NXT's Latest Breakout Tournament Winner Is...

Carmelo Hayes and Odyssey Jones contested the Breakout Tournament final last night.

by Andy H Murray
Odyssey Jones Carmleo Hayes
WWE.com

Carmelo Hayes has won the latest NXT Breakout Tournament, defeating Odyssey Jones in the final.

The match played out on last night's black and gold episode. A short, respectful back-and-forth showing, it saw the smaller Hayes escape Jones' big splash, countering in to a crucifix pin attempt to score the decisive 1-2-3. The 27-year-old is now entitled to a future NXT title shot of his choosing.

Presented with a contract for said title shot by General Manager William Regal after the bell, Hayes said that competing with Jones was no joke. He withheld mentioning which belt he was going to challenge for, however, saying that it was too early for such decisions.

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Hayes has been with WWE since February 2021, when he was part of the biggest intake of new Performance Center recruits in the facility's history. He earned his spot in the Breakout final by defeating Josh Briggs and Duke Hudson earlier in the competition. Now, he has Jones' name on his résumé as well.

This was the second Breakout Tournament that NXT has held. The first went down in 2019, though winner ACH (Jordan Miles in WWE) was out of the promotion by the end of the year.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.