Carmelo Hayes will represent NXT on WWE SmackDown.
As previously announced, an NXT star will compete in the WWE United States Championship Tournament on WWE SmackDown. On the December 8 episode of SmackDown, WWE confirmed the bracket, but the NXT star was still not named.
In a tweet on December 10, WWE shared a clip in which Shawn Michaels announced that Carmelo Hayes is entering the WWE United States Championship Tournament. The former NXT Champion is set to face Grayson Waller in a first-round match on the December 15 episode of WWE SmackDown.
Bobby Lashley and Santos Escobar won their first-round matches on the December 8 episode. The other first-round match will see Kevin Owens face Austin Theory on December 15.
Update: Hayes commented on the news in a tweet and looked forward to his match on Friday.
Hayes is coming off a victory at WWE NXT Deadline on December 9. There, he defeated Lexis King. Hayes, a two-time NXT North American Champion, previously competed on the main roster when he faced Finn Balor on the June 26, 2023, episode of WWE RAW.
WrestleZone will have coverage of WWE SmackDown as it airs on December 15.
