During a recent installment of “The Ringer Wrestling Show,” WWE SmackDown superstar Carmelo Hayes disclosed that Shawn Michaels advised him never to slack off.
“He informed me bluntly that ‘You can never slack off. Many fellow wrestlers can afford a day off and still be commended, but you, especially, should not slack off or act indifferently. It’s challenging at times, but I welcome this challenge. It appears as if the bar is incredibly high for me due to my size. People have great expectations of me. I cannot afford to slip-up. Not only because of my size, but also due to being viewed as a prominent player. So, I receive a lot of criticism for every step I take. I have constantly been under scrutiny,” Hayes revealed his conversation with Michaels.
Hayes also highlighted that, “I have now become accustomed to this pressure, but the bar remains quite high. Particularly when you have been trained by Shawn Michaels, when you’re a top draft choice, when you’re smaller in size, and when you are a person of color. The pressure becomes amplified by these factors. However, I am up for this challenge and aim to prove the doubters wrong. Michaels constantly reminds me, ‘You must outperform everyone in every facet. You cannot be deficient in any area. What you lack in size, you must compensate in every other aspect.'”
During the unsatisfactory 2024 WWE Draft, it was disclosed that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods would persist with the RAW brand.
Speaking on a recent episode of the “Battleground Podcast,” Kingston expressed his opinion regarding the latest WWE Draft, his and Woods’ continuation in RAW, and other topics.
Below are some excerpts from the podcast:
On the WWE Draft: “The placement in the draft is always fascinating. For us, the outcome didn’t matter as we believe that we excel on any brand. We consider ourselves the greatest tag team of all times and the current roster. Therefore, the show that the New Day (Kofi and Woods) is part of becomes the top show.”
On remaining with RAW: “We are thrilled about retaining a position in Raw and maintaining our performance levels. We are prepared to face several new tag teams. The draft always spikes curiosity as you are unaware of the roster changes. However, the anticipation has subsided, and we are increasingly excited about our future in Raw, which is considerably diverse at the moment. We are eager to contribute some unique performances.”