6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Dec 15 - Results & Review)

5. A Sparkling Introduction

Wow, that was a nifty intro to the main roster for Carmelo Hayes.

He'll be grateful that WWE stuck him out there with someone he trusts, and Grayson Waller was only too happy to bump around for his fellow NXT alumni. Or...can Hayes actually be called "NXT alumni" quite yet? Probably not, but he'll surely be called up for good during or after WrestleMania season.

Fans there for SmackDown didn't give him the megastar treatment, or anything, but most would've been impressed by what they witnessed in-ring. This was a deceptively big deal for Carmelo, because it proved to those watching in the back that he belongs at a higher level than NXT.

The match was a success from start to finish, which is really all anyone could've asked for. It was a sweet touch to include a video package of his NXT highlights for those who don't watch the third brand much too. Yep, this was a winner, and a showing Hayes can be proud of.