During last night's epsiode of SmackDown, Austin Theory and the blue brand's newest Superstar, Carmelo Hayes, squared off in a singles match. It was a competitive, athletic bout which, unfortunately, ended prematurely.
A Spanish Fly move off the top role saw Theory seemingly land head first on the mat, though Hayes also seemed to take a nasty bump. The referee saw what happened and decided to step in immediately, calling an end to the bout. As a doctor came over to check on both Superstars, the bell rang and the match was called off.
Since then, WWE has updated fans on social media to say Theory and Hayes were evaluated for injuries and that they both suffered face contusions. Fortunately, it sounds like they'll both be okay.
WWE doesn't typically report concussions so it's unclear whether either man might have suffered from one. Regardless, the bump was no one's fault and is just a risk these wrestlers take with high flying moves such as this.
Shortly before being called up to the main roster, Hayes talked about being part of NXT and what he saw for his in-ring future as a Superstar on RAW or SmackDown.
"I’m super excited for what’s to come. A year ago, I was like, you know, a little bit antsy about it. And then I realised I said, You know what, let me just embrace the spirit in my life. Because, you know, we’re gonna have all those moments down the road, but you know, this period right now, you only get this one time, you know, I mean, the come up, you know, the rise, and I’ve been grateful enough to be in such a great position and then ecstasy where it’s truly been an uphill rise."
"So, you know, I couldn’t complain if I wanted to. So I just want the fans to just enjoy this process right now and see me grow. Because you know, once you get to the main roster, it’s like starting from scratch. It’s like a baby. So you know, this form of Carmelo Hayes is probably not gonna be the same form of Carmelo Hayes on the main roster. So to say, Let’s just enjoy this now while it’s there."
You can take a closer look at what happened during SmackDown in the X posts below.