WWE Rumors: New Report Explains Why Former US Champion Allegedly Didn’t Rejoin Company

Shortly before the time that WWE revived its brand split in 2016, rumors suggested that the company was interested in bringing back former United States Champion Carlito, though nothing ever came of those plans. In a new interview, Carlito’s cousin, Epico Colon, seemed to lend credence to these rumors, discussing why WWE didn’t end up bringing the former superstar back for another run despite their initial interest.

As translated and quoted by WrestlingNews.co, Epico recently spoke to Anthony Pineiro of Superluchas, recalling in the Spanish-language interview that the two had spoken to WWE chairman Vince McMahon, who was apparently enthusiastic about bringing Carlito back for the first time since he left the promotion in 2010. According to Epico, things took an unexpected turn about three months later, when an unidentified person “with power” within the company did something that wasn’t to his cousin’s liking.

As further alleged by Epico, Carlito was given an offer that would have paid him on a similar level as WWE’s developmental talent and was supposedly asked to “take it or leave it.”

“So Carlito said, ‘No. I don’t need the WWE, the WWE needs me.’ So we understand that there was something interfering between us and Vince because we have a great relationship with Vince.”

With things still up in the air at that point, Epico recalled that he and his tag teammate and cousin Primo — Carlito’s brother — spoke to WWE director of talent relations Mark Carrano, who claimed that McMahon had yet to approve the signing. While all three men later spoke to the WWE boss, who purportedly gave a literal thumbs-up to show that he was all for the move, it was several weeks later when Primo and Epico accepted the fact that “Carlito’s return to the company was no longer going to materialize.”

Although most of the return rumors surrounding Carlito swirled about four years ago, Epico was not quoted as giving a specific timeline for the events he discussed.

At 41 years old, Carlito — real name Carlos “Carly” Colon Jr. — is still young enough to return for a potential second stint working for McMahon. Although it’s unclear whether he is interested in the possibility of such a move, recent months have seen another mainstay of the “Ruthless Aggression” era rejoin WWE after close to a decade with other companies. Late last year, John Morrison signed a multi-year contract with WWE, eventually reuniting with former tag team partner The Miz and briefly holding the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.