shawn michaels

Over the last few years there have been a number of breakout talents in NXT and there’s no denying that Carmelo Hayes has been one of the stars to watch.

As one of the top stars in NXT, Carmelo Hayes worked closely with Shawn Michaels, and during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated the former NXT Champion recalled some advice he received

“Yeah. He told me straight up. He said, ‘Look, because of your size, you can never take a day off. You have to be a little bit better at everything. You have to be’. I know I have a lot to work on. I won’t come in here and say, ‘I’m the top-notch’. I still have a lot to work on.

I’m just getting to work with the guys at the highest levels, like Randy, Cody, and even Andrade. Andrade is great. I’ve learned from working with Andrade, but there’s still more I have to learn.”

Hayes also reiterated that a lot of his mindset came from the former WWE Champion, “A lot of my mindset is from Shawn. I always tell this analogy. He said, ‘You guys want to put your roof on so quickly without building the foundation, like the bricks and stuff.’ I always think about that. I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m still laying down the bricks. Why am I worried about putting up windows when the bricks aren’t laid? Everybody wants the freaking roof and a chimney and start decorating the outside and painting the outside of the house when there’s no foundation.'”