Carmelo Hayes is set to reach a major milestone on the upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown, airing this Friday, December 26, though the show was taped last week.
During the taping, Carmelo Hayes defeated Ilja Dragunov to win the WWE United States Championship, marking his first title victory on the main roster.
While the episode has yet to air, word of the title change has already generated significant buzz behind the scenes.
According to one source, the backstage reaction within WWE has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly due to Hayes’ reputation as a hard worker and rising star.
“People like Carmelo,” the source said. “People are excited for him.”
The source added that Hayes’ upside has been evident to many in the company for quite some time.
“There are a lot of people backstage who see a world of potential in him. There’s a lot of hype and potential around Carmelo Hayes.”
With the United States Championship now around his waist and strong internal support within WWE, Hayes’ momentum appears to be very real.
And just getting started.
For those interested, you can check out complete WWE SmackDown Spoilers For December 26, 2025 right here at WrestlingHeadlines.com.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com every Friday night at 8/7c for live WWE SmackDown results coverage.
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SMACKDOWN SPOILERS
it won’t air for a week but holy shit Ilja vs Carmelo was the best match i’ve seen in a LONG TIME#smackdown #wwe pic.twitter.com/AZs3tuVTAO
— Joey (@joeyeinberger) December 20, 2025
