Carlito explains the reason for his frustration with the WWE. The former U.S Champion recently returned to the promotion at this year’s Royal Rumble.
Carlito made his WWE debut back in 2004. He won the United States Championship from John Cena of all people and that too on his very first match in the promotion. He would later add a reign with the Intercontinental Championship and both the WWE and World Tag Team Titles to his accolades.
Also read: Stone Cold names the match that made him want to become a wrestler
Carlito was eventually let go off by the WWE in 2010 for violating their Wellness Program and refusing to attend a rehabilitation facility for a reported addiction to pain killers. In a recent conversation with Wrestling Inc. Carlito admitted that he was in a dark place back because he was constantly travelling and needed an escape from the WWE.
Carlito explains the reason for his frustration with the WWE
“The rigors of traveling all the time [took their toll] on my family life. It just felt like I needed an escape. I needed to get away, I needed a break from everything.
“Even when I wasn’t wrestling for WWE, I was wrestling for my father’s (WWE Hall of Famer Carlos Colón Sr) promotion [World Wrestling Council]. I was on the road all the time, from one airport to the next plane.
“It sounds great to everyone at first. But when you’re traveling all the time, you start to enjoy your time at home more. But, of course, I wasn’t enjoying my time at home, either. I was just in a dark place and needed to get away. I don’t know if I needed to get away for ten years, though.”
Carlito added that after parting ways with the WWE he finally had time to focus on himself and set some goals to set himself right.
“I finally had time to just sit and breathe, everything just slowed down for me, I was able to analyze everything, bide my time, and focus on myself. I didn’t have to be anywhere, which was great, I could also set some goals to set myself right.”
Carlito recently returned to the WWE at the Royal Rumble. He later appeared on RAW and helped Jeff Hardy end his feud with Elias. Since then however, he hasn’t been seen on WWE TV. When asked if he had been contacted by AEW yet, he said:
“While nobody from AEW has reached out, people from Impact Wrestling and NWA have reached out. There is a lot of interesting places to go right now. So, we’ll see what the future holds.”
Click here for more Wrestling News
