In 2009, Perez signed a contract with the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). She was assigned to their then-developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where she made her debut July that year under the ring name The Candy Girl, in a Divas handicap tag team match, where she teamed with Alicia Fox and Rosa Mendes to defeat Tiffany and Angela. Her name was changed to Liviana in October, and she became the manager of Sweet Papi Sanchez. She competed in an 8-Diva tournament to determine the inaugural FCW Divas Champion, but was eliminated by Naomi Night in the first round.

On the August 31, 2010 episode of NXT, it was announced that she would be part of the all-female third season of NXT as Maxine, with Alicia Fox as her mentor. On the September 7 episode of NXT, she competed in a "Dance Competition" and a "Capture the Flag" contest unsuccessfully, and also teamed with Fox in a loss to fellow rookie Diva Naomi and her mentor Kelly Kelly. On the September 21 episode of NXT, Maxine lost to AJ, and later that night failed to win the "Talk the Talk" challenge. On the October 5 episode of NXT, Maxine lost to Aksana, and unsuccessfully competed in a "Mechanical Bull Riding" contest and a "Talent Show" contest after Hornswoggle shoved a pie in her face. On October 12 episode of NXT, she unsuccessfully competed in a "Name that Tune" contest and a "Power of the Punch" contest. The next week on NXT, Maxine won her first singles match by defeating Kaitlyn, but unsuccessfully competed in the "Who's That Body" contest and the limbo contest, although host Matt Striker incorrectly declared Naomi the winner without her successfully completing the round Maxine failed. On the October 26 episode of NXT, Maxine lost a match to Naomi, but won a "Halloween Candy" contest. On the November 2 episode of NXT, Maxine lost a "Kissing" contest, and was later that night eliminated from competition. After her elimination, Maxine later made an appearance on the season finale on November 30, 2010, where she teamed with Alicia Fox and Aksana in a loss to AJ and The Bella Twins.

After a period of absence from WWE programming, Maxine began appearing on the fifth season of NXT, named NXT Redemption, returning on the August 16, 2011 episode and attacking AJ. She established herself as the on-screen girlfriend of Derrick Bateman, and the pair feuded with AJ and Titus O'Neil, which resulted in Maxine and Bateman losing to AJ and O'Neil in a mixed tag team match on the September 6 episode of NXT Redemption. While trying to sow discord between AJ and her on-screen boyfriend Hornswoggle, Maxine would trade victories with AJ in a series of matches from August to October. On the October 26 episode of NXT Redemption, Bateman proposed to Maxine in the storyline, which she would accept. On the November 2 episode of NXT Redemption, Bateman and Maxine became known as "Beta-Max", and they competed in a six-person mixed tag team match along with JTG in a loss to AJ, O'Neil and Percy Watson.

On June 28, 2012, it was reported that Perez had quit WWE. The next day, Perez confirmed that she had asked for and was granted her release from the company to pursue other options, but commented that she was not going to join another wrestling company. Perez later commented that "after sitting for a while, and the chance not really coming, [she] just decided to take it in [her] own hands and make a chance for [herself] which is what [she] did".

During her WWE career, Perez took acting lessons for three and a half years. In June 2013, Perez joined the talent agency MPC Models and began auditioning for acting roles. Perez received her first role in August 2013, when she was cast in the web series The Cell.

In September 2014, Perez announced that she had been cast in El Rey network's Lucha Underground. She made her first appearance with the promotion on the second episode of Lucha Underground on November 6, 2014, where she was introduced as Catrina, the on-screen girlfriend and valet of Mil Muertes. After the storyline with Mil Muertes came to an end, Catrina began managing Fénix on January 17, 2015. However, after Fénix defeated Mil Muertes, Catrina resurrected him, in the storyline. Catrina subsequently returned to managing Muertes and The Disciples of Death (Barrio Negro, Trece and El Sinestro de la Muerte), and helped them win the Lucha Underground Trios Championship from Ivelisse, Angélico and Son of Havoc at Ultima Lucha Part 1 on July 29.

Under her real name, Perez defeated Joey Ryan at a Beyond Wrestling event in Providence, Rhode Island on August 30, 2015.

In November 2015, Lucha Underground announced Catrina as the new proprietor of the company. During the season two premiere on January 27, 2016, Catrina managed Muertes during his Lucha Underground Championship match against Ivelisse. At Ultima Lucha Dos Part 3, Catrina cost Ivelisse her match against Taya and then delivering the Lick of Death to Ivelisse. On the first episode of Lucha Underground Season 3, Ivelisse challenged Catrina to her first ever match in Lucha Underground at Ultima Lucha Tres. It's revealed later on that Captain Vasquez is her mother. At Ultima Lucha Tres Catrina was defeated by Ivelisse.