SHOOTING HIS SHOT: Carmelo Hayes looks like a can’t-miss WWE Superstar

The current United States titleholder has been on fire in 2026 and has all the makings of a true franchise player for World Wrestling Entertainment

By RYAN K BOMAN | March 21, 2026 | I-70 Sports & Media

A black and white portrait of a man wearing sunglasses, with short hair and a serious expression, resting his chin on his hand. He is adorned with a bracelet on his wrist.

It seems like every time you turn on WWE programming these days, you see an outstanding performance by him.

Or, more appropriately, H1M.

31-year-old Carmelo Hayes signed with WWE on February 12, 2021, and has seemingly been on a rocket ship to greatness ever since. As he trained and developed in NXT, he won the North American Championship twice, the Cruiserweight Championship once (which he unified with the North American title), and the NXT Championship once.

Now a member of the main roster, Hayes captured the WWE United States Championship in December 2025 and has been defending it honorably on TV through the start of the current year. He’s been one of the promotion’s most reliable performers, often making a tough outing look easy.

As World Wrestling Entertainment sees most of its top stars of this century retiring or beginning to look toward the sunset, they know they need to restock the roster with fresh, young talent. Recently, an injection of electric youth has sent a charge throughout the promotion. Names like Trick Williams, Oba Femi, and Giulia are shining lights in the company’s future.

But out of all those names, Hayes seems to be the one young Superstar who can surpass them all, thanks to the set of skills he possesses… Read More HERE