Carmelo Hayes retains North American Championship on NXT 2.0

Current NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes has retained the title on the latest edition of NXT 2.0.

Melo defended the title against former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne in the main event. Though the latter fought well, the ringside presence of Hayes' right-hand man Trick Williams increased the challenge.

Towards the end, Dunne climbed the top rope, but Trick distracted him. Carmelo took advantage of the distraction and slammed "The Bruiserweight" into the mat. The champion followed it up with a flying leg drop and won.

After the pinfall took place, the duo of Williams and Hayes took to the microphone to gloat about the win. This is where Carmelo announced his championship intentions for NXT: Stand and Deliver at WrestleMania weekend in Dallas, Texas.

Carmelo stated that he would defend the North American Title in the match it debuted in, a ladder match.

Carmelo Hayes has come a long way in NXT

Though Carmelo Hayes is a fixture of NXT 2.0 after defeating Isiah "Swerve" Scott for the North American Championship, he featured as part of the brand's previous era.

Hayes burst onto the scene as part of the 2021 NXT Breakout Tournament and defeated Odyssey Jones in the competition's final match.

He also confronted Adam Cole and answered a Kushida open challenge on NXT's black-and-gold era. In September 2021, he started teaming with Trick Williams and began his current heel championship run a few months later.

What did you think of the NXT main event this week? Do you think he can win the ladder match? You can share your thoughts in the comment section down below.