Carmelo Hayes is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE.
He performs on the SmackDown brand.
Early life
Christian Brigham was born on August 1, 1994 in Framingham, Massachusetts, US.
Career
Trained by Brian Fury, he debuted on April 12, 2014, for Chaotic Wrestling, where he faced Mikey Webb. Over the years, Brigham wrestled for various promotions, notably winning the Pride of New England Tournament for Tomorrow in Beyond Wrestling. He secured the Chaotic Wrestling New England Championship in 2016, the Tag Team Championship with Tripilicious in 2018, and the Heavyweight Championship twice in 2019, becoming the promotion’s Twelfth Triple Crown Champion. In 2020, he won Limitless Wrestling’s Vacationland Cup.
Brigham joined WWE on February 12, 2021, debuting in NXT as Carmelo Hayes on June 1 against Kushida. Although he lost, Hayes soon gained prominence, winning the NXT Breakout Tournament and later, on October 12, 2021, cashing in his contract to claim the NXT North American Championship. His reign included notable defenses against Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, and a unified championship match win over Roderick Strong on January 4, 2022, to merge the Cruiserweight and North American titles. Hayes lost and regained the North American Championship, defending it successfully until losing to Solo Sikoa on September 13, 2022.
Hayes debuted on WWE’s main roster on October 11, 2022, and continued to feature prominently in NXT. On April 1, 2023, he won the NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver, turning face after a storyline with Bron Breakker. Hayes defended the title against several challengers until losing it to Ilja Dragunov on September 30, 2023. His partnership with Trick Williams dissolved, leading to a feud where Hayes attacked Williams, culminating in a series of matches that ended with Williams defeating Hayes.
Promoted to SmackDown on April 26, 2024, Hayes made an immediate impact by challenging Cody Rhodes and competing in the King of the Ring tournament, marking his transition to WWE’s main roster.
Personal life
Christian Brigham is currently in a relationship with fellow professional wrestler Lea Mitchell, who competes in WWE’s NXT under the ring name Kelani Jordan.
Ner Worth
Undisclosed