Carly Colón

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Carlos (Carly) Colón, Jr.
Statistics
Ring name(s) Carlito
Carlito Caribbean Cool
Carly Colón
Carlos Colón, Jr.
Carlos Colóne
Carly Columbus
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Born February 21, 1979
Santurce, Puerto Rico
Resides Miami, Florida
Billed from The Caribbean
San Juan, Puerto Rico (more specifically)
Trained by Carlos Colón, Sr.,
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Debut 1999

Carlos "Carly" Colón, Jr. (born on February 21, 1979) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by the WWE ring name Carlito; while on his native Puerto Rico he's known as both Carly and Carlito. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling on its RAW brand and, occasionally, the World Wrestling Council where he is an 10 time WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion [1].

Contents

Career

World Wrestling Council (1999-Present)

The son of Puerto Rican legend Carlos Colón, Colón started out performing in Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council playing the role of an almost unbeatable face. He had a long feud against Ray Gonzalez which lasted until the departure of Gonzalez from WWC. During this feud they exchanged the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship belt numerous times. Originally his gimmick was that of defender of his father's legacy. When he signed a WWE developmental contract he went to wrestle at OVW as a heel. With this gimmick change from face to heel, he had disagreements (kayfabe) with his father and brother resulting in a feud aganist his brother Eddie Colón. As his popularity continued to rise, WWC's writers decided for a face angle which prevails until now. As of 2007, he continues to perform there on special occasions. On December 16, 2006, he went on to win the WWC Heavyweight Championship, at WWC's event Lockout where he defeated Jon Heidenreich to win the title. However Carlito was stripped of the belt the same night, because of contractual compromises with WWE, the title was given back to Heidenreich.

Ohio Valley Wrestling (2003-2004)

In June 2003, Carly Colón signed a developmental contract with WWE and was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), WWE's training territory on June 2. In OVW, he was briefly managed by Kenny Bolin. On December 15, Carly was placed in a special dark match before RAW where he teamed with Brent Dail to face Bart Gunn and Jim Steele.

During his time in OVW, Colón was still wrestling in WWC. In April 2004, WWE prevented a scheduled match between him and TNA's Abyss, which would have taken place in Puerto Rico.

World Wrestling Entertainment

2004-2005

On October 7, 2004, Colón made his debut on SmackDown! as Carlito Caribbean Cool and defeated John Cena to win the WWE United States Championship. With this he became one of only a few WWE wrestlers who have attained a championship on their debut in WWE. Colón was paired with fellow newcomer Aaron Aguilera (renamed Jesús in a bodyguard role) and thrust into a feud designed to explain Cena's absence during filming of WWE-produced movie The Marine. According to the storyline the duo perpetrated a knife assault on Cena in a nightclub.

Colón was the United States Champion for a little longer than a month, before suffering a separated shoulder and subsequently losing the title back to Cena. At Survivor Series 2004, Carlito represented Team Angle in a 8-man tag team match against Team Guerrero, but was chased from the arena by Cena before the match commenced, furthering the feud while not putting Colón in a position to suffer greater injury. While recuperating, Colón had a comical rivalry with SmackDown! general manager Theodore Long where he was made to do several demeaning jobs around the arena, such as selling hot dogs, shoveling snow in the parking lot, or mopping the floor, and in response created a petition to get Long fired from his job.

Using his WWE "Carlito Caribbean Cool" gimmick, Colón had become a much hated heel in WWC, especially after spitting in the face of his own father on the Llamado de la Sangre event in November 2004 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. However, his successful run at WWE has since made him a loved wrestler in Puerto Rico, getting him cheers.

On March 26, 2005, Carlito made his return to the ring (after a forced recess due to a shoulder injury) in a match against his brother in Caguas.

Carlito made a high profile appearance at WrestleMania 21, interrupting "Piper's Pit". After insulting and attempting to attack both Roddy Piper and his guest, Steve Austin, Carlito received a Stone Cold Stunner. These events resulted in Piper and Carlito facing off at the Friday Madness event in WWC. Piper won the match.

Carlito's appearance on Piper's Pit led to his own interview segment, Carlito's Cabana, starting in April 2005. Carlito went on to feud with The Big Show, after Show turned down an offer to be Carlito's new enforcer on the Cabana. This feud involved Carlito tricking Big Show into eating a poison apple, and Matt Morgan as Carlito's enforcer. Carlito defeated Big Show at Judgement Day 2005 with the help of Matt Morgan.

Carlito in mid-2005 as the WWE Intercontinental Champion
Carlito in mid-2005 as the WWE Intercontinental Champion

Carlito moved to RAW in the 2005 Draft Lottery, winning the Intercontinental Championship from Shelton Benjamin in his debut match on RAW, thus becoming the first wrestler to win championships in 2 separate debut matches in WWE.

Carlito would then enter a brand war against SmackDown!. In the beginning of this feud, Carlito announced the discontinuation of Carlito's Cabana. The following month at Survivor Series 2005, Carlito represented Team RAW in a 10-man Survivor Series tag team match against Team SmackDown!.

2006-2007

Near the end of 2005, Carlito set his sights on the WWE Championship, and entered the title race. After defeating Shelton Benjamin in a New Year's Revolution 2006 qualifying match, he was added to the Elimination Chamber main event match for the WWE title. At the pay-per-view, Carlito eliminated Shawn Michaels, Kane, and Chris Masters, and was left as one of the final two remaining, with John Cena. Earlier in the match-up Carlito turned on Chris Masters, with whom he had made an alliance earlier in the night. At the Royal Rumble, Carlito double-crossed Masters once again, this time by eliminating him.

Carlito appeared on a World Wrestling Council show in Carolina, Puerto Rico on March 15, 2006. He defeated Tyson Tomko in a singles match, and hosted Carlito's Cabana with special guests Carlos Colón, Sr. and Victor Jovica. At the end of the show Carlito surprised the crowd with a sudden face turn, defending his father and his brother when they were attacked by the heel stable led by Jovica and Rico Suave.

Despite their past problems, Carlito and Chris Masters began to team up, and entered the race for the World Tag Team Championship, which was then held by Kane and Big Show. At WrestleMania 22, Kane and Big Show defeated Carlito and Masters after Masters inadvertently hit Carlito in the back of the head. After the match, Carlito confronted Chris Masters. During the confrontation, Carlito received a face-like reaction from the crowd & he soon began dating Maria Kanellis on-air.

After holding a feud with his brother, Eddie Colón, Carlito reconciled with his family on the Camino a la Gloria event in April, 2006 in Carolina, Puerto Rico and became a face again, keeping his "cool" character. For the next few weeks Carlito would embarrass Chris Masters, including spitting in his face, attacking him from behind, and hitting him in the head with a steel chair. Their feud would culminate at Backlash 2006, where Carlito defeated Masters with help from the ropes. Despite Carlito’s heel-like antics, the crowd continued to cheer him, so Carlito turned face. However, he could also be considered a tweener, as he has attacked face wrestlers as well.

Carlito, Johnny Nitro, and Shelton Benjamin were then scheduled for a Triple Threat match at Vengeance 2006 for Benjamin's Intercontinental Championship. The match ended when Carlito reversed a neckbreaker attempt by Benjamin into a Backcracker, and Nitro pulled Carlito out of the ring and pinned Benjamin, giving Nitro the win and the Intercontinental title. Then Carlito and Trish Stratus entered a (kayfabe) relationship.

Carlito then entered into a feud with Randy Orton when Orton attacked Stratus during a backstage segment. They would face each other at the Unforgiven 2006 pay-per-view and on a later episode of RAW. Carlito would lose both matches. This feud ended with Carlito scoring a pinfall victory over Orton at WWE's annual event Tribute to the Troops.

Carlito at Tribute to the Troops
Carlito at Tribute to the Troops

In the final few months of 2006, Carlito would then get back in the race for the Intercontinental Championship with Jeff Hardy, Shelton Benjamin, and Johnny Nitro. At Cyber Sunday 2006, he was voted by the fans over Benjamin and Nitro to challenge Hardy for the title but lost the match.

Carlito's gimmick then had a small change as he has turned into a 'ladies man', first dating WWE Diva Trish Stratus and more recently, Torrie Wilson, who is his current kayfabe girlfriend and manager. This was confirmed on RAW as well as on WWE.com's WWE Fantasy as Carlito was featured in advertisements citing 'Score Like Carlito'.

In December Carlito and Chris Masters were been involved in a feud, including Jerry 'The King' Lawler. On the December 11 RAW, Masters approached the ring after Torrie's match and locked her in the Master Lock. She eventually broke the hold when both Carlito and Jerry Lawler ran in. At the December 16 WWC Event Lockout on Puerto Rico, Carlito defeated Jon Heidenreich, then the WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion, to become the new WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion for the 11th time. However, he was stripped of the belt almost immediately due to his contract with WWE. Carlito participated in the 2007 Royal Rumble, where he was eliminated by The Great Khali.

Soon after the Rumble, Carlito started an angle with Ric Flair, in which Flair berated Carlito for leaving a show early and not watching the main event. Flair went on to claim that Carlito had no heart and no passion and that he doesn't deserve his spot on the roster. The next week on Raw, Carlito challenged Flair to a match and lost, then teamed with Flair on the following Raw to defeat the team of Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. The next week him and Ric Flair were in a Money in the Bank qualifying match which ended in a 'no contest' when The Great Khali interfered, attacking them both. This resulted in the match becoming a triple threat match between Carlito, Ric Flair and Randy Orton, Orton came up with the upper hand in this contest. Carlito was then involved in a Last Chance 10-Man Battle Royal for a Edge's spot in the Money In The Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 23. Carlito was in the final three and he got eliminated by Ric Flair, Edge would win eventually.

Carlito has expressed dissatisfaction with WWE management in an interview for not having plans to book him to appear at WrestleMania 23 and at their methods for selecting performers to push, making reference to backstage politics [2].

However Carlito did participate in Wrestlemania 23 in a Dark match in which he teamed up with Ric Flair aganist Gregory Helms and Chavo Guerrero, Flair and Carlito picked up the victory after Carlito applied a Backcracker to Chavo Guerrero.

Finishing and signature moves

Championships and accomplishments

Personal life

Carlito is the son of Puerto Rican legend Carlos Colón, the brother of fellow professional wrestler Eddie Colón who was recently signed by WWE, and brother of Stacy Colón who has teamed up with Carlito in a few wrestling matches in the WWC. He is also cousins with Orlando Colón who is also a wrestler.

His decision to jump to the WWE when the opportunity arose was a controversial one among the local Puerto Rican wrestling community. Since his father Carlos Colón is a legendary wrestling promoter, many fans and insiders believed that it was only natural for Carlito to take the family business from his father one day, but when Carlito chose to go to the WWE, he was not only criticized by the locals, he was also labeled as someone who had "sold out" his Puerto Rican wrestling traditions over for the "flash and flair" of the WWE. Carlito spoke of this in an interview with the The Sun[3] in which he stated "I didn't care about what they thought. I've always dreamed of working for the WWE when I was young, and I took that chance when it came".

Carlito's theme music to promote the WWE Wreckless Intent album is, "Quien Soy Yo (Who I Am)" by Kaballon, but he does not use this entrance music. His actual entrance music is called Cool, which was featured on the WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6 CD of 2004.

Trivia

  • In an episode of RAW in Canada, Carlito claimed that he didn't have a Canadian background, which in real life he does. Carlito's mother Nancy, is a native of Toronto, and he is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.[4][5]
  • Carlito is left-handed.
  • In October 2006 he made a special guest apperence at the 2006 Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice awards presenting 'Best Actress'.

References

  1. ^  WWC Universal Heavyweight Title lineage.
  2. ^  Baines, Tim. "Carlito not cool about missing 'Mania", Slam! Sports, 31 March 2007.
  3. ^  Rothstein, Simon. "Not Cool in Puerto Rico", The Sun.
  4. ^  Baines, Tim. "Carlito's got Canadian blood ... now that's cool!", Slam! Sports, 9 July 2006.
  5. ^  Citizenship and Immigration for Canada.

External links

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