Carlito surprised fans in early May when he returned to WWE at Backlash to help Bad Bunny and the LWO fend off Damian Priest and The Judgment Day, receiving one of the biggest pops of the night. Speculation has been abundant ever since about the former Intercontinental Champion’s status with WWE and whether he would do anything else with the company.
Wrestling Observer Radio recently confirmed that Carlito had re-signed with WWE earlier this year and even had a start date. However, WWE’s creative team has yet to figure out a plan for him, which is why he hasn’t returned yet.
Carlito isn’t the first talent to re-sign with WWE and have nothing to do. Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended) reported that WWE had apparently brought back the Authors of Pain in 2022, but nothing has happened with them yet. Eric Young had also re-joined the company, but plans for him to work in a stable with the late Bray Wyatt fell through.
Rey Mysterio leads and currently holds the United States Championship for the LWO, which remains intact on SmackDown with Santos Escobar, Zelina Vega, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde. The group’s size might be why Carlito hasn’t returned to join them yet, as there is only so much television time for everyone already.
Even if he is not with the LWO, Carlito can bring his veteran presence to either Raw or SmackDown, working the midcard as either a face or heel to help get younger talents over.
When will Carlito make a full-time return to WWE? The day it happens, it will be his first larger role with the company since 2010 when he was released for violating the WWE Wellness Program. Before that, the 44-year-old was a WWE Pro on the old version of NXT and was aligned with his brother, Primo.