Carlito On What Was Not Cool About His WWE Royal Rumble 2021 Appearance

It's not unusual for former WWE superstars to pop up in a Royal Rumble now and again, even when they're not working for the company in an official capacity. This year alone, fans saw the brief returns of Melina, Ivory, and Molly Holly. It was Christian who stole the headlines with his in-ring return in 2021, but he wasn't the only surprise to appear that night. After a decade away from WWE, Carlito joined the party as well, even mixing it up with the likes of Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura before ultimately making his exit. And while the night ultimately felt like a success, one crucial element was missing for the former United States champion.

"Originally I was supposed to do the Legends Night a couple of weeks before that," Carlito said during a virtual K&S WrestleFest signing. As it often happens in wrestling, plans changed, and WWE wanted him in the Rumble instead, which Carlito admittedly liked more anyway. The one drawback? This was pandemic-era WWE, which to a performer is an entirely different world. "It was great. What sucked was people not being there," he added.

Carlito entered eighth that year and was eventually eliminated by Elias. The following night on "Raw," in his first match on the show in 10 years, in teamed up with Jeff Hardy to defeat Elias and Jaxson Ryker. Despite the lack of an audience, though, he still enjoyed being back. "It would've been cool to be in front of a WWE crowd again, but it was pretty fun."