Carmelo Hayes Says He Felt Like A Little Minnow In An Ocean Of Sharks After Transitioning To WWE Main Roster
Carmelo Hayes just needed the ball.
In December 2025, Hayes won his first singles title on the main roster. Many fans argue that the title win was overdue, as Hayes joined the SmackDown brand all the way back in January 2024.
Speaking with the Beyond The Bell podcast for a new interview, Hayes talked about his challenging transition to the main roster and how he’s just wanted the ball all along.
“The adjustment from being in a small pond and being a big fish to going into an ocean of sharks and being just a little minnow and trying to navigate those waters, it was very challenging. Not so much so like the wrestling part of it because obviously, I can do the wrestling part. But like, just the way it works. It’s just a different game. I will say that winning all of those things and being the guy over there helped me get into this position where I’m like, okay, all you got to do is give me the ball, I know what I can do with it. It’s not a matter of if I can, it’s just a matter of when the time is right. Like, I’ve done it here and now let’s see if I can do it here. I think that now with this United States Championship, I’m showing that I was exactly who I said I was in NXT here on the main roster, which was a question that people weren’t sure if it was going to translate. Like I said, all I needed was the ball.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Hayes talked about his desire to wrestle CM Punk. Fans can check out his full comments by clicking here.
Check out the current lineup for Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown by clicking here.
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