Carmelo Hayes has become the subject of renewed WWE speculation after MJF shared an old image from their independent wrestling days.
The post arrived while Hayes has been absent from WWE programming for nearly two months.
According to AOL, Hayes has not appeared on WWE television since losing to Baron Corbin in a United States Championship match on the Aug.
14 episode of SmackDown.
WWE has not announced a reason for his absence.
Social Media Moves Add to Speculation
According to Sports Yahoo, Hayes also removed his profile picture from X, a change that fueled online discussion about his situation.
That move does not confirm he is leaving WWE or joining another promotion.
MJF added to the speculation by posting an old image from his independent wrestling days with Hayes, who previously competed under the name Christian Casanova.
According to Sports Yahoo, the two last shared a match on Jan. 4, 2019, in a Chaotic Wrestling six-man bout won by Josh Briggs.
The AEW star did not provide context for the post, according to AOL.
Former WWE wrestler Andrade had also contacted Hayes during his absence, asking about his whereabouts on social media, according to AOL.
"Where are you, amigo?" Andrade asked.
Hayes' 2026 run included major WWE opportunities, according to WhatCulture.
He began the year as United States Champion and later received opportunities involving the Elimination Chamber qualifying process and the King of the Ring tournament.
According to WhatCulture, Hayes lost the United States Championship to Sami Zayn in March 2026.
He previously held the NXT Championship, the North American Championship twice, and was the final Cruiserweight Champion.
There have also been positive assessments of Hayes' standing behind the scenes.
According to AOL, Sean Ross Sapp said during an August Fightful Select Q&A that there had been no negative reports about Hayes, describing him as professional, dependable, and having significant potential.
