Paul’s Injury Updates and Hair Talk
And then there’s Logan Paul, who’s still tearing it up on Raw, even with a torn triceps keeping him on the shelf. The dude’s been cutting promos and staying in the mix with his Vision stablemates, which is pretty smart. Fans have been clocking his hair, too; it’s gotten way longer and kinda unruly. Paul actually talked about it on his YouTube vlog, saying, “The problem is, okay, so when in wrestling, the hair creates movement. So when I get hit or thrown or somethin…” He knows his brand, gotta give him that. Even injured, he’s keeping himself relevant.
So what’s next for Melo? Despite the recent string of losses and missing the big cards, that backstage report from Sapp means we shouldn’t count him out. With that much talent and internal support, it’s gotta be a matter of time before he really breaks through. We’re talking championship potential here. Let’s see if WWE starts giving him the consistent booking he deserves soon enough!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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