Carmelo Hayes Addresses Mixed Reaction To SmackDown Debut

Posted by admin on April 27th, 2026

Carmelo Hayes has opened up about the mixed reaction he received when he first arrived on WWE SmackDown, explaining why fans struggled to view him as a heel early on. Speaking with Michael Fairman, Hayes described the disconnect between his intended character and how audiences responded during his main roster debut.

“I did feel at one point the fans weren’t sure how to feel about me. Like it almost was like they wanted to cheer for me but I was kind of telling them not to. It’s a warm feeling, you don’t want to be in that position. So the fact that we allowed them to say, ‘It’s okay to like this guy,’ I think they were like, ‘Okay good because we like this guy, we don’t know why we were supposed to not like this guy. He hasn’t done anything for us to not like him,’” Hayes said.

Hayes explained that the issue came from a lack of clear reason for fans to dislike him. Without a strong negative moment or storyline, the crowd had no reason to reject him, which created confusion instead of a clear reaction.

He also shared his view on what makes a strong heel character in wrestling.

“I think the best heels come from where you learn to love somebody and then they break your heart and then you learn, ‘Okay, nah I hate you.’ But I never did anything to them so they were just kind of didn’t really care one way or another. And then you’re going up against their favorite wrestlers and stuff. Why would they cheer you over them?” Hayes added.

Hayes joined WWE SmackDown during the 2024 WWE Draft and quickly stepped into a major spotlight. He challenged Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship on the April 26, 2024 episode. He later teamed with The Miz in 2025 before winning the United States Championship in December.

His title reign ended before WrestleMania 42 when he lost the championship to Sami Zayn. Zayn then defended the title against Trick Williams at the event, where Williams captured the championship in one of the standout moments of the show.

Despite gaining fan support during his run, Hayes did not appear at WrestleMania 42. He previously addressed that absence by stating that success in WWE is not always earned, but often given.

His comments provide insight into the challenges of character alignment on the main roster, especially when audience reactions do not match creative direction.