Carmelo Hayes Invites Johnny Gargano for a US Title Rematch upon One Condition

Carmelo Hayes is showing no signs of backing down from Johnny Gargano, who has made his intentions clear about the US title.

Carmelo Hayes Invites Johnny Gargano for a US Title Rematch upon One Condition

Carmelo Hayes retained his US title against Johnny Gargano [via- WWE]

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A week after dispatching Ilja Dragunov to win the United States Championship, Carmelo Hayes put it on the line against Johnny Gargano this past Friday on SmackDown. The Boston native retained the title even though ‘The Rebel Heart’ pushed him to the limits. Gargano went on to state on X that he’d be coming back for Hayes and the US title.

It didn’t take long for ‘HIM’ to clap back at ‘Johnny Wrestling’. Hayes, in his reply, said that taking on Gargano was like an NXT dream match to him. The former Trick Melo Gang member further noted that he has little respect left for the Clevelander. And speaking of Gargano’s message for him, Hayes affirmed that he could have his rematch anytime.

Melo, however, urged the 38-year-old to leave his wife Candice LeRae in the back. And if that’s not fine by him, Hayes said he could also call someone up for backup, which the fans have already guessed would be no one but the US Champ’s fiancée, Kelani Jordan. The latter indeed took notice of Hayes’ subtle nod for her, as could be seen below. It appears like Jordan might be called up to the main roster like that only.

With Gargano’s #DIY teammate Tommaso Ciampa reportedly deciding against signing a new WWE contract, he’s expected to quit the company relatively soon. Once Ciampa’s out, Gargano would be left with only his wife by his side, which, in turn, might compel the WWE creative to keep them intact as an on-screen pairing. There’s no update on The Rebel Heart’s contractual status with WWE.

He hasn’t done anything spectacular on the main roster even with Triple H at the helm for over three years now. It’d be interesting to see if ‘The Game’ and his team have even thought about Johnny Wrestling’s resurgence as a singles competitor or if he’s only there to put over younger talents.

For the time being, it’s apparent that Gargano isn’t done chasing the US title, which would inevitably line him up for another Carmelo Hayes showdown at some point.

Ilja Dragunov hasn’t taken his eyes off Carmelo Hayes after US title loss

As mentioned in the beginning, Carmelo Hayes overcame a flawless-looking Ilja Dragunov to win his first singles title on the main roster. ‘The Mad Dragon’ bumped into ‘The A-Champion’ backstage on last week’s SmackDown. Dragunov said he wanted to wrestle the best, and that’s exactly what he got out of Hayes when they collided on the final SmackDown of 2025.

Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes
Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes [via- WrestleOps/@X]

The former NXT UK Champion inquired if Hayes would keep the US title open challenge going. The 31-year-old said he plans on doing just that. That did leave Dragunov impressed, and the latter gave a gentle reminder to Melo about them running it back for the US title someday. And as expected, Hayes didn’t back down.

With SmackDown now being a three-hour show, at least in the first half of 2026, WWE would have ample time to allow as many mid-card title defenses as feasible. The men’s US title hasn’t felt as important as it has in recent months since Sami Zayn brought back the open challenge concept, which was first made famous by John Cena.

The regular integration of it on a show like SmackDown, which reeked of creative bankruptcy for the majority of 2025, could restore a semblance of engaging television. Moreover, Carmelo Hayes putting the title belt on the line against more up-and-coming stars or the ones already at a veteran level would only bolster his match catalogue to help him make his title reign memorable.

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