Carmelo Hayes’ Real-Life Partner Reacts To His Heartbreaking WWE Title Loss
Carmelo Hayes is getting some support from his fiancée following a championship loss on WWE SmackDown.
The 91-day reign that Carmelo Hayes had as WWE United States Champion is over because Sami Zayn beat Hayes to win the title on SmackDown in Pittsburgh.
When Sami Zayn became the US Champion on August 29, 2025, he brought back the United States Title Open Challenge that the legendary John Cena popularized about a decade earlier. After Zayn lost the US Title to Ilja Dragunov in October, Dragunov continued the US Title Open Challenge as well.
Carmelo Hayes took the US Title from Ilja Dragunov on the final SmackDown of 2025, and since then, Hayes has been a fighting champion with 8 successful title defenses before losing the title back to Zayn. The March 20th Hayes/Dragunov match on SmackDown for the US Title may have been the best of them all and could be WWE’s best TV match of the year.
Sami Zayn’s win over Carmelo Hayes on SmackDown was controversial because Zayn’s rival, Trick Williams, was at ringside. Trick has also been Melo’s best friend and enemy in their NXT days, too. Trick grabbed the US Title from ringside and tossed the title into the ring by Zayn. The referee took the title away. Trick punched Melo by accident because Zayn moved, and Zayn knocked Trick off the apron. Zayn hit a Helluva Kick on Melo for the pinfall win.
After the match, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis informed Zayn in the backstage area that he will defend the US Title against Trick Williams at WrestleMania 42.
Kelani Jordan Praises Carmelo Hayes In Defeat
Outside the ring, Carmelo Hayes is engaged to fellow WWE superstar Kelani Jordan, who is a former NXT Women’s North American Champion and TNA Knockouts Champion. The couple will be married later in 2026.
Writing on X/Twitter, Jordan praised her fiancé’s run as the US Champion.
Proud of you @Carmelo_WWE!! A generational run as the US-A Champ. Match after match, you showed exactly why you’re H1M. ☝🏽❤️
#Smackdown
There’s no word on if Carmelo Hayes will have a match at WrestleMania 42, but many fans are calling for it since he did such a great job in elevating the US Title.
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