From the start, Carmelo Hayes had high hopes for his run on WWE NXT, even before its 2.0 relaunch.
Coming off of his NXT North American Championship win, Hayes is quickly becoming one of the brand’s breakout stars. In an interview wih Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Hayes looked back on the beginning of his WWE career, which began with some untelevisied matches in front of the company’s coaches. He recalled how he reached put to Shawn Michaels after his television debut because he immediately wanted to become a “top guy.”
“We have PC Live matches, which are live events in front of the coaches. I performed in front of Shawn once or twice, and then he saw me wrestle Kushida on TV,” said Hayes. “I’d never been signed before I came here and I had no television experience until I got here. This is my first contract, and that match against Kushida was my first-ever TV match.
“After the match, we spoke. I told him I didn’t want to be on 205 Live—I wanted to be a top guy. So I shot my shot and asked him to help me. And then I put the pressure on myself to be that top guy.”
Taking a chance on himself has clearly worked out, as Hayes now reigns supreme as the NXT North American Champion. In the interview, Hayes reflected on his success and stated that, from here on out, he’s going to keep working and chasing his goals, as this work ethic got him to where he is today.
“They trust me and I trust myself,” said Hayes. “So I’m just going to keep working and keep grinding. I have one speed, and that’s full speed. That’s why I got this opportunity. I treat every day like it’s WrestleMania.”
As for his reign as the champion, Hayes made it clear that he wants to make the title around his waist NXT’s most coveted prize. Beyond that, he emphasized that his goal is to be “great.”
“I plan on making this North American championship the championship,” said Hayes. “I don’t care if that pisses people off. I’m truly going to do that. I’m not just happy to be here. I’m here to be great.”
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