Carlito’s surprise WWE return hopefully leads to a longer-term run

Carlito is a fan favorite that could serve as an important veteran on the WWE roster. 

WWE Backlash featured many memorable moments that fans and viewers will recap throughout the year. One such moment occurred during the San Juan Street fight between Bad Bunny and Damian Priest. Bunny needed as much backup as possible as Judgement Day made their presence known. Few expected the help to come in the form of San Juan native, Carlito. The fans erupted when his music hit and he cleared the ring. Carlito has popped up in WWE recently and perhaps this is the time to see him make a longer return to the company.

Carlito is a throwback fan favorite from decades ago. While he’s still active in professional wrestling, many will point toward his run in WWE during the early 2000s as the best point in his career. Nearly 20 years ago he was involved heavily in the WWE mid-card, winning the United States championship in 2004 and the Intercontinental Championship in 2005.

Some will argue that Carlito never reached the pinnacle of his talent in WWE, but that is a debate for another day. The reaction that Carlito received both at Backlash and during his surprise return during the Royal Rumble in 2021 shows that there’s fan interest in his return. WWE’s fan base skews older than other promotions, and many were watching when Carlito was having great matches against the likes of Shelton Benjamin, Rob Van Dam, Rey Mysterio, and many others.

At 44 years of age, Carlito looks to be in great physical shape and he certainly knows how to perform in the WWE character-driven style. Imagine if he returns as a part of the popular faction, Latino World Order, or even as a heel to face them. Carlito could even be used with a brief run in WWE NXT to help that group of young talent. There are so many ways that Carlito could come into play while giving the nostalgia pop that WWE seemingly can’t get enough of every year.

Carlito was one of the big surprises for WWE Backlash that no one saw coming. He played that role perfectly and WWE has hinted at a potential return in the past. Now is the time as Carlito could serve as a viable performer on the roster in many ways.