Carmelo Hayes is officially a member of 946, confirmed at the end of the October 12, 2026 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw when he appeared to attack The Bloodline alongside the faction. The reveal capped off a night that had already featured 946’s first televised in-ring match, with Royce Keys, Bronco Nima and Lucien Price taking on Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso in the show’s closing bout.
Hayes’s arrival turned the aftermath of that six-man match into the headline moment of the broadcast, with the former North American and United States Champion throwing in with Keys, Nima and Price against the combined forces of Solo Sikoa and The Usos. According to Fightful, Hayes addressed the move afterward, telling fans that “the reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated,” a response to speculation about where he stood on the WWE roster heading into the fall.
Reaction Splits Over Hayes’s Standing in 946
The move has already sparked debate among fans and outlets covering the promotion. eWrestlingNews’s Question of the Day feature noted that reaction to Hayes joining 946 has been largely positive, but also highlighted a vocal segment of fans who view it as a step back, with critics suggesting Hayes is now positioned as a secondary figure within a group rather than operating as a featured singles competitor. That debate centers on how Hayes’s singles ambitions, built on his North American and United States Championship runs, square with joining an existing faction rather than continuing a solo push.
For 946 as a unit, the addition of Hayes immediately raises the group’s profile heading into further confrontations with The Bloodline. Keys, Nima and Price had already established themselves as a trio willing to go toe-to-toe with Solo Sikoa and The Usos in their first televised in-ring outing, and Hayes’s arrival gives the faction a more decorated name to build around as that rivalry continues on Raw.
Neither source indicates what comes next for either side, and WWE has not detailed any upcoming matches stemming directly from the Raw confrontation. The central facts established by the available reporting are limited to the in-ring six-man match result context, Hayes’s post-show comment carried by Fightful, and the broader fan reaction documented by eWrestlingNews.
