Major star to return at WWE Fastlane and join The LWO instead of Carlito? Exploring the possibility
The Latino World Order will need to have a replacement ready for WWE Fastlane 2023, when they battle Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits in a six-man tag match. Rey Mysterio indicated that both Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro won't be healthy enough to compete on Saturday following a beatdown from Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford on the most recent episode of SmackDown.
WWE Fastlane is scheduled to take place inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Plenty of wrestling fans are speculating about the possibility of Carlito being revealed as the surprise LWO replacement at Fastlane. According to PWInsider, WWE sources have informed them that the LWO injury angle on SmackDown was used to reintroduce Carlito.
While WWE hasn't confirmed or denied this, Carlito is rumored to already be signed with WWE and the company was strategically planning his return to maximize the impact. Fastlane may be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce Carlito to the masses after a successful one-off return at Backlash 2023, which received over 3.6 million views on YouTube.
There's also the possibility that Rey Mysterio called someone besides Carlito to fight alongside the LWO at Fastlane. But if not Carlito, who? When it comes to high-profile superstars associated with the Latino World Order, there may be none bigger than Bad Bunny. All signs are pointing to a Carlito comeback at Fastlane, but what if WWE goes with a much bigger name from the world of pop culture?
Did Rey Mysterio call up Bad Bunny for a match at WWE Fastlane 2023?
Who did Rey Mysterio call when he needed a replacement for Fastlane? That information currently isn't available to the public. Many are speculating that Carlito is the one whom Rey called for the six-man match this Saturday. But what if it's Bad Bunny?
Bad Bunny is a record-breaking artist both on tour and via streaming, setting the highest-grossing tour in a calendar year ($435.38 million) and having the biggest streaming day for a male artist on Spotify in 2023. Bad Bunny has been the most streamed musician for each year on Spotify since 2020, being the only Spanish-language singer/songwriter to pull off such a feat.
Bad Bunny's return to the ring would certainly generate a ton of media buzz for WWE. However, it'd arguably make more sense for Bunny's return to be announced beforehand, so that the company could maximize the publicity of featuring such a high-profile celebrity at their show. The announcement alone would generate a lot of free advertisement for the company, as a flood of media outlets would report on Bunny's future plans with WWE.
A shocking return at Fastlane wouldn't be Bad Bunny's first attempt at surprising the WWE Universe
While it might make more sense to advertise a Bad Bunny wrestling appearance weeks in advance, the Puerto Rican pop sensation has surprised WWE fans in the past with an unannounced return. At the 2022 Royal Rumble premium live event, the former 24/7 Champion made a surprise return in the men's Rumble match. Days before the event, reports indicated that Bunny would be making a one-off in-ring return at the Rumble. However, WWE never officially announced Bunny's return until he showed up to wrestle. Could that be the case for Fastlane as well?
For wrestling fans, it appears to make more sense to book Carlito for Fastlane rather than a celebrity attraction like Bad Bunny. This Saturday would arguably be the perfect time to reintroduce a major star who could be used in a full-time capacity on WWE's main roster. Still, the Latin pop star could be used to generate massive media publicity. Bunny returning at Fastlane would also be the outcome that many wrestling fans aren't predicting.
Carlito seems to be the most likely candidate who'll be fighting alongside the LWO at WWE Fastlane 2023. However, it isn't impossible for Bad Bunny to step back in the ring and shock the WWE Universe once again. Bunny last wrestled at Backlash 2023 in Puerto Rico, where he defeated The Judgment Day's Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight.
Bad Bunny was rumored to appear at WWE SummerSlam 2023
During an interview with Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Savio Vega indicated that there may have been internal talks within WWE about bringing in Bad Bunny for SummerSlam 2023. An earlier report from Sportskeeda also mentioned that WWE was hoping to feature Bunny at The Biggest Party of the Summer that year.
While the King of Latin Trap didn't make an appearance at SummerSlam in Ford Field, what's stopping him from showing up at Fastlane in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse?