Torneo Gran Alternativa (June 1996)

The Torneo Gran Alternativa (June 1996) (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 7, 1996, 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. The tournament would be the first of two Gran Alternativa tournaments that CMLL would hold in 1996, with a subsequent tournament held November. It was one of only two years where CMLL chose to how the tournament twice within a calendar year. 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 (June 1996)
PromotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
DateJune 7, 1996
CityMexico City, Mexico
VenueArena México
Event chronology
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40. Aniversario de Arena México		 Next →
International Gran Prix
CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa chronology
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November 1996

The veteran group consisted of Dos Caras, Bestia Salvaje, El Felino, El Hijo del Santo, El Brazo, Atlantis and Apolo Dantés while the rookie group included Bronco, Chicago Express, Astro Rey Jr., Olímpico, Olympus, Guerrero de la Muerte, Atlantico and Rey Bucanero. The final saw Bestia Salvaje and Chicago Express defeat Atlantis and Atlantico to win the tournament. The win did not signal anything major for Chicago Express as he remained in the low card matches while in CMLL.

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 brackets
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
Bronco and Dos Caras [6]
Bestia Salvaje and Chicago Express W
Chicago Express and Bestia Salvaje W
Olímpico and El Hijo del Santo [6]
Astro Rey Jr. and El Felino [6]
Olímpico and El Hijo del Santo W
Chicago Express and Bestia Salvaje W
Atlantico and Atlantis [6][3]
Olympus and El Brazo [6]
Guerrero de la Muerte and Rambo W
Guerrero de la Muerte and Rambo [6]
Atlantico and Atlantis W
Atlantico and Atlantis W
Rey Bucanero and Apolo Dantés [6]

Aftermath

The Gran Alternativa tournament victory marked the highlight of Chicago Express' tenure in CMLL, he remained in the mid-card and would lose his three Luchas de Apuestas between 1996 and 1999 when he retired.[7]

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). 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.
  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 #3". Pro Wrestling History. June 7, 1996. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  7. "CAGEMATCH >> Wrestlers Database >> Chicago Express >> Matches". CageMatch. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
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