3 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (18 Apr - Results & Review)

Ups...

3. At Least Carmelo Hayes Gets Something

Melo won the annual Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal shindig then did that familiar pose with the trophy. No, this win hasn’t done a whole hell of a lot for many guys, but it’s certainly one Hayes will take considering his bumpy road on the main roster to date. He hasn't had it easy since moving up from NXT.

Personally, this fan liked that the match came down to Andrade vs. Carmelo too. They've had a rich, relatively recent history as opponents, and their series of bouts together could be considered one of Melo's high points since jumping to SmackDown in last year's 2024 Draft. All in all, his performance was ace and this was a decent Battle Royal.

These matches are usually a tough sell and hard to make interesting, but everybody worked hard here and the winner was definitely unpredictable going in. Andrade, Chad Gable, Karrion Kross, Ludwig Kaiser, Rey Fenix, Shinsuke Nakamura, The Miz and Hayes himself all seemed like strong candidates to take home the 'W'. That's more than could be said for most Battle Royals in the modern era.

The fun and games will come when Miz either tries to take credit for Carmelo's success and thus facilitates an unlikely Hayes babyface turn, or when Melo tells Miz they can go after tag gold and hunt down more trophies. If nothing else, it was heartening to see someone who's regularly overlooked these days get a bit of the spotlight to himself.

Carmelo is talented beyond belief, but he just needs WWE to believe in him a bit more.