The WWE Draft saw new faces arrive on Raw and SmackDown.
The first night of the 2024 draft took place on the April 26th edition of Friday Night SmackDown. One of the biggest additions to the main roster came in the form of former NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes.
Hayes instantly made his presence felt by confronting and challenging Cody Rhodes for a match on the show.
The two met in the main event and the newcomer took the new Universal Champion to the limits but was unable to claim the victory. Yet despite the loss the impressive Superstar made some strong claims about his future in a backstage interview.
What did Carmelo Hayes have to say about his future in WWE?
While speaking on the SmackDown Lowdown, Hayes commented on his main event match on his first night on the SmackDown brand and stated he destined for greatness.
“I mean, I went into this thing, win or loss, I wanted to make that statement and at the end of the day, I know I’m destined for greatness. Going against a guy like Cody Rhodes, WWE champ for a reason.
I might not have made it through, I might not have beat Cody Rhodes, but I shot from the logo and I’ll tell you what, I hit rim on that. Look, they could have picked anybody.
There’s a room full of thems, but they came and they picked me second in the first round because they know that Carmelo Hayes is him.” h/t Fightful
Prior to his official debut on the main roster, Hayes was no stranger to the bright lights of Friday Night SmackDown.
In 2023, Hayes was a part of a tournament to pick the number one contender for the United States Championship.
Hayes reached the second round after defeating Grayson Waller but was beaten by eventual tourney winner Kevin Owens.