Shortly after losing the US Championship to John Cena, Carlito suffered a legitimate injury. He stuck around on TV in a non-wrestling role during his recovery, but the nature of these appearances is something of an embarrassing blemish on his career. Ready for it? He became Teddy Long's manservant. Yes, the man who'd exploded onto the roster - spitting apple into the faces of SmackDown's most beloved superstars, defeating John Cena for the US Championship in his first televised match, and generally getting himself over as a future star - suddenly saw all his momentum sapped away, as he scrubbed floors and sold hotdogs for the GM. What did Carlito do in response? Did he take matters into his own hands and beat Long around the backstage area? Did he demand another US title shot upon recovering, determined to prove his worth? Nope, he did something much lamer instead: he started a petition. Unsurprisingly, his career never truly reached those early highs again.
