Carlito is set to wrestle a former controversial WWE Superstar in his first match following his release from the company.
Carlito shared in early June that he was leaving WWE after the company chose not to renew his contract. Now that he’s a free agent, it was confirmed he’s set to return to the ring. He’ll compete at Big Time Wrestling’s event in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 25. He will face former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle in a singles match at the show.
The show will also include a special appearance by AEW legend Sting, who is on his “2025 or Never” tour. The Icon retired last year after nearly wrestling for 40 years. Even though he’s no longer competing, he’s still meeting fans through his farewell tour.
He had announced that 2025 will be the last time he wears his famous black and white face paint. Sting plans to appear at several events this year, and Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the stops.
Carlito explains how AEW forced WWE to evolve
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Carlito explained that the presence of AEW created healthy competition, which pushed WWE to treat its talent better.
“I don’t mean to knock on Vince [McMahon], but, you know, he seemed to have his certain things you have to do this way and the next day it changed, whatever, you know, certain rules, just stupidity. They liked people walking around on eggshells. Because it was the only game in town and they liked the boys knowing that, you know what I mean? I think now that with AEW being around too, it’s helped. They cant — they know they can’t bully because there’s other places for people to go. That’s added to it.”
However, he also credited Triple H for helping to clear out many of the outdated and toxic backstage practices. “But I think Hunter’s done a good job too of just cleaning all that crap out. Plus, it’s just a new generation, you just can’t get away with certain things you could before, you know what I mean? And I just like that a bunch of that BS is gone now. People just go there, show up, and do their work.”
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