Carmelo Hayes' WWE Main Event Match Reportedly Part Of New Initiative

For the second week straight, "WWE NXT" talents competed during the "Main Event" tapings before "Raw." This week's action saw former North American Champion Carmelo Hayes pick up a win over Cedric Alexander and R-Truth pick up a victory over "NXT's" Von Wagner. Similar bookings were carried out the week prior, with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen getting a victory in a tag team match against Shelton Benjamin and R-Truth, and Fallon Henley going one-on-one against Dana Brooke, also walking away with the win.

According to a new report from Fightful, the WWE Universe can expect more crossover between the various brands in the company. When it comes to "Main Event" in particular, it will be common for rising "NXT" stars to appear on the show so they can get more eyes on them as they progress in development. Using "Main Event" as a platform to see how "NXT" stars fare in front of larger live crowds isn't a new concept, as the company utilized similar tactics while still under Vince McMahon's leadership.

Von Wagner was involved in a significant "NXT" storyline when he became the impromptu partner for Kyle O'Reilly and challenged for the "NXT" Tag Team Titles against Imperium at WarGames 2022. When the duo was unsuccessful in their bid for the belts, Wagner turned his back on O'Reilly, leading to a steel cage match that Wagner ultimately won. As for Hayes, he has already achieved major successes like winning the "NXT" Breakout Tournament in August 2021, holding the  North American Championship twice, and the "NXT" Cruiserweight Championship once before unifying it with the North American Title. It will be interesting to see if either man is bound for "Raw" or "SmackDown" after they're showcased this week.