Carmelo Hayes and Kevin Owens have advanced.
During the December 15 episode of WWE SmackDown, two more first-round matches occurred in the United States Championship #1 Contender’s tournament.
First, NXT star Carmelo Hayes made his SmackDown debut up against Grayson Waller. In the end, Hayes hit his Nothing But Net leg drop from the top rope in order to secure the victory. Hayes previously appeared on WWE RAW earlier this year when he battled Finn Balor on June 26.
After that, Kevin Owens took on his recent rival Austin Theory in a lengthier encounter. Despite competing with a “broken hand, Owens managed to win by delivering a big right-hand punch with his cast.
Hayes and Owens will now meet in a future semi-final match with the winner taking on the winner of Santos Escobar vs. Bobby Lashley. As noted, the winner of the tournament will be the first to challenge Logan Paul for his WWE United Championship.
WrestleZone will continue providing tournament updates as it progresses.
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