Carmelo Hayes issued an open challenge for his United States championship on tonight’s (Jan. 16) episode of SmackDown in London.
Hayes specifically asked for the best UK wrestler to answer the call, and one might argue that’s exactly what he got when TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater (who hails from Bradford, England) showed up on SmackDown to fight for the gold.
The 21-year-old TNA star wrestled on Saturday Night’s Main Event last month and has been a regular presence on NXT in recent weeks, so it feels like it’s just a matter of time until he’s officially on the WWE roster. With that in mind, Slater and Hayes worked their asses off to put on a hell of a title match in London. That includes Cool Moves like this one from Leon.
Melo ultimately continued his babyface momentum with another successful title defense, adding Slater’s name to a list that also includes Johnny Gargano and Shinsuke Nakamura. He did so with this crazy cutter from the top rope, which the champ needed to bust out after selling his knee for much of the fight.
Was Carmelo Hayes vs. Leon Slater on SmackDown in London everything you expected and more? Let me know in the comments below, Cagesiders.
Catch up on all the results from SmackDown in our live blog right here.