Ever since John Cena's return to SmackDown has been announced, fans are speculating about who he'll encounter. Recent rivals like Grayson Waller and Austin Theory are on the blue brand, as is everyone's favorite, LA Knight. Old rivals like AJ Styles and Bobby Lashley have also been mentioned, but one name has flown under the radar: Carlito.
The 44-year-old was rumored to have re-signed with WWE after his roof-blowing hometown cameo at Backlash but hasn't been seen since. This isn't out of place with the company of late, with Eric Young having been signed and released without appearing on any programming over the past year, and The Authors of Pain also rumored to be under contract since 2022.
What if Triple H and his team were waiting for the right moment to reintroduce Carlito? What if the return of iconic rival Cena is just that moment? What if, given the huge babyface pop he received in Puerto Rico, he returns as a heroic version of his character?
How COOL was that? 😏#WWEBacklash pic.twitter.com/sys8KiacL9
— WWE (@WWE) May 8, 2023
Carlito saving John Cena from a heel attack and finally reconciling with his fierce rival after their epic 2004 feud would be a nice way to wrap up their story.
It would also be a great launchpad for a babyface run for the 44-year-old star, who had arguably the loudest pop of the year, which is no small feat given the betrayals, swerves, and hometown pops WWE has served up in 2023.
John Cena will team up with another old rival at WWE Superstar Spectacle in India
John Cena and Seth Rollins will team up to take on Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser on September 8 at the Superstar Spectacle. The Visionary is another star who seems to be on better terms with The Cenation Leader after a long history of feuds. The duo are overwhelming favorites to win the bout in India.
BREAKING: @JohnCena will team up with World Heavyweight Champion @WWERollins to battle Imperium’s @wwe_kaiser & @VinciWWE at #WWESuperstarSpectacle in Hyderabad on September 8th! @bookmyshow @SonySportsNetwk @WWE #WWELive #WWEIndia pic.twitter.com/ed2ZRkvH4o
— WWE India (@WWEIndia) August 27, 2023
It remains to be seen if The World Heavyweight Champion and 16-time World Champion will triumph as expected or if WWE will shock the fans by having Imperium win, possibly with an interruption from Gunther.