Forgotten WWE star to team up with a Grand Slam champion on SmackDown? Exploring the nature of vital move 

WWE stars have been making giant leaps and accomplishments in their careers. This week has also been a pivotal moment in the company's future as the official merger was signed and sealed. This week's edition of SmackDown will be the first time WWE will have another party involved in the decision-making, leaving the wrestling fraternity on the edge of their seats on what to expect.

At Backlash 2023, Carlito made his return after 13 years. Despite making multiple sporadic appearances then, his former employees seemed to have much more in store for the 44-year-old and reportedly signed him again. This happened sometime around July, however, it has been crickets from either party since then. Recent murmurs suggested that the company did not have any plans for Carlito in the aftermath of his signing.

He is supposed to be a part of the blue brand, and given the shake-up in administration and executives, Carlito's fate could be fruitful or the worst. They could book him for an appearance on SmackDown this week as a heel. This would garner more traction for the babyface, who did a tremendous job in his first WWE stint and actively engaged fans. The 4-time champion could also form an unlikely alliance with The Miz. The A-Lister is engaged in a feud with LA Knight, spilling over from their match at Payback 2023.

At the same time, Nick Khan allegedly notified WWE employees about upcoming layoffs. This was highly anticipated to come into immediate effect following the merger with Endeavor. Given the crucial timeline of events, this could be detrimental to Carlito's future in the Stamford-based company.

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Why did Carlito part ways with WWE in 2010?

Carlito's unique gimmick with an apple and mocking those who didn't want to be cool had a memorable run in his initial WWE tenure. He soon became an entertaining character in the roster. Later, his younger brother, Primo, joined him in WWE and the duo became tag team champions on two occasions.

Carlito signed with Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in 2003, which was the birthing place of many notable names in the industry today. A year later, he made his main roster debut on SmackDown, where he defeated John Cena for the United States Championship.

Everything seemed to be going well for the star until 2010 when he failed a Wellness Policy test and refused to go in for rehabilitation for the same. Four years later, Carlito's father, Carlos Colón Sr., was inducted into the Hall of Fame, so he and his brother were in attendance.

Given the nature of the turbulent yet monumental occasion for the company, only time will tell what is to come for the 44-year-old's wrestling future.