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WWE Friday Night SmackDown featured numerous major matches and moments. Roman Reigns attempted to lay out his competition, but ultimately found himself hit by the RKO. The Women's Tag Team Titles were successfully defended. Additionally, Butch reverted to his Pete Dunne persona.
One of the most intriguing bouts heading into last night was a six-man tag team match. The Latino World Order's Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Carlito united to battle Legado Del Fantasma's Santos Escobar, Angel, and Humberto.
While many expected the LWO to win thanks to having more experience together and Zelina Vega cheering them on from ringside, that didn't happen. The sneaky Legado del Fantasma picked up the win, thanks to Santos getting a cheap pinfall on Carlito.
The cheap victory has since led to a big match being announced. Carlito and Santos will clash on Friday Night SmackDown next week. This article will look at a handful of ways the bout could end. This includes the potential return of a Hall of Famer.
Below are four possible finishes for Carlito vs. Santos Escobar on WWE SmackDown.
#4. Carlito could win clean
Carlito is a veteran of the pro wrestling industry. He first joined WWE over 20 years ago. During his initial run with the promotion, Carlito managed to win the United States Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and two sets of tag team titles.
The "cool" superstar made his return to WWE last year. He first appeared at Backlash in Puerto Rico and then joined the company full-time as part of the Latino World Order. Carlito joining the stable full-time led to Santos Escobar exiting the faction.
Given the long career Carlito has had fused with his success on the big stage, a win for the former Intercontinental Champion certainly feels like a possibility. He could hit the Backstabber on Escobar and pin the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion in the center of the ring.
#3. Elektra Lopez could debut by helping Legado del Fantasma stand tall
Legado del Fantasma is back on WWE's main roster. The group first joined SmackDown over a year ago. At that time, Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Zelina Vega represented the faction.
Zelina was actually a replacement, however. The original female representative in the stable was Elektra Lopez. When the group joined WWE's main roster, Elektra remained down in NXT. She was recently in a team with Lola Vice, but the pair seemingly split up after a recent brawl.
There's a chance Elektra and Lola split because Lopez is on her way to the main roster. When Carlito and Santos clash on Friday Night SmackDown, Lopez could make her debut by costing Carlito the win. She can serve as a distraction, allowing Santos to get a pinfall victory.
#2. Rey Mysterio could return to WWE to help Carlito win
The Latino World Order was officially reformed last year. Rey Mysterio took the role of leader, while Legado del Fantasma's Santos Escobar, Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro joined him. Unfortunately, things went south later in 2023.
Santos showed a jealous side, both of Rey Mysterio's success and of Carlito being added to the group. This led to Escobar snapping and proceeding to injure the legendary Mysterio. Rey has been out recovering from surgery in the months since.
The WWE Hall of Famer could make his return on Friday Night SmackDown by getting a measure of revenge on The Emperor Of Lucha Libre. If Rey sneaks out and costs Santos the victory, Escobar will be furious. A sneaky 619 followed by Carlito hitting the Backstabber could be a great finish to the bout.
#1. The match could be stopped due to chaos
Things have certainly become heated between the Latino World Order and Legado del Fantasma in WWE. Stable warfare always erupts into chaos, and the stories of friends turned enemies in these various groups have certainly lived up to that reputation.
As a result, this upcoming match between Carlito and Santos Escobar may not have a conclusive finish. Instead, things could completely unravel, which could then lead to the referee calling for the bell and declaring the bout a no-contest.
This could be triggered by the other members of the stable interfering. Angel, Humberto, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, and even Zelina Vega may all get involved, which could be too much for a referee to handle. From there, the match would have to be thrown out.
