Carmelo Hayes is ready to show he’s made for now

“Thanks guys for trusting me.”

Those were the words Carmelo Hayes — the No. 1 overall draft pick for SmackDown and former NXT champion — shared with WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque as he headed to the back of the Allstate Arena after defeating Randy Orton for the biggest win of his career.

“And they were like, ‘You act like you’re leaving. You’re one of the guys now. You’re here now, of course we’re going to put you in these positions,’” Hayes told Uproxx Sports.

Even though his time in NXT has prepared him, there are still moments that catch the budding star off guard. Hayes’ arrival in the latest wave of top stars on the main roster is under the microscope. Every win, loss, misstep and success is examined and spat out in the instant reaction environment that wrestling fans have fallen into. It’s up to Hayes to seize every opportunity to showcase his enormous potential.

The win over Orton was a springboard to what could be the first of many heavyweight title fights, qualifying him for Saturday’s Money in the Bank match in Toronto, with the winner getting a guaranteed title shot of his choice.

“I’m focused,” Hayes said of his mindset heading into Saturday. “I feel like this is a good opportunity for me to really prove myself. In Money in the Bank, I’m putting myself in the spotlight. I’ve been in ladder games before, I’ve been in these situations before, and I know exactly what type of game plan I’m going to come into this game with. I feel like I’m as prepared, if not more prepared, than everybody else.”

The pressure that comes with being in the spotlight is nothing new. Every time WWE has put him in a position to sink or swim, Hayes has not only survived, he has thrived.

“I kind of have to throw myself out there and see what happens,” Hayes said.

His first two matches for the brand were a NXT Cruiserweight Title match followed by a showdown with the brand’s biggest star, Adam Cole. After winning the NXT North American crown (twice) and a 182-day run as NXT Champion, Hayes made his first steps onto the main roster by splitting his time, jumping between the main roster and NXT.

Hayes admits he felt “comfortable” in NXT and that to get out of that comfort zone, he had to test himself on Raw, Smackdown and Main Event in front of a bigger audience. “I think that was probably the best thing for me at the time,” Hayes says.

His move to the main roster as a first-round pick just two months ago was a huge weight to bear. That weight has only piled up on his shoulders in the hours, days and weeks since his move to Smackdown.

His first night on the blue brand featured a clash against the face of the company, Cody Rhodes, who he had spent time with a year earlier helping him prepare for the ring upon his return from a torn pectoral muscle.

“At the time, I didn’t think about the pressure, I just thought it was cool. Cody is so cool, he didn’t make me feel like I was out of my element or out of my league,” Hayes said. “It was one of those things where I knew I was ready and I knew I was capable. The pressure wasn’t as great because it was like everyone around me knew I was meant to be on that main event stage, no matter NXT, Raw, SmackDown, Cody Rhodes, whoever it was.”

Hayes didn’t get a chance to go back and gradually climb the ranks as a member of the Smackdown roster. He had to deal with the ups and downs that come with earning his spot, including only one win in his first five matches as a full-time member of the main roster.

“WWE has given me so many good opportunities, I just had to make the most of it, even in defeat. I have to shine and prove that I am everything I say I am, and over time, I think with fairness and things like that, people will come to accept me,” Hayes said.

Decisive wins like his against Orton will go a long way toward reinforcing that equity.

“Pinning Randy Orton and getting on Money in the Bank helped my credit score a lot. Believe it or not, people track wins and losses. And they do matter after a while,” Hayes says. “I think there was a lot of pressure on me to succeed right from the start. So pinning Randy was just something that, for my career, I think people look at me a little differently. You know, it’s definitely something that’s helped my credit score.”

Working alongside veterans like Rhodes, LA Knight and Orton, Hayes has learned on the job. He doesn’t discount the expectations and what it takes to get to the next level. The bar is set high to reach the upper echelons of WWE, which he admits is “another level.”

“Working with these guys, you realize it takes years. I talked to Randy about it,” Hayes reveals. “It took him over 20 years,” he says, “for them to just start singing this song now. So you just have to go with the flow and see where it takes you.”

Hayes is still very early in his WWE journey. Failing to get the briefcase won’t have a significant long-term impact. However, getting the briefcase could make or break his career, and on Saturday, the next step in his career will become clearer.