Torneo Gran Alternativa (2005)

The Torneo Gran Alternativa (2005) (Spanish for "Great Alternative Tournament") was a professional wrestling tournament held by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL; Spanish for "World Wrestling Council"). The tournament was held on July 1, 2005, in Mexico City, Mexico at CMLL's main venue, Arena México. The Gran Alternativa tournament features tag teams composed of a rookie, or novato, and a veteran wrestler for an elimination tournament. The idea is to feature the novato wrestlers higher on the card that they usually work and help elevate one or more up the ranks. CMLL made the Torneo Gran Alternativa an annual event in 1995, only skipping it four times between 1994 and 2017. since 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 (2005)
Rookie winner La Máscara prior to a match.
PromotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
DateJuly 1, 2005
CityMexico City, Mexico
VenueArena México
Event chronology
← Previous
Reyes del Aire
Next →
Leyenda de Azul
CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa chronology
← Previous
2004
Next →
2006

The 2005 Gran Alternativa tournament was held on July 1, 2005, and featured a Battle Royal between the eight rookies to determine the seeding for the tournament. Doctor X won the battle royal to earn the top seed for Universo 2000 and himself. Order of elimination in the battle royal: #1 El Texano Jr., #2 Nitro, #3 Apocalipsis, #4 Máximo, #5 Sangre Azteca, #6 La Máscara, #7 Misterioso Jr. The final match saw La Máscara and Atlantis defeat Dr. Wagner Jr. and Misterioso Jr.[2][3]

History

edit

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.[4][5]

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.[6] 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.[7]

[8][9]

Tournament background

edit
Gran Alternativa participants
Rookie Veteran Ref(s)
Apocalipsis Damián 666 [2]
Bronco Texano Jr. [2]
Doctor X Universo 2000 [2]
La Máscara Atlantis [2]
Máxmio Negro Casas [2]
Misterioso Jr. Dr. Wagner Jr. [2]
Nitro Pierroth Jr. [2]
Sangre Azteca Último Guerrero [2]

Tournament brackets

edit
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
El Texano Jr. and Bronco [2]
Doctor X and Universo 2000 W
Doctor X and Universo 2000 [2]
Misterioso Jr. and Dr. Wagner Jr. W
Nitro and Pierroth Jr. [2]
Misterioso Jr. and Dr. Wagner Jr. W
Misterioso Jr. and Dr. Wagner Jr. [2]
La Máscara and Atlantis W
La Máscara and Atlantis W
Apocalipsis and Damián 666 [2]
La Máscara and Atlantis W
Sangre Azteca and Último Guerrero [2]
Máxmio and Negro Casas [2]
Sangre Azteca and Último Guerrero W

Aftermath

edit

The Gran Alternativa win was one of the early signs of what La Máscara's career would develop into in CMLL. As part of his 17 year career in CMLL he won the mask of Averno in 2011,[10] but ended up losing his own mask to Dragon Lee in 2016.[11] He would also win several championships during his time in CMLL: The CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship,[12] CMLL World Tag Team Championship,[13] CMLL World Trios Championship three times,[14][15] Máscara Dorada and La Sombra (1)[16] Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship,[17] Mexican National Trios Championship,[18] Mexican National Welterweight Championship,[19] NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship (1 time)[20]

Misterioso II, later renamed Misteriosos Jr., would go on to win the 2006 Gran Alternativa with Perro Aguayo Jr. as his veteran tag team partner.[21] He continued to be a lower ranked member of the Los Perros del Mal group until they left CMLL in October 2008, with Misterioso Jr. opting to remain with CMLL.[22] In early 2009 Misterioso Jr. joined fa group called Poder Mexica alongside Sangre Azteca and Dragón Rojo, Jr. after Black Warrior left the group.[23] In 2013 Misterioso Jr. began to team regularly with the newest version of Comandante Pierroth and Sagrado to form a group called La Comando Caribeño ("The Caribbean Commando"). Misterioso Jr. and Sagrado won the CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship.[24]

References

edit
  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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "CMLL Gran Alternativa #11". Pro Wrestling History. July 1, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  3. ^ Ruiz, Jose (July 12, 2005). "Gran Alternativa 2005". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). issue 115.
  4. ^ "CMLL Gran Alternativa #1". Pro Wrestling History. December 30, 1994. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  5. ^ Flores, Manuel (July 18, 2008). "Histórico de ganadores del torneo: La Gran Alternativa". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Retrieved September 5, 2009.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "CMLL Gran Alternativa History". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  8. ^ "CMLL Super Viernes". CageMatch. July 1, 2005. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  9. ^ "CMLL Súper Viernes - Torneo Gran Alternativa 2005". WrestlingData. July 1, 2005. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  10. ^ Beltrán, William (June 17, 2011). "Cobertura: CMLL: El Juicio Final 2011 (17 de junio de 2011) – ¡Averno pierde la máscara! – ¡Renato Ruiz es Averno!". Super Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  11. ^ Ocampo, Ernesto (September 2, 2016). "Resultados CMLL 83 Aniversario: La Máscara vs. Dragon Lee, máscara contra máscara". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  12. ^ Salazar, Alexis (April 8, 2016). "Viernes 8 de Abril '16". Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (in Spanish). Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  13. ^ Salazar López, Alexis A. (October 19, 2013). "Resultados Arena México Viernees 18 de Octubre '13" (in Spanish). Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  14. ^ Ocampo, Ernesto (June 15, 2008). "Resultados Infierno en el Ring, En Vivo". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  15. ^ "De nuevo, monarcas". Ovaciones (in Spanish). Mexico, D.F.: Editorial Ovaciones, S. A. de C.V. January 21, 2009. p. 18. Número 21474 Año LXII. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  16. ^ Rivera, Manuel (May 21, 2010). "Resultados Arena México (21 mayo 2010): ¡Sombra, La Máscara y Máscara Dorada, nuevos campeones!". Super Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  17. ^ Ruiz Glez, Alex (October 6, 2010). "Arena México (resultados martes 5 de octubre) La Máscara nuevo campeón nacional semicompleto". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  18. ^ Salazar López, Alexis A. (July 1, 2013). "Resultadoes Arena Coliseo Domingo 30 de Junio '13" (in Spanish). Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  19. ^ "2005 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 3, 2006. 140.
  20. ^ Huerta, Diego (November 22, 2011). "La Máscara recuperó el cetro Peso Medio". Récord (in Spanish). Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  21. ^ "CMLL Gran Alternativa #12". Pro Wrestling History. June 2, 2006. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  22. ^ "Perros del Mal". Super Luchas (in Spanish). December 14, 2008. p. 12. issue 292.
  23. ^ Jose Migue (March 21, 2009). "Resultados: Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2009 – El Villano V es Raymundo Díaz Mendoza, con 32 años de luchador, 46 de edad – Toscano con tobillo fracturado – Negro Casas nuevo campeón". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  24. ^ Salazar Lopez, Alexis A. (February 28, 2015). "Resultados Arena Coliseo Sabados 20 de Febrero '15" (in Spanish). Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.