Carmelo Hayes Reportedly Not Taking Time Off Following US Title Change

Carmelo Hayes has no plans to take time off as WrestleMania 42 edges closer.

The March 27 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown saw Sami Zayn dethrone Carmelo Hayes to capture the WWE United States Championship in a move that divided many fans, with questions now being asked about Hayes’ direction as WrestleMania approaches.

According to a report from BodySlam, despite speculation, Carmelo Hayes is not set to take time away from WWE in the lead-up to WrestleMania 42.

“After Hayes dropped the title, people started speculating that Hayes would be taking time off due to getting married to Kelani Jordan. This is not the case. The photoshoot that was posted was an engagement photoshoot. Hayes’ immediate plans are not yet known but he is not set to take time off as we head towards WrestleMania.”

-BodySlam

Following the title change, Sami Zayn was informed by SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis that he now has a place on this year’s WrestleMania card, with a WWE United States Championship defence against Trick Williams now official.

Carmelo Hayes initially captured the WWE United States Championship from Ilja Dragunov after answering an open challenge on December 26, 2025, with fans taking to the former NXT star as he carried forward the open challenge during his reign.

You can find more on the latest WWE news as we head towards WrestleMania 42 here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on plans for Carmelo Hayes ahead of WrestleMania 42 as soon as we hear more.