Torneo Gran Alternativa (November 1996) Explained

Torneo Gran Alternativa (November 1996)
Promotion:Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Date:November 15, 1996
Venue:Arena México
City:Mexico City, Mexico
Liveevent:Y
Lastevent:CMLL 63rd Anniversary Show
Nextevent:Juicio Final
Event:CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa
Lastevent2:June 1996
Nextevent2:1998

The Torneo Gran Alternativa (November 1999) (Spanish for "Great Alternative Tournament") was the a professional wrestling tournament held by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL; Spanish for "World Wrestling Council") in 1996. As it is a professional wrestling tournament, it is not won or lost competitively but instead by the decisions of the bookers of a wrestling promotion that is not publicized prior to the shows to maintain the illusion that professional wrestling is a competitive sport.[1]

In 1996 decided to host two Gran Alternativa tournaments, with the second one being held on November 15, 1996, in Mexico City, Mexico. Unlike any of the other Torneo Gran Alternativa tournaments before or after, this tournament featured a preliminary round of 20 rookies in a league style tournament to qualify for the actual tag team tournament. The rookies were divided into four groups of five, in a round-robin series of matches where the top two point earners would advance to the tournament. Qualifying for the tournament were Máscara Mágica, Rey Bucanero, Olímpico, Mr. Niebla, Astro Rey Jr., Atlantico, Karloff Lagarde Jr. and Jaguar. Emilio Charles Jr. and Rey Bucanero won the Torneo Gran Alternativa by defeating the teams of Lizmark Jr. and Jaguar, Satánico and Karloff Lagarde Jr. and Héctor Garza and Mr. Niebla. Rey Bucanero became one of CMLL's main players as he would become a key member of Los Guerreros del Infierno.

History

Starting in 1994 the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) created a special tournament concept where they would team up a novato, or rookie, with a veteran for a single-elimination tag team tournament with the purpose of increasing the profile of the rookie wrestler.[2] [3]

CMLL had used a similar concept in August 1994 where Novato Shocker teamed up with veterans Ringo Mendoza and Brazo de Plata to defeat novato Apolo Dantés and veterans Gran Markus Jr. and El Brazo in the finals of a six-man tag team tournament.[4] CMLL would later modify the concept to two-man tag teams instead, creating a tournament that would be known as El Torneo Gran Alternativa, or "The Great Alternative Tournament", which became a recurring event on the CMLL calendar. CMLL did not hold a Gran Alternativa tournament in 1997 and 2000 held on each year from 2001 through 2014, opting not to hold a tournament in 2015.[5]

Tournament

For the November 1996 version of the Gran Alternativa, CMLL used a two-stage tournament, unlike any previous or future tournament.[5] For the first round 20 rookies faced off against each other in four blocks of a round-robin series of matches where the top two point earners would advance to the tag team portion of the tournament.

width=25%Block 1width=25%Block 2width=25%Block 3width=25%Block 4
Máscara Mágica Rey Bucanero Olímpico Mr. Niebla
Astro Rey Jr. Atlantico Karloff Lagarde Jr. Jaguar
Principe Frankie Alacran Olimpus Brandon
Kung Fu Jr. Corazón Salvaje Linx
Filoso (II) Ameríca Mano Negro Jr. Últimatum

Tournament background

Gran Alternativa participants
RookieVeteran
Atlantico
Jaguar

Aftermath

The Gran Alternativa victory signaled the beginning of Rey Bucanero's rise up the ranks of CMLL. In 1999 he became part of El Satánico's reformed Los Infernales group alongside Último Guerrero.[6] The group later turned on Satánico to form Los Guerreros del Infierno (The Infernal Soldiers).[7] Bucanero and Guerrero worked as a regular tag team throughout the 2000s, leading to them being voted the "Best Tag Team of the Decade" by the readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.[8] Over the years Rey Bucanero would hold a number of CMLL championships, including: CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship,[9] CMLL World Tag Team Championship four times,[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] CMLL World Trios Championship,[15] and the NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship.[16]

The other rookie finalist, Mr. Niebla, would also advance up the ranks of CMLL. A year after the Gran Alternativa tournament he won the mask of Shocker in the main event of the CMLL 66th Anniversary Show.[17] He would go on to work for a number of other Mexican wrestling promotions as well, such as AAA and International Wrestling Revolution Group.[18] Over the years he would go on to hold various championships in CMLL: CMLL World Heavyweight Championship,[19] CMLL World Tag Team Championship,[20] CMLL World Trios Championship twice,[21] [22] Mexican National Trios Championship twice,[23] as well as winning the 2014 Gran Alternativa,[24] and the 2012 Torneo de Parejas Increibles.[25]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hornbaker, Tim . Legends of Pro Wrestling - 150 years of headlocks, body slams, and piledrivers . Sports Publishing . 978-1-61321-808-2 . New York, New York . Statistical notes . 550 . 2016 . Revised . Professional wrestling is a sport in which match finishes are predetermined. Thus, win–loss records are not indicative of a wrestler's genuine success based on their legitimate abilities - but on now much, or how little they were pushed by promoters.
  2. Web site: CMLL Gran Alternativa #1. December 30, 1994. September 3, 2009. Pro Wrestling History.
  3. Web site: Histórico de ganadores del torneo: La Gran Alternativa. Flores, Manuel. July 18, 2008. September 5, 2009. SuperLuchas. Spanish.
  4. Web site: Torneo de Gran Alternativa. Inigualable oportunidad para nuevos valores . Great Alternative Tournament. Unique opportunity for new blood . . Spanish . July 17, 2017 . May 31, 2017.
  5. Web site: CMLL Gran Alternativa History. April 27, 2016. Pro Wrestling History.
  6. News: Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre. Satánico. Portales, Mexico. 17. 55. November 2008. Spanish.
  7. News: Rey Bucanero: tradición y el honor . Super Luchas. Issue 82. November 3, 2004. Spanish.
  8. Web site: Según el Wrestling Observer... ¿Quiénes son los mejores los mejores de la década?. Beltrán. William. August 3, 2010. August 5, 2010. SuperLuchas. Spanish.
  9. News: Lo Mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana duranted el 2006. SuperLuchas. Issue 192. December 23, 2006. July 11, 2009. Spanish.
  10. News: 2000 Especial!. Box y Lucha Magazine. 2–20. 2488. January 9, 2001. Spanish.
  11. News: 2002: considerar detrás. Box y Lucha Magazine. 2593. January 19, 2003. Spanish.
  12. News: Número Especial – Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2004. SuperLuchas. 91. January 24, 2005. Spanish.
  13. Web site: SLAM! Wrestling International -- 2000: The Year-In-Review Mexico . https://archive.today/20160515095022/http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingInternational/mexico_timeline-can.html . usurped . May 15, 2016 . July 31, 2015 . Slam Wrestling! . Canoe.ca.
  14. Web site: Road to Destruction. September 14, 2013. New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Japanese.
  15. Book: Royal Duncan and Gary Will . Wrestling Title Histories . Archeus Communications . Mexico: EMLL CMLL Trios Title . 396 . 2000 . 0-9698161-5-4.
  16. Web site: Bucanero, nuevo monarca. Elías, Agustín. June 21, 2011. June 22, 2011. Récord. Spanish. April 4, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120404014319/http://www.record.com.mx/luchalibre/2011-06-21/bucanero-nuevo-monarca.
  17. News: Enciclopedia de las Mascaras. Mr. Niebla. Mexico City, Mexico. Tomo III. 39. October 2007. Spanish . Encyclopedia of Masks: Mr. Niebla.
  18. News: Islas, Alejandro. Mr. Niebla . . 286 . July 2, 2008 . July 18, 2009 . Spanish . 20–21.
  19. News: Número Especial – Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2003. . 40. January 5, 2003. Spanish . Special Edition – The best of Professional Wrestling in Mexico during 2003 . 8.
  20. Book: Royal Duncan and Gary Will. Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. Mexico: EMLL CMLL Tag Team Title. 396. 2000. 0-9698161-5-4.
  21. Book: Royal Duncan and Gary Will. Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. Mexico: EMLL CMLL Trios Title. 396. 2000. 0-9698161-5-4.
  22. News: 2002: considerar detrás. Box y Lucha Magazine. 11. 2593. January 19, 2003. Spanish . 2002: Looking back.
  23. News: Los Reyes de Mexico: La Historia de Los Campeonatos Nacionales. Lucha 2000. Especial 21. December 20, 2004. Spanish . The Kings of Mexico: The History of the National Championships . 19.
  24. Web site: Resultados - Viernes 14 de Febrero '14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131014173444/http://cmll.com/02_resultados/super_viernes/super_viernes_cmll.htm . October 14, 2013 . February 15, 2014 . February 15, 2014 . . Spanish . Results - February 14 '14 . dead .
  25. Web site: Mr. Niebla y Atlantis, pareja increíble. Valdés. Apolo. March 3, 2012. Medio Tiempo. March 3, 2012. Spanish . Mr. Niebla and Atlantis, an incredible pair.