Carmelo Hayes' "special" opponent could be 2-time World Champion who last wrestled 30 months ago, popular WWE name teases

Carmelo Hayes was the third overall draft pick in 2024, making him the first NXT alumni picked up in the WWE Draft's first round. However, since his move to the main roster in April he has struggled to stay relevant, despite some strong showings.

The former NXT Champion informed SmackDown's GM Nick Aldis that he does like the sound of "Monday Night Melo" this past Friday, referring to the Transfer Window before WWE RAW's imminent move to Netflix. Aldis claimed that he had someone special in mind for Carmelo Hayes to face. This prompted Sam Roberts to wonder if it could lead to the in-ring return of backstage producer, Bobby Roode.

On his Notsam Wrestling podcast, Roberts speculated whether this particular storyline was designed for Roode's return. The former two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion has a history with Nick Aldis in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Global Force Wrestling.

"Last time Nick Aldis said something like that, the Motor City Machine Guns were the ones who showed up, and a lot was made out of the connection they had in the past. Maybe Nick Aldis is bringing someone else up from TNA. Maybe Bobby Roode," Roberts said, singing Roode's theme 'Glorious' for a moment, before adding, "is coming back to compete on SmackDown and Nick Aldis is responsible for it because it's another TNA guy. Who knows?" [From 50:29 to 50:50]

You can check out his comments in the video below:

Bobby Roode's last WWE match was almost 30 months ago in a losing effort against Omos on June 25, 2022, at a live event. At the time, he was in a tag team alongside Dolph Ziggler, who reverted to his real name Nic Nemeth following his exit from the Stamford-based promotion.

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Why did Bobby Roode's WWE run fizzle out quietly?

Despite a decent beginning, an argument can be made that Robert Roode was not fully utilized in World Wrestling Entertainment. He hoisted the NXT Championship and the United States Title once each as a singles star. He also had three tag team title wins under his belt. But has any storyline the 48-year-old participated in WWE as an in-ring performer stood the test of time?

Roode stopped wrestling in 2022 owing to a neck injury. He has since accepted a role as a backstage producer. Injuries had plagued his in-ring career for over a decade, and he has already undergone two neck fusion surgeries.

As seen in the Instagram post above, Roode disclosed during a sit-down interview with Chris Van Vliet earlier this year that he was medically cleared to compete, but has chosen to continue working as a producer.

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If you use the quote in the first half of the article, please credit Notsam Wrestling and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.