“It sucks in a way,” Top SmackDown Superstar reveals brutal advice given by WWE legend Shawn Michaels to be successful

Carmelo Hayes defeated Baron Corbin in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament. 

“It sucks in a way,” Top SmackDown Superstar reveals brutal advice given by WWE legend Shawn Michaels to be successful

Shawn Michaels (via wwe)

Former NXT Champion, Carmelo Hayes was drafted to the SmackDown brand in the recently concluded 2024 WWE Draft. He immediately caught fans’ attention when he came out and challenged the Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes. “Him” listened to the harsh advice Shawn Michaels gave him and applied it to his career.

While speaking on The Ringer Show, Carmelo Hayes revealed that he faced a lot of criticism during his indie career and NXT run due to his small stature. Thanks to Shawn Michaels‘ mentorship, he surpassed his competition and clinched the NXT Championship. The 29-year-old star shared the advice he received from the Hall of Famer on achieving success despite his size.

The 58-year-old legend advised him to never take a day off and to keep working hard for his place in the company. He told Hayes that other wrestlers had the liberty to take a day off and still be accepted, but that wasn’t the case for him. Hayes further added that people’s expectations of him were always higher because of his size.

He told me, straight up, ‘You can never take a day off. A lot of these guys can take a day off and they’ll be accepted, but you can never take a day off or phone it in. It sucks in a way, but at the same time, I’m open to the challenge because the bar, for some reason, is raised higher because of my size. People are expecting way more.
Carmelo Hayes on Shawn Michaels via The Ringer Show

Although he lost the match against Cody Rhodes, he immediately shifted his focus to another goal. He participated in the King of the Ring tournament and defeated Baron Corbin with a sneaky pin. It will be interesting to see how well he fares against a legend like Randy Orton in round 2 of the tournament.

Carmelo Hayes opens up about the spot fans claimed was botched in the match against Cody Rhodes

Carmelo Hayes certainly impressed the WWE Universe with his amazing in-ring skills in his match against The American Nightmare. However, there was one spot that caught fans’ attention, making them think that it was botched.

Cody Rhodes and Carmelo Hayes
Cody Rhodes and Carmelo Hayes (via WWE)

While speaking in the same interview, the 29-year-old shed light on the spot in which they both attempted to hit each other with their respective springboard moves. However, neither of them was able to complete the move, as they both crashed down. Hayes stated that sometimes fans do take everything too seriously.

I mean, I think it’s wild that people thought he (Cody Rhodes) was gonna catch me with a Cody Cutter in mid-air. If you see what it was… we both do a springboard move. He’s got the Disaster Kick, he’s got the Cody Cutter, I’ve got a couple of different things.
Carmelo Hayes via The Ringer Show

Melo has exhibited a notably different attitude since his debut on the main roster. Initially, he showed disrespect towards a legend like Bobby Lashley and even insulted Baron Corbin ahead of their match on SmackDown. It will be intriguing to see where this journey leads him.

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