Before Carmelo Hayes joined "WWE SmackDown" in 2024, he became one of the most decorated stars of the company's developmental brand, having held the NXT Championship for 182 days and becoming a two-time North American Champion. There's no doubt that "WWE NXT" viewed Hayes as their top star at one point, but it didn't come without great expectations, as the 31-year-old recently explained that Senior VP of Talent Development Creative of "NXT" Shawn Michaels often set the bar high for him, but also provided guidance as the brand prepared him for the future."I didn't think the championships really made a difference or not. But I do remember winning them, and 'HBK' being like, 'Hey, you're winning both of these titles. You're going to have to step up and really prove to a lot of peoplethat probably don't think that you deserve it why you're winning both of these titles,'" he explainedon the "Battleground Podcast." "At the time, we were overlapping the 'Black and Gold' era and we were just putting that final stamp, I hate to put it as like a nail in the coffin to 'Black and Gold,' but it felt like, hey we're starting something new ... Shawnand I had a bunch of talks like that and he mentioned to me a lot of times like, 'Hey, we're runningwith you.' Like, 'Hey, I need you to do your part. I need you to be my guy.'"Hayes also touched on being popular with the "WWE NXT" audience, knowing that he won the fans over, but believes the crowd has always been "wishy-washy" and ultimately support who is hot in the moment.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Battleground Podcast" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
