Carlos Cotto

After one appearance in an independent company in Puerto Rico where he worked as "El Pelotero", Cotto debuted in the International Wrestling Association in 2000. His ring name of "El Chicano" originated when German Figueroa compared his traits to that of a Chicano. Early in his career, he was part of a stable named "Lucha Libre 101", which was led by Eric Perez.

On June 11, 2005, Cotto defeated Shane Sewell and Ricky Banderas in a three-way, in the process winning the IWA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. With this victory, he became the first wrestler to win a championship in every division within the company.

During this timeframe, Cotto conversed with Moody Jack and decided to appear in the World Wrestling Council. This decision was based on economic necessity. Cotto informed Jumping Jeff Jeffrey of his intention of abandoning the IWA, who supported the choice and accompanied him to the promotion. They arrived as "La Rabia", after one week in WWC, Cotto decided to return to the IWA, citing that he felt uncomfortable with the promotion's work ethics and feel.

On January 6, 2009, Cotto was booked to defend the championship against Total Nonstop Action’s Legends Champion, Booker T, in a "champion vs. champion" contest.[1] The contest was part of an annual event titled "Histeria Boricua". The conclusion came when Cotto inverted a "Book End" attempt, scoring a pinfall victory.[1] On February 14, 2009, the promotion held a special event named "Noche de Campeónes". In this card, Cotto defended the Undiputed Championship against Samoa Joe.[2] During the final stages of the fight, Noel Rodríguez intervened, injuring the referee.[2] Both wrestlers continued performing, with Cotto scoring a pinfall victory after reverting a finisher and receiving the count from a substitute referee.[2]

Late 2009, Chicano and his partners "Los Fugitivos de la Calle" (El Niche, Lynx, El Cuervo) appeared on a television segment of WWC program "Las Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre" making an alliance with his old friend and former member of "Lucha Libre 101" Bryan Madness. Chicano and Bryan won the WWC Tag Team Champion in Euphoria 2010 by pinfall over Thunder & Lightning with the intervention of El Cuervo. Afterwards, the Fugitivos turned on Chicano who teamed with BJ and won the WWC World Tag Team Championship twice. He left the promotion in November 2010, to work with AAA in Mexico.

On November 7, 2010, Cotto debuted in AAA as a masked character known as "El Ilegal", being booked to win a six-man tag team match, alongside Damián 666 and Halloween by applying a new finishing move.[3] His entrance to the company was explained in a storyline, where he was brought in by Dorian Roldán Peña to join La Sociedad, a major faction trying to take over the promotion.[4] In his second match, he was teamed with Hernandez against Joe Líder and Nicho el Millonario, gaining the pinfall.[5] At Guerra de Titanes, both teams unsuccessfully challenged Los Maníacos for the AAA World Tag Team Championship in a ladder match.[6]

On March 5, 2011, Cotto returned to IWA in a live event alongside Abbad and the WWC Women's Champion La Morena.[7] The tag team was dissolved in the middle of a feud, due to an injury to his partner. Cotto continued to feud for the tag team championships, but once the opportunity took place, he was removed, in order to introduce Savio Vega's student, Diego de Jesús. He was subsequently fired as part of a storyline, returning masked under his El Illegal character. He continued wrestling unmasked in the independent circuit, even challenging for the Extreme Wrestling Organization's heavyweight title under his common character, in a contest that ended in a double disqualification. Cotto went on to pursue a feud with the Intercontinental and Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, Chris Angel. He was initially awarded the Intercontinental belt and Angel's undefeated record, but the result was revoked due to external interference from a second masked "Illegal" and an unclean pin. In a rematch, he won the Championship in a two on one contest, pinning Phillip Davian following an attack from a third masked wrestler. Zona 101 reunited on December 10, 2011, in Caribbean Wrestling Federation, an independent promotion based in the south region of Puerto Rico, where he teamed with one half of the CWF Tag Team Champions. The following week, the team was booked over Dennis Rivera and Noel Rodríguez. On December 17, 2011, Cotto won the EWO World Heavyweight Championship, only to be interrupted by IWA president Miguel Pérez.[8] This was in response to a previous confrontation between both, that occurred following a benefit card where Cotto wrestled and defeated Mesias. After defending the title at Tierra de Nadie 2012, Pérez once again reclaimed his contract. This was followed by confrontations in IWA's Histeria Boricua and Kaos & Odissey, which expanded to include EWO's CEO, Richard Rondón, as well. On February 25, 2012, following more intervention from the IWA, Cotto issued a challenge to end the conflict, an unification match for the EWO World Heavyweight Championship and IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship.[9] On March 1, 2012, the challenge was accepted by Pérez and Rondón in a backstage segment. At Clash of the Titans, Cotto lost the EWO World Championship, losing to a masked wrestler only known as "Bonecrusher", whom he had defeated to win this belt and had since gained the IWA Undisputed Heavyweight Champion.[10] In this match, a new angle was launched that involved him being involved in "friendly" confrontations with the other members of his stable, which was continued in the next event, Payback.

In April 2012, Cotto was involved in an angle in a small independent promotion, the Champion Wrestling Association, in which the CWA Tag Team Champions, a group known as "La Nueva Era", interrupted an homage being held to recognize his career, resulting in a faceoff in which he was joined by Carlos Cupeles. At the CWA's fourth anniversary event, he and Cupeles unsuccessfully challenged for the tag team titles. On May 26, 2012, Pérez made a face turn when Rondón insulted his father, which resulted in the entirety of Zona 101, led by Cotto, joining him and becoming part of Team IWA.[11]

He return to WWC early in 2013. At WWC 40 Aniversario, Chicano and Abbad won the WWC Tag Team Championship.[12] On October 25, 2014, at Aniversario 41, Chicano defeated Gilbert to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship.[13] However, he lost the title against Gilbert on November 8, 2014.[14] On December 6, 2014, Chicano regained the title. However, at Hora de la Verdad, on January 24, 2015, Chicano lost the title against Ricardo Rodriguez. However, Chicano regained the title on February 21, 2015 but he lost the title again seven days later against a member of La Revolución. On April 4, 2015, Chicano defeated Carly Colón to win the WWC Universal Championship. On August 2, 2015 after he lost the WWC Universal Championship, he get his left elbow injured, his return is uncertain.[15]