Top NXT Star Wants To Bring Back Black & Gold Era Feel

WWE

WWE NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes has stated that he aims to bring back solid wrestling, and the ‘Black & Gold’ era of NXT.

Prior to the brand’s reboot in September 2021, NXT was pushed as a fan-favourite product, featuring popular stars who had gained experience outside of WWE.

Following the reboot, WWE began to focus on recruiting and highlighting younger athletes, rather than independent wrestling veterans.

Speaking on WWE After The Bell, Carmelo Hayes noted that he wants NXT to once again be highlighted as the brand with stars who want to ‘go out and kill it’.

Naming the stars he believes are ‘studs’, Hayes said:

“Well, the thing is, like I notice, there are so many studs still left on the roster.

“So many good guys that, you know, can have that black and gold era type style that people always say that they miss and they want. So I look forward to having those type of matches with guys.

“Like there’s so many guys, Dijak, Dragon Lee, Ilja Dragunov, Tyler Bate, Wes Lee still, you know, and I know I’m forgetting names, but there are so many good guys on that roster.

“I just want to have great matches with all of ’em during this reign and see who’s, you know, willing or who can dethrone me at that point.

“But yeah, I just want to bring back good solid wrestling to this NXT show; not that, there’s not that, but there’s a lot of, you know, people learning how to get their feet wet, and then there’s a lot of guys who are willing to go out and kill it.

“And I think, I’m among one of those guys who wants to go out and kill it.”

Hayes won the NXT Championship from Bron Breakker at the April 1 Stand & Deliver special.

He was attacked by Breakker on Tuesday’s edition of NXT, after trying to save Trick Williams.

Here’s a rundown of what happened on the May 9 episode of NXT:

Tiffany Stratton def. Gigi Dolin in the NXT Women’s Championship tournament

Mark Coffey & Wolfgang def. The Dyad to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship after distractions on the outside including a brawl between Ava and Ivy Nile

Duke Hudson def. Javier Bernal

Eddy Thorpe def. Damon Kemp

Ilja Dragunov def. Dijak via DQ when Dijak attacked Dragunov with a steel chair and continued the attack post-match

Charlie Dempsey w/Drew Gulak def. Tyler Bate w/Wes Lee after Joe Gacy came out and punched Bate

Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen def. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger

Lyra Valkyria def. Kiana James in the NXT Women’s Championship tournament

Bron Breakker def. Trick Williams, then continued to attack Williams post-match before Carmelo Hayes tried to make the save, but Breakker laid him out as well

Transcription via SEScoops. 

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• black and gold
• Carmelo Hayes
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