Kevin Owens was among those reacting after Carmelo Hayes captured his first championship on WWE’s main roster.
Hayes defeated Ilja Dragunov to win the United States Championship in a match taped on December 19 that aired on the December 26 episode of WWE SmackDown.
Following the broadcast, Hayes took to social media to respond to a WWE post highlighting the title change, sharing an emotional reflection on the moment.
“Craziest feeling ever,” Hayes wrote via his official X account (see below). “I felt the people lift me to top rope, can’t even explain it.”
Owens was quick to reply to Hayes’ message, offering praise and congratulations for the milestone victory.
“Special moment. Well-deserved moment,” an out-of-character ‘Prize Fighter’ wrote in a reply to the aforementioned X post (see below). “Congrats, man!”
Shane Helms also joined the conversation, responding directly to Owens with his own endorsement of Hayes’ achievement.
“Deserved and earned!!”
The United States Championship victory marks the first main-roster title win of Hayes’ WWE career. He previously won the 2025 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and compiled an impressive résumé in NXT, where he held the NXT World Championship, the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, and the NXT North American Championship on two occasions.
A big night.
And a defining one.
As for Owens, the former Universal Champion has been sidelined since undergoing neck surgery in July. He made a public appearance at a NASCAR event the following month, where he addressed his recovery and the uncertainty surrounding his in-ring future.
“Fingers crossed, I get to come back to wrestling in the next year,” Owens stated during the July appearance. “I really don’t know. My goal is to come back, so hopefully that happens.”
In addition to his recovery, Owens is expected to remain involved with WWE in a different capacity.
According to one source, he is slated to have a role on the upcoming season of WWE LFG on A&E.
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Special moment.
Well-deserved moment.
Congrats, man! https://t.co/0SkeN22RPR
— Kevin (@FightOwensFight) December 28, 2025
Deserved and earned!! 👊🏻
— Hurricane Helms (@ShaneHelmsCom) December 27, 2025
