WWE Superstar Carmelo Hayes has attracted attention on social media after changing his X profile picture to an entirely black image amid an extended absence from WWE television.
The unexpected change came as Hayes approaches two months away from WWE programming, with the company yet to publicly explain why the former NXT Champion has been missing from SmackDown. Adding to the speculation, former AEW World Champion MJF shared an old photograph featuring himself and Hayes on his Instagram Story just hours after the profile picture change.
The image dates back to their time on the independent wrestling circuit, when Hayes competed under the ring name Christian Casanova. MJF did not include a caption or explanation alongside the photograph, leaving fans to speculate about the timing of the post.
Hayes and MJF previously crossed paths while working for Limitless Wrestling in Maine. Both appeared at the promotion’s Know Your Enemy event in Portland on September 6, 2019, when MJF lost the Limitless World Championship to Anthony Greene. Hayes later captured the same championship in December 2020. Despite the social media activity, there have been no credible reports suggesting Hayes is planning to leave WWE, and the company continues to list him as a member of the SmackDown roster.
Hayes last competed on WWE television during the August 14 episode of SmackDown, challenging Baron Corbin for the United States Championship at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
The match took place close to Hayes’ hometown of Framingham and followed a backstage attack on Corbin the previous week. During the championship encounter, Hayes survived Corbin’s Deep Six maneuver before being knocked from the top rope to the floor. Corbin eventually secured the victory with End of Days.
Trick Williams subsequently defeated Corbin to capture the United States Championship on September 6. Hayes’ continued absence follows a challenging period in his WWE career, having been left off both WrestleMania 42 and SummerSlam earlier this year. However, there has been no indication that backstage conduct issues are responsible for his absence.
During an August Fightful Select Q&A, Sean Ross Sapp stated that he had never heard Hayes spoken about negatively behind the scenes, describing his reputation as “dependable, professional, and with a lot of upside.”
Former WWE rival Andrade, who is now with AEW, also acknowledged Hayes’ absence in September, posting the message “Where are you Amigo?” on X.
Hayes established himself as one of NXT’s leading performers before joining WWE’s main roster in 2024. He defeated Bron Breakker at NXT Stand & Deliver in April 2023 to capture the NXT Championship, holding the title for 182 days before losing it to Ilja Dragunov. He also enjoyed two reigns as NXT North American Champion before being selected by SmackDown in the April 2024 WWE Draft.
On the main roster, Hayes captured the United States Championship from Dragunov in December before losing the title to Sami Zayn in March. That title change occurred during an open challenge after Trick Williams accidentally struck Hayes.
Outside the ring, Hayes is preparing for a significant personal milestone. He previously told WBZ News Boston that he and WWE NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan were planning to marry in October, having announced their engagement in July 2025.
Jordan is currently scheduled to defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Wren Sinclair at Halloween Havoc on October 31. Meanwhile, MJF has remained active in AEW following his loss of the AEW World Championship to Kenny Omega in July.
For now, Hayes’ social media change and MJF’s throwback photograph have raised questions among fans, but neither wrestler has indicated that the posts are connected to any potential career move.
WWE has also yet to announce when Hayes will return to television.
