The list of people targeting John Cena right now is growing by the day, and Carmelo Hayes wants his name added.
Cena is the talk of the wrestling world thanks to his explosive heel turn – switching into a bad guy on screen – at Elimination Chamber earlier this month.
The veteran performer, who has played the role of a fan favourite ‘good guy’ for the vast majority of his career, a compelling performance in Canada seeing him align with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in a stunning twist.
He and Rock look to be on a collision course with WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes heading into WrestleMania, the road to the Vegas spectacular finally beginning to head up following the epic Chamber.
Rock is surely to feature in some capacity while Rhodes, Cena, Roman Reigns, Jey Uso and Charlotte Flair are all set to shine on the big stage.
It’s got some fans discussing what could be a finest WrestleMania of all time, one heralding on X: “This might be the best road to WrestleMania ever”
Another echoed: “In the span of just over 48 hours, this Road to WrestleMania has become crazier and more amazing than last year.”
Cena will undoubtedly make more headlines at this year’s instalment of WWE’s biggest annual show, and in Hayes he has one man watching him from the wings.
While keen on making his own splash at WrestleMania, the 30-year-old sensation also has his sights set on a date with the icon further down the road during Cena’s retirement tour.
The legend’s epic goodbye, Hayes says, is the perfect opportunity for him to mix it up with a variety of talent – and he wants in on it.
“I like that he’s doing it like that,” he told talkSPORT’s Jon Jackson in an exclusive interview prior to the weekend.
“This is his last Royal Rumble, his last Elimination Chamber, so you can really let everything set in that: ‘Oh man, this is it.’
“So, I am happy that he’s doing it that way, but of course I am calling him out.
“He’s somebody that, as a kid, I looked up to John Cena, as we all did, right?
“There’s a whole generation, multiple generations at this point, that look up to John Cena, who wouldn’t want to get a piece of him on the way out and test my skills against his skills.”
How, then, does the former NXT Champion go about making that happen – a knock on the door of Triple H, perhaps?
He added: “I don’t think it’s really a pitch; it’s a matter of if that’s what people want to see.
“I think [if] enough people bring [it] up enough, the powers that be could make it happen.”
SmackDown grappler Hayes, already a history maker in WWE, is right to point out that a rivalry between he and the 47-year-old has intrigue.
The pair both come from the same part of the US and, if the early part of Hayes’ career is anything to go by, have trodden similar paths in their formative years in WWE – Hayes targeting the US Championship held so famously by his idol way back when.
He explained: “I think it’s almost inevitable, I think him and I had similar… we’re both from the Boston area, I came and did the Ruthless Aggression thing, he did the Ruthless Aggression thing – there’s a fun story that can be told.
“I think that’s something the people would want to see and, talent wise, I’m talented enough to get in the ring with John Cena.”
Carmelo Hayes returns to the U.K. this March with WWE for live episodes of SmackDown & Raw at London’s O2 Arena on Friday March 28 and Monday March 31. Tickets available now at www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
