Next week on SmackDown, the US Championship contender tournament kicks off on 8th December. Logan Paul, the current champion, unveiled the lineup and teased the inclusion of a mystery NXT star. This comes after Paul’s controversial win over Rey Mysterio. 

In a recent appearance on SmackDown, Paul announced an eight-man tournament to determine his next challenger. Seven names were revealed including Kevin Owens as the frontrunner. However, an eighth name has come to light, ex-NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes. 

EX-NXT Champion drops hints in pursuit of the US Title

Excitement is building for the US Title tournament on SmackDown with an impressive lineup including Santos Escobar, Bobby Lashley, Dragon Lee, Karrion Kross, Austin Theory, Grayson Waller, and frontrunner Kevin Owens. Now, Hayes has hinted about being the undisclosed superstar in the upcoming US Title tournament on SmackDown. 

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The former NXT Champion Hayes has dropped a hint on social media, suggesting he might be the NXT star joining the US Title tournament. 

The former NXT Champion posted a photo with John Cena‘s custom US Championship belt from 2004. Hayes, a highly acclaimed NXT star, left an indelible mark as the brand’s last champion before Ilja Dragunov‘s epic victory. The hint comes just as Paul stated that an undisclosed NXT star would be the last person confirmed for the No. 1 contender tournament.

5 NXT Guys Who Could Shock the World in Logan Paul’s US Championship SmackDown Tournament

Hayes as the potential mystery entrant, has fans excited for a dark horse in the tournament. However, after fighting against Finn Balor on June 26, 2023, he did reveal who he wanted to wrestle next! 

Carmelo Hayes wants to fight Seth “Freakin” Rollins

After Rollins’ match with Breakker, Hayes and Trick Williams rushed to save him from Finn Balor’s attack. Now, Carmelo Hayes is eyeing a showdown with Seth Rollins. Their backstage encounter at NXT had Rollins noticing Hayes’ gaze on his title, leading to a Twitter post with an hourglass emoji, hinting it’s just a matter of time. 

Hayes had previously expressed his desire to face Rollins in a WrestleMania 40 showdown during an interview last year. “Me and Seth, that’s going to happen at WrestleMania. I feel it in my soul,” he confidently stated.

In a tweet on 4th November, Hayes again expressed his desire for a match with World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, stating, “Let me and Seth cook. A hood classic. #WWECrownJewel.”  This isn’t entirely one-sided, however, as Rollins has also mentioned wanting to work with Hayes previously.

Share your thoughts on Carmelo Hayes joining the SmackDown US Title tournament! Do you think he will get a chance to fight Rollins too?

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