“Acknowledge me,” Former Champion mocks Roman Reigns by pulling gigantic numbers for his debut match on SmackDown

Carmelo Hayes has asked the WWE Universe to acknowledge his star power.

“Acknowledge me,” Former Champion mocks Roman Reigns by pulling gigantic numbers for his debut match on SmackDown

Former NXT Champion mocks Roman Reigns [via- WWE]

Last week on SmackDown, Roman Reigns made his first WWE appearance ever since beating LA Knight at Crown Jewel. Upon his return, Reigns declared Solo Sikoa the next Tribal Chief, snubbing Jimmy Uso in the process. They were shortly interrupted by Randy Orton, who outright challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble.

As noted by WrestleNomics, the opening segment that saw Orton and Reigns throw daggers at each other was the high point of the entire show in terms of viewership. However, former NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes, who made his SmackDown in-ring debut against Grayson Waller, also got viewed by nearly 2.5 million people on national television. Flexing the unprecedented outcome for himself, Hayes mocked Roman Reigns by stealing his catchphrase.

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As for Reigns, he chuckled at The Viper’s proposal and asked him to get back in line instead of simply asking for a title shot. Undoubtedly, the show’s opening, having such a gigantic rendezvous in the ring, augmented the live viewership for that segment. However, Carmelo Hayes has also taken credit for the viewers peaking at over 2.4 million in the second quarter of SmackDown.

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In a new high for the former NXT Champion, he ran through Grayson Waller to advance in the ongoing US title tournament. As a result, The A-Champion will battle Kevin Owens in the semifinals to get a step closer to the final mark.

Acknowledge me
Carmelo Hayes via X

Just for a heads up, this week’s SmackDown is already taped, and it did not bode well for the 29-year-old from NXT. Be cognizant of the spoiler that’s about to be disclosed. Having said that, Carmelo Hayes lost to The Prizefighter, thus ending his sojourn on the blue brand.

Who will challenge Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble?

Once again, as mentioned above, this Friday’s SmackDown is already done and dusted. A major spoiler has emerged on who will challenge Roman Reigns for the gold at the Royal Rumble.

Randy Orton and Roman Reigns on SmackDown last week
Randy Orton and Roman Reigns on SmackDown last week [via- WWE]

Last week, AJ Styles made his SmackDown return and immediately took out The Head of the Table, courtesy of a Phenomenal Forearm. Styles then turned his back on LA Knight, cementing his heel turn.

Be it Randy Orton, AJ Styles, or LA Knight, every one of them is gunning for revenge on Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. Now, to settle this, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis has proposed a No. 1 Contenders Triple Threat match.

Orton, Styles, and Knight will slug it out on the New Year’s Revolution edition of the blue brand on January 5. And the winner gets to have a crack at Roman Reigns’ title on January 27 at the Royal Rumble.

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