Since he left WWE in 2010, speculation has consistently surrounded a potential return for the former Intercontinental champion Carlito. Rumors surrounding the talent returning only grew prior to last year’s brand split but nothing ever came to fruition. Carlito discussed the possible return in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated:
“We’ve had talks. I haven’t spoken to them in a while, but it’s all about economics. For the right price, I’d love to come back, but it’s got to be something that works for them and something that works for me. The last time I was there was the Hall of Fame for my dad. That was a lot of fun. They know me and my personality, and know my comments were all in fun. I’m not the most political person out there, and I just stay true to me and they know that about me.”
Most have assumed that a return would lead to an on-screen reuniting with brother Primo and cousin Epico, the duo currently working as tag team ‘Shining Stars’. The pair have struggled at times but were seemingly repackaged this past Tuesday on SmackDown. “They’re extremely talented, but it’s all about finding the right avenue for them. There are a lot of guys there like that. There is a lot of talent there, and you need to find the right way to exploit it. I’m not a booking guy. I’m a wrestler. I get asked all the time about the promoting side,” Carlito said.
“I don’t worry too much about the promoting or the booking, I just like to go out there and wrestle. I wrestle, then I come back to the locker room, change, and I head to the next town.”
Nonetheless, Carlito continues to proudly represent his famed family heritage on the independent scence, “It’s a big name, but at the same time, I like to do my own thing, just at the same standard my father set. My main goal is to give the audience quality. The connection with the audience is the biggest part of what I do. A lot of these people haven’t seen me in years. I’ve been off TV since 2010, so to go out to these towns and have people cheer me and still know my character, it’s humbling. The main thing guys need to do is learn how to connect with an audience. If you do that, they won’t forget you.”
