http://sports.ign.com/articles/695/695403p2.html
Caribbean Cool talks apples, characters, and Wrestlemania.
By Jon Robinson
March 13, 2006 - Wrestling person versus wrestling persona. "The best characters in wrestling are just the personality of the wrestler times one hundred," Carlito tells me as I quiz him about the difference. Funny thing is, throughout the conversation, Carlito seems to slip back and forth between the man who plays Caribbean Cool and the wrestling character he portrays on TV.
I ask him how many fans come up to him and butcher his accent and he laughs. He's the most imitated heel since Razor Ramon, but Carlito is quick to point out one big difference.
"I'm actually a real Latino."
Here's what else Carlito had to say as we talked apples, characters, and Wrestlemania.
IGN Sports: How sick are you of apples right about now?
Carlito: [laughs] Not really because I spit them, I don't really eat them. If I had to eat them all the time, I'd be pretty sick of them, but luckily I'm a spitter. IGN Sports: Growing up in a wrestling family, were you one of those kids in the ring before they could even walk?
Carlito: I've been following wrestling since I was a kid, but I didn't really step in the ring until I was 19. I never thought I'd be wrestling guys like Ric Flair, guys my father wrestled, all these years later. My father feuded with Flair for many years.
IGN Sports: Does Flair go easier on you because he saw you as a kid, or harder because of the rivalry with your dad?
Carlito: He knows I like it rough…and I give it back rough.
IGN Sports: You have one of the most brutal neckbreakers, a move where you stick your knees in the back of your opponents' neck then fall. Where did you learn how to do it?
Carlito: I had actually seen a few people do it before, but no one ever claimed it as their own. Nobody used it a lot, so I decided to take it and use it for myself. It's a great move, and I'm actually surprised people weren't using it all the time.
IGN Sports: Why don't you call your finisher Carlito's Way?
Carlito: I'm not sure if we can do that yet for legal reasons, but we're looking into it, that's for sure.
IGN Sports: Wrestlemania, you're wrestling for the tag team titles. Who are some of your favorite tag teams of all time?
Carlito: Wow, there are so many. The Road Warriors, The Rock 'N Roll Express. Those were always my two favorites as a kid.
IGN Sports: What can people expect out of you and Chris Masters?
Carlito: When you're in there with a big dummy like Chris Masters, you never know what is going to happen. I just pray that he does his job right. His role is to follow what Carlito says.
IGN Sports: Do you have a favorite Wrestlemania moment that still sticks out in your mind?
Carlito: The ladder match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels. It was the first time I had ever seen a match like that. At the time, it was probably the most exciting match I had ever seen. People like to compare me to Razor Ramon all the time, and I liked how he wrestled, but I don't see any comparison between the two of us beyond the accent. We're two different dudes.
IGN Sports: What's the style difference between wrestling in Puerto Rico where you started and the WWE?
Carlito: Different styles for different crowds. In Puerto Rico, they're more blood thirsty. They want to see you go out and kill each other. Here in WWE, they're into more actual wrestling.
IGN Sports: Do you think it's strange that you called for the Money in a Bank match but now you're not in it? Could we see you pull double duty at Wrestlemania and see you as a surprise replacement in the match?
Carlito: Hopefully I can still get into that match. I was robbed by Ric Flair. He's never beaten me fair and square.
IGN Sports: The last month or so, with the neckbreaker and the crazy flip move you pulled off against Rob Van Dam, it seems like you've finally gotten the green light to cut loose in the ring. Is it a matter of finally feeling comfortable in the WWE ring?
Carlito: I just like to surprise people. I haven't even come close to showing some of the things I can do, and that's why when I do something crazy like the flip, it surprises people, and I like that. Nobody thought I could do anything like that. I haven't even pulled out the best in my arsenal yet. I need to keep people guessing. There are a lot of moves I used to do back in Puerto Rico that I haven't showed people out here yet. People come up to me all the time and ask me when I'm going to go back to some of those moves, but I'm saving them. I'm bringing one or two out at a time, so just when you think you know everything Carlito can possibly do, I'll do one better.
IGN Sports: You've developed such a good character in the ring. How important is developing the psychology behind the character?
Carlito: It's very important. If you don't believe it, no one else is going to believe it. It has to be you. It has to be a part of you. When it comes down to it, though, the wrestler makes the character. You have to produce inside the ring too. Although some guys have gotten away with it, to be truly great, you have to be able to do both things.
IGN Sports: What other things go into building a memorable character?
Carlito: The biggest thing is to just be different and set yourself apart. What makes you stand out, that's what makes people remember you. I don't think there is anyone on Raw who looks like me or acts like me, and that's why I'm remembered.
IGN Sports: Is that a major advantage you had growing up in the business? You got to see what went into building a successful career in the business.
Carlito: I was able to see what wrestling is and understand it from a very young age. That's an advantage all second and third generation wrestlers have. It's not only about understanding inside the ring, but how things are run outside the ring as well.
IGN Sports: Since you're on the smaller side of the WWE scale, I wanted to ask you about size as it relates to championships. With Rey Mysterio winning the Rumble, does size still play a big factor in your ability to win the WWE title?
Carlito: I don't know, it's a tough one. I think right now, if you're that good, they give you a chance. If you look at Shawn Michaels, back in the day he was considered small, but he was just so good that they had to put the belt on him. I think it just comes down to how good the wrestler is. Anyone can do it. I think everyone who comes into the WWE aspires to be WWE champ, and that's definitely on my list. It's one of those things, I need to prove myself to get the belt. Prove that I'm good enough, and that's what I plan to do.
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