Why did Carlito leave WWE in 2010 and where is he today?

One has to be cool whenever Carlito is around. Otherwise, expect to get spat on. Such a penchant is one of the reasons why the former WWE Superstar rose to fame during his stay with the promotion. However, just when he was about to be catapulted to being one of the company’s top stars, he was released from his contract in 2010.

WWE even released a statement at the time regarding the decision, much to the frustration of fans.

Years passed, and Carlito would reveal the reason behind him leaving WWE. The cool man from the Caribbean also brought to light the events that led to him being let go by the Stamford-based promotion.

Carlito's release

Per the aforementioned press release, Carlito was released from his WWE contract on May 21, 2010. This was due to a violation of the company's Wellness Policy and the former superstar’s defiance to be put inside a rehabilitation facility.

However, Carlito would reveal in an interview with Wrestling Shoot Interviews that he had been asking for his release from WWE as early as 2007 and did it three times over the course of his career. He further explained that he was underutilized at the time, adding that no one backstage would tell him why, which made him frustrated.

When he realized that the company wouldn't let him out of his contract, the former superstar decided that he might as well “have some fun with it.” According to him, he did things that would either attract the ire of the higher-ups or get himself booted out of WWE.

He admitted during the interview, though, that what he did back then was immature, adding that he would like to go back and do things differently.

On Shawn Michaels earning his respect and his indie exploits

When asked about WWE Legends Triple H and Shawn Michaels, Carlito revealed that the former was cool with him. As for Michaels, the former WWE Superstar stated that The Heartbreak Kid earned his respect since he was the only superstar at the time to tell him that he didn't like him.

A few years prior to this, he was asked if he would ever go back to WWE, to which he replied that he would, provided that they pay him the money that he deserves.

As of late, he has performed in various indie promotions and international tours. He is Imperio Lucha Libre’s reigning Imperio World Champion and the current Qatar Pro Wrestling’s Tag Team Champion alongside fellow former WWE Superstar Chris Masters.