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The Grayson Waller Effect was in full force on SmackDown this week. At Madison Square Garden, Waller hosted Edge on his talk show. One can argue that the latter is the biggest superstar to have appeared on the famous Friday Night talk show. However, that's not all.
This week's SmacDown also saw Waller make his in-ring debut on the blue brand. The 33-year-old faced Edge in a singles match. Despite giving it his best shot, the debutant lost. While fans were happy for Edge, WWE may have made a mistake by booking Waller to lose.
The reason behind it is that ever since making his debut on SmackDown, Grayson Waller has been the subject of much hype. Despite not wrestling until this week on the blue brand, he had garnered a lot of popularity through his mic skills, and the WWE Universe was excited to see him compete in the ring.
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However, constant beatings may endanger Waller's momentum. Before the match against Edge, the Australian wrestler was also the victim of an Attitude Adjustment by John Cena at Money in the Bank. While a beating against Cena or a loss to Edge is no shame, it somewhere harms Waller's image.
While this week's result was disappointing for Grayson Waller, Edge, on the other hand, will walk out a happy man. Making his first appearance in a long time, the Rated-R Superstar won in front of a New York crowd that cheered for him.
Like Grayson Waller, WWE also booked Carmelo Hayes to lose during his in-ring debut on the main roster
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes is one of the biggest names on the developmental brand of WWE. His recent performances in NXT have made many believe that the 28-year-old is ready for a call-up to the main roster. While that has not happened, He was given a taste of performing under the spotlight.
On June 26, 2023, Hayes faced Finn Balor in a non-title match on Monday Night RAW. Despite putting up quite an effort, Hayes ended up on the losing side. However, the NXT Champion gained the respect of the crowd. Many also felt that booking Hayes to lose on his in-ring debut in the main roster was not the right choice.
The next day after his contest against Balor on RAW, Hayes defended his NXT Championship against Baron Corbin on NXT Gold Rush Week 2. Hayes won this match to the crowd's delight—a quick turnaround from losing to winning helped the champion maintain his credibility.
However, it won't be the same with Grayson Waller. The Aussie will have to wait until next week to avenge his loss against Edge or to register his first victory against another superstar. Regardless of what happens, it will be interesting to see how the future unfolds for him.
