Carmelo Hayes addresses WWE WrestleMania 42 absence: ‘Success is not earned, it’s given’
A former United States Champion, Carmelo Hayes, is now set to miss WWE WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A former champion, Hayes lost the title just a few weeks before WrestleMania. While new champion Sami Zayn is set to defend the title against Trick Williams, Hayes finds himself out of the competition.
Recently speaking to Chad Ochocino & Shannon Sharpe on Nightcap, Hayes was asked about his mindset on not being on the card.
“I feel like I stay ready, and knowing that I’m talented enough that if they give the ball, it’s guaranteed. That’s what my mentality has always been. You ever heard that phrase, ‘Success is not earned, it’s given?’ I feel like that’s a lot in WWE,” he said.
Despite carrying the title for months, Hayes failed to win it back from Zayn on the April 3rd episode of SmackDown and eventually lost his WrestleMania 42 spot.
“Anybody, really. Until they give you the ball, how do you know who can score? Until they put you on the field, how do they know that you can make a play? That’s really what it comes down to with what we do, waiting for the ball or to put you in,” Hayes concluded.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
Shounak takes particular interest in soccer, closely following top clubs like Real Madrid and Arsenal. Beyond sports, he enjoys fiction writing, photography, gaming, and cinema.