Ranking All 24 WWE Debuts & Returns In 2023
12. Carlito
At this stage, ranking returns and debuts gets a bit
bunched, with several wrestlers being considered modest successes to slightly
varying degrees.
When Carlito made a surprise run-in during Backlash this spring, it was a legitimate freakout, feel-good moment for longtime fans. He ostensibly joined the LWO in helping Bad Bunny overcome Damian Priest and the rest of the Judgment Day in a San Juan street fight, then disappeared for several months.
Carlito returned in October at Fastlane to once again assist the LWO, but shortly after, tensions formed with Santos Escobar, leading to a fracturing of the group. With Rey Mysterio on the shelf with an injury, it will be interesting to see what kind of role Carlito will play.
The real test here will be whether fans will accept him as a
regular character again, or whether it will be proven that he should be
relegated to a guest spot, showing up periodically to get a pop, and then
disappearing for a while. For now though, Carlito deserves a ranking smack in
the middle.