Torneo Gran Alternativa (2007)

The Torneo Gran Alternativa (2007) (Spanish for "Great Alternative Tournament") was the very first CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa 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 June 29, 2007, 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 (2007)
La Sombra, the 2007 rookie winner of the Gran Alternativa
PromotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
DateJune 29, 2007
CityMexico City, Mexico
VenueArena México
Event chronology
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Pequeños Reyes del Aire
CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa chronology
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2008

The 2007 Gran Alternativa tournament was the 13th overall tournament held. Veteran Último Guerrero and rookie Euforia qualified for the finals by defeating Villaño V and Super Comando in the first round and Dos Caras Jr. and Valiente in the second round. 2004 winner Místico teamed with rookie La Sombra to defeat Marco Corleone and Flash in the first round, then Dr. Wagner Jr. and Máscara Purpura, before toppling Guerrero and Euforia in the finals, making Místico the first rookie winner to also win the Gran Alternativa as a veteran.[2][3] Soon after his tournament victory, La Sombra teamed with El Sagrado and Volador Jr. to win the Mexican National Trios Championship as well as holding one-half of the CMLL World Tag Team Championship with Volador Jr.

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.[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 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, but held on each year from 2001 through 2007.[7]

Tournament brackets
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
Stuka Jr. and Negro Casas [2]
Máscara Purpura and Dr. Wagner Jr. W
Máscara Purpura and Dr. Wagner Jr. [2]
La Sombra and Místico W
Super Nova and Heavy Metal [2]
La Sombra and Místico W
La Sombra and Místico W
Euforia and Último Guerrero [2][5]
Flash and Marco Corleone [2]
Valiente and Dos Caras Jr. W
Valiente and Dos Caras Jr. [2]
Euforia and Último Guerrero W
Euforia and Último Guerrero W
Super Comando and Villaño V [2]

Aftermath

La Sombra, teaming with El Sagrado and Volador Jr., would go on to win the Mexican National Trios Championship following his Gran Alternativa tournament win. He would later also hold the CMLL World Tag Team Championship team with Volador Jr.,[8] the CMLL World Trios Championship with Máscara Dorada and La Máscara, the NWA World Welterweight Championship and NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship once,[9][10] and then NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship twice.[11] In 2015 La Sombra lost his mask to Atlantis in the main event of the CMLL 82nd Anniversary Show,[12] after which he revealed that he had signed a contract with WWE, the largest wrestling promotion in the world.[13]

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 #13". Pro Wrestling History. June 29, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  3. Ocampo, Jorge (September 12, 2004). "Gran Alternativa 2007". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). issue 229.
  4. "CMLL Gran Alternativa #1". Pro Wrestling History. December 30, 1994. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  5. Flores, Manuel (July 18, 2008). Ocampo, Ernesto (ed.). "Histórico de ganadores del torneo: La Gran Alternativa". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV. 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. Arturo Rosas Plata (January 17, 2009). "La Sombra fue el héroe" [La Sombra was the hero]. Ovaciones (in Spanish). Mexico, D.F.: Editorial Ovaciones, S. A. de C.V. p. 21. Número 21470 Año LXII.
  9. "NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2013" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro Wrestling. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  10. Mexicool, Rey (January 20, 2013). "La Sombra... ¡nuevo Campeón Mundial Histórico NWA de Peso Medio!". Superluchas (in Spanish). Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  11. Ruiz Glez, Alex (March 14, 2011). "Arena México (resultados 13 de Marzo) ¡La Sombra nuevo campeón mundial histórico NWA de peso Welter!". Superluchas (in Spanish). Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  12. Ocampo, Ernesto (September 18, 2015). "CMLL: 82 Aniversario — Cobertura en vivo — Atlantis vs. Sombra máscara contra máscara — El adiós de Dark Angel". Superluchas (in Spanish). Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  13. Meltzer, Dave (November 19, 2015). "WWE announces signing of CMLL star La Sombra". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
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