Torneo Gran Alternativa (November 1996)

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]

Torneo Gran Alternativa (November 1996)
PromotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
DateNovember 15, 1996
CityMexico City, Mexico
VenueArena México
Event chronology
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CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa chronology
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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 modified 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.[6]

Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4
Máscara MágicaRey BucaneroOlímpicoMr. Niebla
Astro Rey Jr.AtlanticoKarloff Lagarde Jr.Jaguar
Principe FrankieAlacranOlimpusBrandon
Kung Fu Jr.Ultraman Jr.Corazón SalvajeLinx
Filoso (II)AmerícaMano Negro Jr.Últimatum

Tournament background
Gran Alternativa participants
Rookie Veteran Ref(s)
Astro Rey Jr.El Felino[6]
AtlanticoAtlantis[6]
JaguarLizmark Jr.[6]
Karloff Lagarde Jr.El Satánico[6]
Máscara MágicaDos Caras[6]
Mr. NieblaHéctor Garza[6]
OlímpicoRayo de Jalisco Jr.[6]
Rey BucaneroEmilio Charles Jr.[6]

Tournament brackets
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
Atlantico and Atlantis [6]
Héctor Garza and Mr. Niebla W
Héctor Garza and Mr. Niebla W
Máscara Mágica and Dos Caras [6]
Máscara Mágica and Dos Caras W
Olímpico and Rayo de Jalisco Jr. [6]
Héctor Garza and Mr. Niebla [6]
Rey Bucanero and Emilio Charles Jr. W
Astro Rey Jr. and El Felino [6]
Karloff Lagarde Jr. and El Satánico W
Karloff Lagarde Jr. and El Satánico [6]
Rey Bucanero and Emilio Charles Jr. W
Rey Bucanero and Emilio Charles Jr. W
Jaguar and Lizmark Jr. [6]

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.[7] The group later turned on Satánico to form Los Guerreros del Infierno (The Infernal Soldiers).[8] 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. [9] Over the years Rey Bucanero would hold a number of CMLL championships , including: CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship,ref name=CMLLLHeavy>"Lo Mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana duranted el 2006". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). December 23, 2006. Issue 192. Retrieved July 11, 2009.</ref> 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]

References
  1. Hornbaker, Tim (2016). "Statistical notes". Legends of Pro Wrestling - 150 years of headlocks, body slams, and piledrivers (Revised ed.). New York, New York: Sports Publishing. p. 550. ISBN 978-1-61321-808-2. 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. "CMLL Gran Alternativa #1". Pro Wrestling History. December 30, 1994. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  3. Flores, Manuel (July 18, 2008). "Histórico de ganadores del torneo: La Gran Alternativa". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Retrieved September 5, 2009.
  4. "Torneo de Gran Alternativa. Inigualable oportunidad para nuevos valores" [Great Alternative Tournament. Unique opportunity for new blood] (in Spanish). Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. May 31, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  5. "CMLL Gran Alternativa History". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  6. "CMLL Gran Alternativa #4". Pro Wrestling History. November 15, 1996. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  7. "Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre". Satánico (in Spanish). Portales, Mexico. November 2008. p. 55. 17.
  8. "Rey Bucanero: tradición y el honor". Super Luchas (in Spanish). November 3, 2004. Issue 82.
  9. Beltrán, William (August 3, 2010). "Según el Wrestling Observer... ¿Quiénes son los mejores los mejores de la década?". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  10. "2000 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 9, 2001. pp. 2–20. 2488.
  11. "2002: considerar detrás". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 19, 2003. 2593.
  12. "Número Especial – Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2004". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 24, 2005. 91.
  13. "SLAM! Wrestling International -- 2000: The Year-In-Review Mexico". Slam Wrestling!. Canoe.ca. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  14. "Road to Destruction" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro Wrestling. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  15. Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: EMLL CMLL Trios Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 396. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  16. Elías, Agustín (June 21, 2011). "Bucanero, nuevo monarca". Récord (in Spanish). Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  17. "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras" [Encyclopedia of Masks: Mr. Niebla]. Mr. Niebla (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. October 2007. p. 39. Tomo III.
  18. Islas, Alejandro (July 2, 2008). "Mr. Niebla". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). pp. 20–21. 286. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  19. "Número Especial – Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2003" [Special Edition – The best of Professional Wrestling in Mexico during 2003]. Súper Luchas (in Spanish). January 5, 2003. p. 8. 40.
  20. Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: EMLL CMLL Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 396. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  21. Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: EMLL CMLL Trios Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 396. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  22. "2002: considerar detrás" [2002: Looking back]. Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 19, 2003. p. 11. 2593.
  23. "Los Reyes de Mexico: La Historia de Los Campeonatos Nacionales" [The Kings of Mexico: The History of the National Championships]. Lucha 2000 (in Spanish). December 20, 2004. p. 19. Especial 21.
  24. "Resultados - Viernes 14 de Febrero '14" [Results - February 14 '14]. Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (in Spanish). February 15, 2014. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  25. Valdés, Apolo (March 3, 2012). "Mr. Niebla y Atlantis, pareja increíble" [Mr. Niebla and Atlantis, an incredible pair]. Medio Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved March 3, 2012.
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