WWE's Carmelo Hayes Assesses Progress He's Made In Wrestling Journey

He might only be 30 years old, but WWE Superstar Carmelo Hayes is already coming up on his 11th year as a professional wrestler. The man formerly known as Christian Casanova has grown from a teenager on the North East independent scene, to making appearances in places like ROH and GCW, to being a featured player on "WWE SmackDown" each week on the USA Network, but Hayes isn't stopping there. During a recent interview with Muscle and Fitness, Hayes expressed how hungry he is to improve, and that everyone is seeing his evolution happen before their very eyes.

"You know, I've been showing week in and week out that my talent speaks for itself. People want to bring up wins and losses and things like that, but in my mind, you know, I'm going out there and putting on a hell of a show and I'm learning. I'm getting better. I'm enjoying what I'm doing and it's only the beginning. Let's see what happens, and let me take it to the top."

Hayes achieved virtually everything there was to achieve during his formative years in WWE, winning the NXT North American Championship twice, becoming the final NXT Cruiserweight Champion, and holding the NXT Championship for six months in 2023 before being dethroned by Ilja Dragunov. Hayes has not yet won gold since being drafted to the WWE main roster in 2024, but he has been in hunt as he has challenged for the WWE United States Championship multiple times, has become Cody Rhodes' main challenger for the Undisputed WWE Championship during dark matches, and has proven through his best-of-seven series with Andrade that he can hang with some of the best wrestlers in the entire world, hence why he wants to be part of John Cena's retirement tour in 2025.