Lince Dorado has officially returned to WWE, surprising fans at Friday’s NXT live event in Citrus Springs, Florida.

The former Lucha House Party member and 205 Live star had been the subject of speculation in recent weeks, particularly after relinquishing his Lucha Premier Championship.

Known for his high-flying offensive move-set, Dorado had been getting “Lucha Lit” wrestling around the world since his WWE departure in 2021. Now, he’s back – with a dual role. In addition to competing for the developmental brand, Dorado has been hired as a coach for NXT at the Performance Center.

He wrote on Twitter that he’s back with “positive vibes only,” and is looking forward to teaching the next generation of high flyers. He also updated his Twitter bio to reflect his new role as coach.

It was a #luchalit night at #NXTCitrusSprings @WWENXT we are going to make the best of it this time around! Positive vibes only! Can’t wait to teach and get #luchalit this one is for the homies pic.twitter.com/aWgreJWRME

— “Lucha Lit” Lince Dorado (@LuchadorLD) January 18, 2025

Dorado’s return aligns with WWE’s continued emphasis on enhancing its developmental system. His deep experience in lucha libre and years with WWE make him a valuable asset in training the next generation of wrestlers, particularly those who specialize in high-flying styles.

Lince Dorado has officially returned to WWE, a move that had been speculated earlier this week after he stepped down as the Lucha Premier Champion.

On Friday night, Dorado made his return during an NXT house show in Citrus Springs. As of this writing, the terms of his contract remain undisclosed, and there is no confirmed date for his return to televised programming.

Lince Dorado began his wrestling career in 2007, competing in various independent promotions. He gained significant recognition in Chikara, where he emerged as a promising talent. Dorado’s mainstream breakthrough came in 2016 when he participated in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic Tournament. Following the tournament, he signed with WWE and joined the 205 Live roster, quickly becoming a fan favorite as part of the team Lucha House Party alongside Gran Metalik and Kalisto.

After his WWE release in 2021, Dorado returned to the independent wrestling scene. He wrestled internationally, appearing in promotions such as MLW (Major League Wrestling) and others, continuing to build his reputation as a dynamic performer.

#NXTCitrusSprings It’s a Lucha kind of night pic.twitter.com/Fb5EwiOz58

— Debbie @ Wrestling In 60 Seconds (@DebbieDeans8) January 18, 2025

Upon leaving WWE, many former Superstars have found success as part of Impact Wrestling.

Christian Cage, Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy would all do big things as part of the Nashville-based promotion, though they would all eventually return to WWE.

While many Superstars released in recent years have found success in Tony Khan’s All Elite Wrestling, Impact has proven to remain a viable alternative for wrestlers after WWE.

Metalik’s debut

At this week’s TV tapings, former WWE Superstar Gran Metalik made his debut for Impact Wrestling.

Metalik, who now works under the name Mascara Dorada, debuted in Dallas, Texas, and picked up the victory over fellow WWE alum Alex Zayne (formerly Ari Sterling.)

On Twitter, Metalik thanked Impact Wrestling for the opportunity, and shared a brief clip of his match with Zayne.

https://twitter.com/Mascaradorada24/status/1563380758152040449

Gran Metalik: A Retrospective

In April 2016, Dorado was announced as one of several wrestlers for the Cruiserweight Classic, which was ultimately won by TJP.

Defeating Alejandro Saez in the first round, Metalik eliminated Tajiri in the second round, and Akira Tozawa in the quarter-finals.

Metalik would pick up an upset victory over Zack Sabre. Jr in the semi-finals, before losing to TJP in the finals.

Later on, Metalik was put in a tag-team with Lince Dorado and Kalisto, known as the Lucha House Party.

In November 2020, Metalik would win his first and only championship, briefly holding the 24/7 Title before losing it moments later to Lince Dorado.

Metalik was released on November 4, 2021, alongside Dorado.

Lince Dorado On Why He Quit WWE: ‘They’re A Movie Company’

Many wrestlers speak out against the way the World Entertainment Series has handled business after the announcement of the cancellation of their debut event.

WES’ Debut Event Cancelled

On June 6, it was announced that World Entertainment Series was canceling its first event, which was scheduled for July 9. The wrestlers booked for this show have now spoken out about their experience working with the company.

The July 9 WES event had already been postponed from its original June 4 date. Prior to the event, performers such as CJ Perry (Lana), Lina Fanene (Nia Jax), and Matt Rehwoldt had pulled out of the event.

In their official statement regarding the cancellation of the event, Wrestling Entertainment Series claimed that they had no choice but to cancel the event due to several wrestlers “not showing up.” They addressed Fanene’s comments directly by saying that she was paid her deposit, changed her mind, and decided not to show up and wrestle.

Wrestlers Booked Respond

Performers who were originally booked for the event took to social media to respond to the statement.

Straight garbage to try and blame talent not showing up. I’m not a stooge but the truth will come out. Y’all are good at finding it.

— The Monster of all Monsters (@Adamscherr99) July 6, 2022

pic.twitter.com/HSvlz48b1Y

— Lina Fanene (@LinaFanene) July 6, 2022

I refuse to let anyone control my emotions. With that being said, I am available in the US/MEXICO/Canada/PR this weekend 7/8 – 7/11. If we worked together before let's make a deal. Stay #luchalithttps://t.co/mKD0pc4epq https://t.co/ilCkJSLVRM

— “Lucha Lit” Lince Dorado (@LuchadorLD) July 6, 2022

Instead of blaming the talent who took weeks off to come work for your NEW company under the impression you could be trusted… try refunding the fans & apologizing for your lack of organization. https://t.co/PDePCzITAF

— CHELSEA GREEN (@ImChelseaGreen) July 6, 2022

https://twitter.com/Walking_Weapon/status/1544800722759417863

Even though he won’t be wrestling, due to the cancellation of the event, Mojo Rawley will be doing a free meet and greet with fans who bought tickets to WES this Sunday. For more information on this and to see Mojo’s response, click here.

WWE let go a lot of stars for budgetary reasons last year. However, Lince Dorado was one of the few names who actually went ahead and asked for his release from the promotion. Per the former Lucha House Party member, he was very frustrated with the lack of collaboration in WWE’s storytelling. He couldn’t continue bringing the frustration home to his family, so he decided to quit the company.

The high flyer appeared on The Sessions with Renée Paquette. He discussed how he had a well-paying job with the promotion and it was difficult to quit. According to him, for somebody who loves pro wrestling, the job of showing up and doing what you were told was very easy. On the same time, it was very frustrating for someone who wanted to contribute more than that.

“Of course, it was difficult to say I quit, right? Because that’s ultimately what I did. I quit. I said, ‘this is not for me, because you’ll not fulfilling me creatively.’ The job was easy, Renee. The job is easy for somebody who loves pro wrestling, the job is easy, but [for] somebody who loves pro wrestling, the job is very frustrating.” said Lince Dorado, “Because WWE is not a wrestling company. They’re a movie company. Somebody who loves pro wrestling and understands that and wants to contribute, it’s frustrating.

I kept going home and bringing home back [that frustration], taking that frustration back on my family and being so secluded. Just not wanting to be around anybody. Even to the point of my kids, they know not to watch my matches. They don’t watch my matches [because] daddy loses. They’re just so numb to wrestling because of that feeling. It’s just frustrating. [With all that] I was like, ‘You know what? fuck that. I would never ever jeopardize my family’s integrity and mood because I feel like I’m not getting what I deserve or what we deserved.'”

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

• Former WWE Star Announced For GCW Debut

A lot of wrestlers work their whole life to get to WWE. However, Lince Dorado is one star who had that dream realised, but made the decision to leave it all behind. He was released from his contract in November last year.

The former WWE star recently had an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. He revealed that he had two years left on his contract when he asked for his release from the promotion.

Explaining the decision to leave the promotion, Dorado claimed that the WWE officials didn’t under the creative thought of being a luchador:

“They understood I was a luchador, but they didn’t understand the story or the motive or the creative thought that went into being a luchador. All they saw was, ‘This is just a guy in a mask that does incredible things.’”

Lince Dorado Didn’t Want To Be A Spanish WWE Star

Lince Dorado continued by saying that he didn’t want to be a Spanish WWE star. Instead he just wanted to be represented as a star with Spanish background:

“I didn’t want to be WWE’s Spanish star. I wanted to be represented as a WWE star who happened to have Latino culture and background. But they saw me only as a high-flyer.”

Dorado later claimed that he had great rapport with the likes of Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis but the problem was the disconnect between what they thought was lucha libre and what we know it is.

WWE Releases: Staggering Tally For 2021