Carlito Talks About The Response He Received After Returning To WWE

WWE star Carlito was surprised by the reaction the WWE universe gave him when he returned to the promotion at the Backlash premium live event last year.

The "WWE SmackDown" star recently spoke to "Metro" about his return to WWE in his home country of Puerto Rico, and how he appreciated the incredible ovation he got from his compatriots at the show. He added how he was grateful that fans still remembered him, despite being out of the spotlight for many years.

"I didn't expect the response that I got. But it just shows that they've been -– a lot of people have been waiting for me [back] in a WWE ring for the longest time. And, you know, I greatly appreciate that," said the former United States Champion. "And I was glad to see that people haven't forgotten me, especially, you know, after all these years of being basically out of the spotlight. I mean, I didn't really go anywhere besides Puerto Rico! So, you know, it just meant a lot to me that people still remember."

The Backlash premium live event also saw the surprise appearance of another famous Puerto Rican wrestler — Savio Vega, who also interfered in the San Juan Street Fight between Damian Priest and musician Bad Bunny.

The seeds for Carlito's return to WWE were sown a few years earlier when made his first appearance in WWE in over a decade in 2021 as a surprise entrant in the men's Royal Rumble. He wrestled on the "Raw" after the Rumble, where he teamed with Jeff Hardy to defeat Jaxson Ryker and Elias. Carlito then re-signed with WWE following his Backlash appearance in 2023, with his first match coming at Fastlane, teaming with Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar of the LWO to defeat The Street Profits and Bobby Lashley.