Carmello Hayes to lose his WWE title instantly by the hands of a SmackDown star? Exploring the likelihood

The latest episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown saw a shocking title change as Carmelo Hayes beat Ilja Dragunov to become the new United States Champion.

The creatives are not wasting time, as they have determined the challenger for the newly crowned titleholder. The 31-year-old star was having a backstage interview following his win with Cathy Kelley, during which he thanked Ilja Dragonov for evaluating the US Title and giving him a fair chance at it.

As Melo was expressing his thoughts on his championship win, Johnny Gargano attacked him from behind, making it clear he wants to climb the ladder back and is now officially gunning for the United States Title. In a shocking twist, Johnny may get a title shot against Melo next week, and he could immediately end his reign as the WWE United States Champion, marking a perfect moment and building a Mania-worthy rivalry between them.

Melo had an excellent performance against Ilja on the Friday Night Show, which gave him a perfect opportunity to execute his game plan and capture the United States Championship, beating Dragonov clean. Hayes was stuck in the mid-card picture for a long time, and now it seems the creatives have finally decided to put the chip on his shoulder and explore his potential as a titleholder. Having him lose the title immediately against a heel Gargano would polish both superstars.

That said, the angle proposed above is speculative, and nothing has been officially confirmed as of now.

Carmelo Hayes’ fiancée shares message following his WWE United States Title win

Following Hayes’ massive victory, his fiancée, Kelani Jordan, took to her official Instagram account to post pictures of them with the United States Championship, captioned “Feels like Christmas all over again.” The couple was together celebrating at their home.

That said, it will be interesting to see what plans the Triple H-led creative team has in store for Melo as the titleholder in the coming weeks, as the Stamford-based promotion heads closer to a new year and the company soon kicks off the WWE Road to WrestleMania 42.