CARMELO HAYES JOINS 946 FACTION ON WWE RAW

Carmelo Hayes made a surprise appearance on WWE Raw, attacking The Bloodline as the newest member of the 946 group led by Royce Keys. According to a report from False Finish, Keys asked WWE to bring Hayes into the stable while Hayes had been kept off television as the storyline developed. Hayes had been absent from WWE programming since losing to Baron Corbin on the 14th of August edition of SmackDown. His attack interrupted a match involving The Bloodline's Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, which was ruled a no contest as a result. Hayes has since shared his first reaction to joining the group on social media.

Hayes, whose real name is Christian Brigham, has been signed to WWE since February 2021. He has held the NXT Championship once, the NXT North American Championship twice, the NXT Cruiserweight Championship once, and won the 2021 NXT Breakout Tournament. After moving to the SmackDown brand in 2024, he won the WWE United States Championship by defeating Ilja Dragunov in 2026, before losing the title to Sami Zayn in March. Reports had suggested Hayes could leave WWE after months away from television.

The 946 group made its WWE Raw debut in August, with Keys, Bronco Nima and Lucien Price as the original members, before Jaida Parker joined the faction. This week's bout against The Bloodline marked the group's in-ring debut on the programme. Hayes becomes the latest addition to the stable following his attack. No further details on the storyline's direction have been confirmed.