Carmelo Hayes defeats former World Champion on WWE SmackDown

Carmelo Hayes secured a count-out victory over Braun Strowman during SmackDown after a strategic match that unfolded during The Grayson Waller Effect segment. The win marks Hayes’s first triumph over the former Universal Champion.

The confrontation began when Strowman appeared as a guest on Waller’s talk show alongside Austin Theory. While the hosts attempted to recruit Strowman to their A-Town Down Under faction, Hayes interrupted the segment to challenge Strowman to a rematch, citing better preparation compared to their previous encounter.

The match saw Hayes employ a tactical approach, utilizing his speed and agility. After avoiding Strowman’s signature moves, including the Strowman Express at ringside, Hayes managed to reverse a chokeslam attempt. The decisive moment came when Hayes forced Strowman to the outside, leading to the count-out victory as the referee reached ten.

CM Punk offers backstage advice following Cody Rhodes incident

Following his victory, Carmelo Hayes revealed an interaction with CM Punk that occurred after a backstage confrontation with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on November 22. The dispute started when Hayes supported Kevin Owens’s statements about Rhodes, leading to a physical altercation where Rhodes shoved Hayes.

I ran into CM Punk, who gave me the best advice to never lose a backstage fight again, Hayes stated on social media platform X.

Hayes is scheduled to face Rhodes in a sanctioned match on the November 29 edition of SmackDown, where both competitors will have the opportunity to settle their differences in the ring.