WrestleMania Weekend kicked off with a bang, a boot, and about 37 bodies flying over the top rope as Carmelo Hayes officially etched his name into WWE’s golden giant lore—by winning the 2025 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown. And he did it in classic Carmelo fashion: with style, precision, and just the right amount of top-rope trickery.
Hayes sealed the deal by launching Andrade from the middle rope like a malfunctioning lucha drone, securing the win and embracing the massive Andre trophy like it was a North American Title in cosplay.
Let’s talk chaos.
The match featured a buffet of bodies, from luchadores to legends to whatever it is Otis qualifies as. Early exits included Carlito, who was yeeted out like someone who brought apples to a gunfight, and R-Truth, whose elimination by The Miz was more betrayal than strategy—tag teams are temporary, trophies are forever.
Otis, true to form, took out the Creed Brothers but also himself, because gravity respects no man—not even someone shaped like a vending machine.
The lucha contingent—Fenix, Dragon Lee, and Escobar—teamed up to bounce Chad Gable, who then probably sprinted backstage to film a promo about respect. Meanwhile, Kross, Kaiser, Pretty Deadly, and New Catch Republic all contributed to the glorious human pinball chaos.
Final four: Fenix, Nakamura, Andrade, and Hayes. Nakamura was tossed like a stylish sack of vibes. Then Fenix almost pulled off the miracle, until wrestling’s least-believable patriot, El Grande Americano, made a surprise cameo and lowkey sabotaged his countryman by pulling down the ropes and sending Fenix tumbling. Some alliances are red, white, and wrong.
That left Hayes and Andrade. And in a final flash of agility, Hayes reversed Andrade’s top-rope gamble into a highlight reel elimination.
Hayes celebrated with The Miz—who now plays mentor like he’s coaching the AAU All-Stars of arrogance—posing with the Andre statue like he’d just won an Emmy for “Best Use of a Dropkick.”
Carmelo doesn’t miss. And now he doesn’t walk without a trophy, either.