• Update On Carmelo Hayes Amid Hiatus Rumors Ahead Of WrestleMania 42
Carmelo Hayes issued an open challenge on the latest episode of SmackDown, where he lost the United States Championship to Sami Zayn, bringing his three-month reign to an end.
A photoshoot of Hayes with NXT star Kelani Jordan was recently shared online. It led to speculation among fans that Hayes had already gotten married and might be taking time off from WWE following the title loss. In reality, the photos were from an engagement shoot.
Bodyslam reports that despite the speculation, Hayes has not been written off WWE programming and is not expected to take a hiatus on the road to WrestleMania 42, though his immediate creative direction following the title loss remains unclear.
• Champion Banged Up On SmackDown
WWE Women’s United States Champion Giulia picked up a win over Tiffany Stratton on this past Friday’s episode of SmackDown, with Kiana James providing a key distraction during the match.
However, the physical toll of the bout appears to have been significant. According to Orlando-based pro wrestler Matthew Ennis, who trains with Giulia, she was dealing with multiple issues following the match.
Ennis shared a video on Instagram and revealed that Giulia came into training in rough shape, forcing them to adjust her workout due to the pain she was experiencing across several areas of her body.
“Giulia came into her session today very banged up from her championship defense last Friday on SmackDown.
Normally, this would be our full lower body day, but today was not a good day for that because she was in so much pain. Low back pain, knee pain, hip pain, shoulders, you name it. So instead of sticking to a rigid plan, we adapted today on the fly, and the goal is just simply to have her walk out of the gym feeling better.
Thankfully, through a full body, activation, mobility, stretching circuit, we were able to achieve that goal. And now we’ll be more prepared to push harder tomorrow, and that’s a big thing for pro-wrestlers – depending on how your body feels, you may need to adjust the workout for the day.”
• Hell In A Cell Could Still Happen At WrestleMania 42
WWE continues to finalize the WrestleMania 42 card, with new matches being announced each week as the show draws closer. With less than three weeks to go, many big announcements are expected.
It was previously reported that Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu was being considered for Hell in a Cell. However, that will not be the case, as WWE confirmed on the latest episode of SmackDown that the two will instead compete in an Unsanctioned match.
Despite that shift, the Hell in a Cell stipulation could still be a part of WrestleMania 42. According to Cory Hays of Bodyslam, the idea might still be “in play” for another match on the card.
As of now, there is no word on which match could end up taking place inside the structure.
