Eddie Guerrero would be proud.
The late great WWE star was known for his incredible ring awareness and for using his surroundings to outsmart both the referee and his opponents to win matches. There are many current wrestling stars who took inspiration from Eddie in their careers and Carmelo Hayes proved that he is one of them.
The former NXT North American Champion had the monumental challenge of going up against Braun Strowman in a singles match during this week’s episode of SmackDown from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Carmelo Hayes Pulls An Eddie Guerrero
CARMELO HAYES JUST PULLED OFF THE EDDIE GUERRERO SPECIAL LMAOO #Smackdown pic.twitter.com/4dyjjbiHkO
— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) March 1, 2025
Even with The Bloodline interference in the bout, it didn’t look like the Monster Among Men would be going down easy.
This is when Carmelo changed his strategy. As the referee had his back turned, Hayes used the chair introduced by Solo Sikoa and pretended to have been hit by Strowman after hitting it on the canvas.
Believing him to be the victim, the referee declared Carmelo Hayes the winner of the bout. The young star quickly retreated from the ring after the bell, leaving Braun Strowman to powerbomb Tama Tonga in frustration to end the segment.
The win earns Carmelo Hayes a spot in the announced #1 Contenders Triple Threat match for the US Championship alongside LA Knight and Jacob Fatu.
