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Rumors are swirling again about the potential return of former Intercontinental Champion Carlito to WWE. The last time he appeared on television was at Backlash 2023, where the San Juan crowd erupted in excitement upon hearing his iconic theme song.
In a hometown hero moment, Carlito attacked Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor and entertained the crowd by recreating his famous apple act. However, it is worth noting that this is not the first time rumors have circulated about his potential return to the Stamford-based promotion.
In the past, there have been multiple instances when rumors of his comeback started, only to ultimately fall flat. So let's explore the real possibilities of his return to WWE.
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Royal Rumble 2021 was the first time the former Intercontinental Champion appeared in the company since his release on May 2010 due to a violation of the WWE Wellness Program. He was in great shape and lasted over eight minutes in the Royal Rumble match.
He also teamed with Jeff Hardy against Elias and Jaxson Ryker the next night on Raw, leading to speculation regarding a full-time return, but it never came to fruition. This is the first time when rumors of his full-time return fell as he started again competed in the Independent circuit.
As previously mentioned, Carlito made his second appearance at Backlash 2023, which created significant anticipation among fans for a potential full-time comeback. However, despite the excitement surrounding his cameo, he has not appeared on either RAW or SmackDown since then.
This is the second time the rumors of his fell flat.
Will Carlito make his return this time in WWE?
Now for the 3rd time, the rumors of his return started again. A new report has provided that the July 7 SmackDown taping at Madison Square Garden is targeted for the 44-year-old's return to the company.
The former Intercontinental Champion also fueled the rumors this time after facing Matt Cardona at the House of Glory show. He stated that "the rumors are true." However, an Independent Wrestling Promotion also canceled the appearance of Carlito by saying that he signed a contract with WWE.
So if the rumors are true this time, then on July 7 on WWE SmackDown, wrestling fans will again witness the return of the Caribbean Bad Apple at Madison Square Garden.
