If you think you’ve seen the best of Carmelo Hayes, he will gladly let you know you are wrong. 

“This isn't even my final form,” Hayes told USA TODAY Sports.

He nearly did everything a star could do in WWE’s developmental brand, NXT; he won the NXT Championship, was a two-time North American Champion and main evented Stand and Deliver 2024 alongside Trick Williams, becoming the first time two Black men were the main event an NXT premium live event.

All of the accolades prove why it was a no-brainer for him to be a first-round pick in the 2024 WWE Draft. Not only did it put him on SmackDown and officially elevate him to the main roster, but he became the first NXT star to ever be a first-round pick in draft history. Now, he says he’s ready to show why he’s the next big star in wrestling as WWE enters a new era under Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

“Time to show everybody what I've been doing,” Hayes said. “Time to kill it. Time to make a statement. Time to let people know why I’m the first-round draft pick. Why I’m being presented in this light. Why Melo don’t miss.”

Starting with a bang while continuing to learn

When it comes to making a statement out of the gate, there aren’t many ways to be more impressive than what Hayes did. Moments after he was selected to the SmackDown roster, Hayes challenged the new Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. 

Hayes wound up falling to the champion, but his match was widely regarded as a fantastic start to his promotion. He not only showed promise, but it was akin to the debut of John Cena in 2002 when he challenged a top star in Kurt Angle right off the bat. Even though Cena also lost, it set the stage for one of best wrestling careers in WWE history. So even though Hayes was defeated, he believes he set a precedent for what is possible.

“I feel like I spoke volumes as to what I have to offer on SmackDown, and what I bring to the table,” he said. “What a better way to test my skills and see where I'm at than get in there with the guy who holds the top prize in WWE.”

After the match, Hayes sat in the ring in a state of realization that it's a brand new ballgame on the big stage. But what helped cement Hayes’ potential was when Rhodes spoke to him about being on the right path.

“He kind of just gave me the, ‘You're on the right track, but you got to kind of do things a little different here. It’s a different game,’” Hayes said. 

Hayes won’t disagree with Rhodes about changing his approach on the main roster. It was actually what he was thinking about after the loss before he spoke to him. The match gave him a snippet “now what to expect” when competing.

For someone that carries so much swagger, charisma and the accolades, it’s easy to assume Hayes would think he knows how to carry himself and get to the mountaintop of wrestling. But it’s far from that. While he was able to “check every box” in NXT, he craves the opportunity to continue to learn.

“I'm still learning and I think that the biggest learning curve is yet to come,” Hayes said. “I still have ways to go. People can get complacent, and people can kind of get comfortable, but that's never been how I’ve operated. I'm open for the challenge of learning.

“I think I know a lot, but I don't know everything.”

Consider his match with Rhodes his first lesson, and he will take any learning opportunity he can get from any veteran on the roster. He also isn’t afraid to take shots against those veterans as a way to get those opportunities. He’s already traded jabs with Bobby Lashley that has fans already wanting a matchup between the two.

What’s next for Carmelo Hayes?

Even if Hayes doesn’t think he’s fully prepared for his new reality, there are several opportunities for him to solidify himself as a rising star. He will be competing in the 2024 King of the Ring tournament with his first-round matchup taking place on Friday, and he sees it as just the first accolade he can claim. 

He’s already emerged as a popular pick to win the tournament, but if he does end up wearing the crown in the finals on May 25, it could open several avenues for him to propel his career. All WWE stars have the goal of claiming the top title, but Hayes wants to take a slow approach to competing for the WWE Championship.

“There's a lot of small milestones I want to accomplish,” he said. “I'd like to build up my stock a little bit more before I take that route again.”

There are several other stars that are worthy of competing in main event matches at premium live events, and while Hayes acknowledges there are people ahead of him in the line, he doesn’t think far away from being a No. 1 contender. 

Regardless of time, Hayes sees himself staying on the main roster for years to come. Whenever an NXT star gets called up, there's worry they won’t get opportunities and will just end up being another name on the roster. The way he sees it, Hayes views himself as one of the top guys in the “next crop” of stars that will carry the company.

The leaders of this next generation, according to Hayes, are him, Bron Breakker and Ilja Dragunov, all guys that were recently called up to the main roster. He also mentioned others like Solo Sikoa and the WWE Tag Team Champions in Austin Theory and Grayson Waller.

“WWE is very future centric right now,” he said. “You need this next crop. That's why I’m so confident that this era is what is necessary for the future. We're going to be the guys that are going to carry WWE for the next 10 years.”

It’s a bold statement, but it’s nothing new from Hayes. He knows he’s destined for stardom and he isn’t afraid to let everyone know about it. So what else does Hayes want people to know about him? Well, that’s where the talking stops.

“I wouldn't tell them anything. I’ll just show them,” he said.