This TNA star answered Carmelo Hayes’ United States Championship open challenge on WWE SmackDown.
The WWE United States Title open challenge continued on SmackDown this week, with Carmelo Hayes appearing for his latest title defense. Answering the open challenge was the UK’s own TNA X Division Champion, Leon Slater.
The bout turned out to be a terrific contest, with both men evenly matched in athleticism and agility. After a back-and-forth match featuring multiple near falls, Hayes secured the victory with a massive top-rope cutter.
The win marked Carmelo Hayes’ third successful televised defense of the United States Championship. He previously retained the title against former NXT Champion Johnny Gargano and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Leon Slater was initially scheduled to appear on TNA Wrestling’s AMC debut this past Thursday night. However, Slater and several other international stars encountered visa processing issues, forcing TNA to make last-minute creative changes.
The visa situation also affected Slater’s scheduled appearance at TNA Genesis. During last night’s iMPACT, it was announced that Joe Hendry would replace Slater in the match against Moose and Cedric Alexander. The bout was originally set to feature the X Division Championship.
Fans can check out WrestleZone’s full coverage of TNA iMPACT here.
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