Long-Term Projections For Carmelo Hayes and WWE's 4 Stars of the Future

Amid the vast amount of wrestling over Memorial Day weekend was NXT Battleground, which successfully showcased some of the brand's biggest and brightest stars.

NXT has been the breeding ground for WWE's talent of tomorrow for over a decade, and although the black-and-gold days of the developmental system have long since passed, the roster remains rich with promising prospects.

Every promotion has its building blocks, with All Elite Wrestling's "four pillars" being a prime example. MJF, Jack Perry, Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara squared off in a marquee match for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing on Sunday and proved why they'll be the ones carrying the company for years to come.

NXT also has its fair share of competitors who will help pave the way for the next generation, including Carmelo Hayes, Bron Breakker, Tiffany Stratton and Roxanne Perez.

There are plenty of up-and-comers with the potential to one day thrive on the WWE main roster, but those core four in particular lead the list. Come their call-up to Raw or SmackDown, they will have no trouble transitioning to the grand stage and working their way up to WrestleMania main event status.

Meet the four future faces of WWE.

When Carmelo Hayes says that he is "Him," he isn't lying.

It's unclear what that entails exactly, but what is undeniable are his exceptional skills both in the ring and on the mic. He has unparalleled charisma, can electrify any audience, and he can bring the best out of anyone he shares the squared circle with.

Unsurprisingly, all of that stems from his time spent on the independent scene prior to signing with WWE, preparing him for the hot run he finds himself on now.

Aside from size, there isn't anything Hayes lacks, so it shouldn't be difficult for him to find his footing fairly quickly on Raw or SmackDown. Between the two, Bron Breakker is bound to get more chances on his own to shine, but Hayes is equally deserving and far more capable.

It isn't a lock he'll be headlining WrestleMania one day, but with the proper push, anything is possible in WWE. He should be no lower than the upper-midcard on either brand, mixing it up with all of the notable names out there.

Realistically, the 28-year-old could be called up now because he's ready, but the main roster may not be ready for him. If there's no plan in place from the get-go, then he'll be better off staying on NXT a little longer and continuing to carry the brand.

Hayes has heard all the rumblings, but there's plenty more he wants to do in NXT before he makes his next move.

"There's so much food on my plate now that I'd be crazy to try to make more plates," he told Bleacher Report. "I know I'm going to be able to eat down there, so it's like, let me just eat here for now. This food tastes really good! But there's other food there that I can't wait to get to, too. I'm not full yet."

Roxanne Perez is unquestionably the most main roster-ready women's talent NXT has at the moment, and fans should be preparing to see her grace Raw or SmackDown sooner rather than later.

It's truly remarkable how much the 21-year-old has been able to accomplish so early in her career, meaning she's barely scratched the surface of what more she's going to do. That includes her stints in Ring of Honor, MLW and Impact.

NXT picked her up at the perfect time and ensured she was never directionless. From teaming (and later feuding) with Cora Jade to winning the NXT Women's Championship in shocking fashion, she's had an outstanding rookie year and has certainly lived up to her nickname of The Prodigy.

Perez's mic skills can be questionable at times, but between the ropes is where she really excels. She portrays an excellent underdog babyface and has become one of NXT's most popular female stars.

The Prodigy has come up short on several occasions since losing the title, which is always an indicator of a call-up. She could still show up on SmackDown or Raw despite not being formally drafted in April, but again, it should be saved for when it makes sense to introduce her.

WWE has struggled to get many women over during the Triple H regime, but Perez should be a slam dunk with how likable she is and how she's among the best female wrestlers the company has. The key will be not to rush her ascent to superstardom.

No matter what, she is guaranteed to be a multi-time champion on the main roster as well as a focal point of the division as Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair are now and how The Four Horsewomen have been before.

"Sasha Banks vs. Bayley inspired me a lot," Perez said. "There have been so many moments in the Women's Evolution that have changed the game, and I feel like that match was one of them that showed we're WWE Superstars and the women are respected, and that we can put on matches that are just as good, if not better, than the men's."

Tiffany Stratton was one of the first fresh faces introduced as part of NXT 2.0 in late 2021. As a former gymnast with a daddy's-little-rich-girl persona, there was no reason to think she wouldn't be anything other than a flash in the pan with a bad gimmick and no wrestling background.

To her credit, though, her awe-inspiring athleticism has been her greatest asset and allowed her to stand out from the rest of the roster. She then went on to receive a significant gimmick upgrade upon her return from injury in early 2023, and it's been smooth sailing for her since then.

WWE scaling back on hiring independent wrestlers has afforded athletes such as the 24-year-old more television time and more opportunities to improve. She's taken advantage of all of that and walked away from every match she's had better than she was before.

Cutting promos remains her biggest weakness, but otherwise she's the compete package in terms of what WWE looks for in its top talent. That's why it was imperative she won the vacant NXT Women's Championship at Battleground, and the crowd was satisfied when she did.

Her moonsault finisher alone is a thing of beauty and will cause fans to take notice of her immediately. Some will be quick to assume she's the second coming of Charlotte Flair based on appearance alone, but there's so much more to Stratton once the bell rings that will ensure she doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

Beyond Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, WWE could use new blood in its Raw and SmackDown women's division and Stratton fits the bill perfectly. She checks all the boxes necessary to be prominently featured and will lay the groundwork for other athletes to follow in here footsteps.

"I want to stay in NXT," she told Bleacher Report. "I want to make a name for myself. I want to be a threat when I get called up. I want people to say, 'Oh, crap. Tiffany's here. It's her time.' I want to have some credentials.

"I think my gymnastics career has set me up for life. Not only physically, but mentally as well. I feel like I can conquer anything from my mindset from gymnastics. My athleticism has also given me a big leg up over everybody in NXT and that's because of my background."

Bron Breakker burst onto the scene at the onset of NXT 2.0 in September 2021 and never looked back.

He had a handful of matches under his belt at that point, and within a matter of minutes, he was NXT champion. Between his family lineage as the son of a Steiner and his organic explosiveness, it wasn't hard to see why officials were so high on him from the get-go.

The 25-year-old took to wrestling incredibly quickly and was able to connect with the crowd as a babyface whose in-ring intensity did much of the talking for him. Although he was rushed into being positioned as the new face of NXT, he eventually came into his own in that spot later on in his second reign as champ.

He's shown he can hang with everyone from Tommaso Ciampa and Dolph Ziggler to Apollo Crews and Cameron Grimes. Interestingly, his best character work has come in the last two months as a heel, a role he has felt much more natural in.

Now having lost the NXT title for a second time and failing to regain it at Battleground, it's safe to assume Breakker will be main roster-bound before long. Bringing him up as a heel may be the best thing for him, specifically on Raw where there is a plethora of popular fan favorites to work with.

It's hard to imagine Breakker not being successful on the main roster. He has his entire career ahead of him and is already quite good despite his limited experience. A Goldberg-esque run could be on the horizon, and further developing his character will only help him in the long run.

"I think it just comes down to my work ethic and how I handle my business," Breakker told Bleacher Report in January 2022. "I just want to be a positive representation of this company. I want to make my family proud, I want to make my bosses proud. I want to represent this company. I want people to look at WWE and say, 'That guy right there is what this place is all about.' I just want to be a good human being, a good person, and represent myself as a professional. I want to be a pro. That's all I'm trying to do. I want to be a role model for young people and all people around the world."

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.