Carmelo Hayes Talks Not Being Drafted To WWE Main Roster, Wanting To Be Face Of NXT

In a surprising turn of events, several titleholders from the "WWE NXT" brand were called up to the main roster at the recently-concluded WWE Draft, as "NXT" Women's Champion Indi Hartwell was drafted to "WWE Raw" and "NXT" Women's Tag Team Champions Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre were sent to the blue brand. While Hartwell did relinquish her title, Dawn and Fyre have disclosed plans to defend their championships across all three brands.

Prior to the WWE Draft, there was chatter of "NXT" Champion Carmelo Hayes also getting called up to the main roster. In a recent interview, Hayes explained why he was not disappointed at remaining in "NXT" and that he plans on carrying WWE's developmental brand for the foreseeable future.

"I have unfinished business here [in NXT]," Hayes told WrestlignNewsCo. "I am totally okay with holding it down in NXT. This is what I asked for, this is what I wanted to be: the face of the brand. I wanted to defend this championship and take it to newer heights. This was right on pace for me.

"It's obviously a goal of mine to move up to the main roster, but it's not going anywhere. I'm only going to be better. These defenses are only going to make me sharper. Right now, I'm doing my thing."

Shortly before the pandemic era in 2020, the "NXT" crew began traveling to arenas across the United States for TakeOver specials, television tapings, and even house shows. Hayes was asked if he was bummed to not have the opportunity to perform in front of bigger audiences.

"Yes and no," Hayes responded. "The environment and organic feel we have inside of the Performance Center helps the show, in a lot of ways. If we go on the road, we'd almost have to reintroduce ourselves to a new audience, because we're not yet big TV stars. It helps us to perform in front of a crowd that's familiar with our stories."

In conclusion, Hayes said it's "also special" for the loyal fanbase at the WWE PC that gets to watch the journey of upstart talents who "come from the bottom" and work their way up to the main roster.