Carmelo Hayes is taking some credit for setting up the spot between IShowSpeed and Bron Breakker in the Royal Rumble match.
At the 2025 Royal Rumble, social media star IShowSpeed was a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match. He replaced Akira Tozawa, who was attacked making his entrance and was unable to compete in the bout.
This did not end well for Speed. He ate a massive spear from Bron Breakker before being thrown unceremoniously over the top rope. However, Carmelo Hayes thinks he deserves some credit for his part in the spot. He attacked Tozawa, which allowed Speed to sub in and hit the now-iconic Royal Rumble spot.
Carmelo Hayes spoke with The Toronto Sun’s No Holds Barred about the Royal Rumble spot with Speed.
“Bro, he wasn’t even ready. If you watch the video, dude turned around and got smoked. Bro, he didn’t even know what was coming—no clue.” Carmelo Hayes said, before adding:
“Hey, I set him up for success. He could have main-evented WrestleMania, bro. That was on him. He had the shot.”
Carmelo Hayes Reacts To The Lack Of Diversity On WWE PLE’s, Triple H Saying He Only Sees Talent
Carmelo Hayes thinks that diversity isn’t an issue when it comes to rising to the top of the WWE.
In recent months, there has been some controversy surrounding Triple H’s booking. There has been a perceived lack of Black talents on Premium Live Events, with the company noting this lack of diversity in their recent shows. Triple H drew more criticism when he said he didn’t see color, he only saw talent during the WWE Bad Blood Post-Show.
However, this is not something that Carmelo Hayes is worrying about.
Hayes spoke with Gorilla Position and was asked about the recent controversy surrounding a lack of diversity on WWE PLEs. He said that the top wrestlers rise to the top, regardless of race or ethnicity. He noted that “when you’re talented, you’re talented”, ending the discussion succinctly.
“I don’t know, you know? I mean, I think when you’re talented, you’re talented, and you’re going to get an opportunity. All of us guys and girls are proving that we deserve all the opportunities—regardless of color, race, ethnicity, all of that. So, what Hunter was saying was essentially, you know, cream rises to the top. When you’re talented, you’re talented. Period.”
