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As part of the ongoing United States Championship tournament, Carmelo Hayes took on Grayson Waller on SmackDown, and one moment from the match didn't go down too well with Wrestling veteran Apter.
There was a spot during the closing sequences where Grayson hit Hayes with a modified blockbuster or playmaker type of maneuver from the middle turnbuckle. It was a physically unique move that saw Waller drive Carmelo Hayes' head into the mat.
As Bill Apter pointed out on Smack Talk, the move seemed devastating enough to finish the match, but that wasn't the case. Hayes recovered rather too quickly and hit a few of his best flying moves to get the win in the end.
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While Bill Apter liked the match, he found it odd that Carmelo Hayes didn't spend more time selling Waller's new move and felt it was "wrong" to a certain degree from an in-ring storytelling perspective.
Apter explained on Smack Talk:
"It was wrong, though, to a point. When I saw that move, and Carmelo makes a comeback after that move, that looked like it broke his head. That would send anybody to unconsciousness. And I was like, that's it, Waller's going to win this thing. Carmelo kicks out, and he's dazed for a little bit, and he is doing flying moves and everything. I'm like, 'How can he do that after that move?' That was a devastating move!" [From 24:12 to 24:46]
Check out the entire video below:
The match itself was quite impressive as Apter loved the competitive nature of the contest. Carmelo Hayes didn't get an easy win as Grayson Waller, too, had his moments during the encounter and didn't look weak in defeat.
The even match-up was a big takeaway from the SmackDown match, according to Bill Apter, but do you agree? Did you enjoy Waller vs. Hayes? Share your reactions in the comments section below.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit SmackTalk, embed the exclusive YouTube video, and add a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
