Every WWE Release Of 2021 - Where Are They Now? (Five Years Later)

19. Katrina Cortez

Then: "Carolina" stood out as a strange one off when she teamed with Sin Cara vs. Andrade and Zelina Vega on the 4 November 2019 Raw. WWE didn't go with her as a full-time character, but she did work a few matches on lower tier programming like Main Event before heading to NXT.

By 2021, Katrina Cortez was experiencing some rough visa issues. Basically, a 30-day non-compete clause tacked onto her WWE termination in November that year meant she couldn't sign elsewhere and would likely have to leave the United States before she could. It was terrible news for Cortez personally.

Now: Katrina wasn't able to sort her visa thing out in time, which meant leaving the country. She was able to return for a few dates in CZW and for an independent group in Texas, but couldn't stay. So, in 2022, Cortez worked mainly on other independents in Mexico before signing with CMLL in 2023.

That's when things really took off for her.

Katrina voluntarily removed her mask and started wrestling without it. During that time period, she also fostered a hot rivalry with future WWE star Stephanie Vaquer. Both Chileans must've enjoyed the chance to work with one another and show what they could do internationally.

Sadly, Cortez went through some health problems in 2024, but she has been able to launch a return to the ring since then. As La Catalina, she even wrestled AEW's Mercedes Mone on a joint AEW-meets-CMLL-meets-NJPW card in June 2025. It seems things have improved mightily for Cortez since her WWE disappointment.