CMLL International Gran Prix (2007)

The CMLL International Gran Prix (2007) was a lucha libre, or professional wrestling, tournament produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL; "World Wrestling Council" in Spanish) which took place on May 11, 2007 in Arena México, Mexico City, Mexico, CMLL's main venue. The 2007 International Gran Prix was the tenth time CMLL has held an International Gran Prix tournament since 1994. All International Gran Prix tournaments have been a one-night tournament, always as part of CMLL's Friday night CMLL Super Viernes shows.

CMLL International Gran Prix (2007)
Alex Koslov, representing the international side
PromotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
DateMay 11, 2007[1]
CityMexico City, Mexico[1]
VenueArena Mexico[1]
Event chronology
← Previous
51. Aniversario de Arena México		 Next →
Leyenda de Plata
International Gran Prix chronology
← Previous
2006		 Next →
2008

The 16-man torneo cibernetico elimination match between team Mexico (Dr. Wagner Jr., Dos Caras Jr., Atlantis, Lizmark Jr., Último Guerrero, Olímpico, Rey Bucanero and El Sagrado) and Team "International wrestling", four of which worked for CMLL on a regular basis (Shigeo Okumura, Alex Koslov, Marco Corleone and Pierroth) and four wrestlers brought in from Japan specifically for the tournament (Minoru Suzuki, Jushin Thunder Liger, Hirooki Goto, Último Dragón). Pierroth was on "Team International" despite being born in Mexico as his "Ring persona" claims to be from Puerto Rico. The match came down to Último Guerrero and Jushin Thunder Liger as the final two participants and saw Guerrero win to become the first and so far only wrestler to win the Gran Prix back to back years and only the second wrestler to win the Gran Prix more than once.

Production

Background

In 1994 the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) organized their first ever International Gran Prix tournament. The first tournament followed the standard "single elimination" format and featured sixteen wrestlers in total, eight representing Mexico and eight "international" wrestlers. Some of these international wrestlers were already working for CMLL at the time, such as King Haku and Corazon de León while others came to Mexico specifically for the tournament such as Japanese wrestler Yamato.[2] In the end Mexican Rayo de Jalisco Jr. defeated King Haku in the finals to win the tournament.[2] In 1995 CMLL brought the tournament back, creating an annual tournament held every year from 1995 through 1998 and then again in 2002, 2003 and finally from 2005 through 2008.[2] The first five tournaments from 1994 through 1998 were all standard 16-man tournaments, but when CMLL brought the International Gran Prix tournament back in 2002 it was modified into a Torneo Cibernetico elimination match where an eight-man "Team Mexico" would face off against an eight-man "Team International" until only one team or wrestler survived.[2]

Rayo de Jalisco Jr. won both the inaugural tournament as well as the 1998 International Gran Prix tournament, making him one of only two wrestlers to win the tournament twice.[2] The other repeat winner was Último Guerrero, who won both the 2006 and 2007 International Gran Prixs.[2] Headhunter A (1995) and Steel (1997) were the only "Team International" wrestlers to win a tournament prior to the 2007 International Gran Prix tournament.[2]

Storylines

The CMLL Gran Prix show featured three professional wrestling matches scripted by CMLL with some wrestlers involved in scripted feuds. The wrestlers portray either heels (referred to as rudos in Mexico, those that play the part of the "bad guys") or faces (técnicos in Mexico, the "good guy" characters) as they perform.[3]

Tournament

Shocker was originally announced as part of "Team Mexico", but on the night of the show he was replaced by El Sagrado without any explanation from CMLL.[1] During the match Alex Koslov and Atlantis ended up eliminating each other as they both had their shoulders down during the pin.[1][4][5] The All Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Minoru Suzuki was eliminated from the match by disqualification as his cornerman Yoshihiro Takayama attacked Último Guerrero during the match.[1][4][5] In the final sequence of the match Jushin Thunder Liger almost overcame a four-on-one advantage as he eliminated Rey Bucanero, Dr. Wagner Jr. and El Sagrado, but fell to Último Guerrero in the end, giving Team Mexico the victory.[1][4][5] With his victory Guerrero became the second man to win the Gran Prix twice as well as the first to do it in back-to-back years.[1][4][5]

Tournament overview
# Eliminated By Team Time Ref(s).
1 Pierroth Olímpico Team International 12:56 [1][4][6]
2 Okumura Rey Bucanero Team International 18:25 [1][4][6]
3 Lizmark Jr. Minoru Suzuki Team Mexico 22:07 [1][4][6]
4 Olímpico Marco Corleone Team Mexico 22:14 [1][4][6]
5 Alex Koslov Atlantis Team International 23:12 [1][4][6]
5 Atlantis Alex Koslov Team Mexico 23:12 [1][4][6]
7 Hirooki Goto El Sagrado Team International 25:22 [1][4][6]
8 Rey Bucanero Jushin Thunder Liger Team Mexico 28:30 [1][4][6]
9 Minoru Suzuki Disqualified Team International 31:59 [1][4][6]
10 Último Dragón Dos Caras Jr. Team International 33:59 [1][4][6]
11 Dos Caras Jr. Marco Corleone Team Mexico 34:17 [1][4][6]
12 Dr. Wagner Jr. Jushin Thunder Liger Team Mexico 34:47 [1][4][6]
13 Marco Corleone Último Guerrero Team International 39:13 [1][4][6]
14 El Sagrado Jushin Thunder Liger Team Mexico 41:11 [1][4][6]
15 Jushin Thunder Liger Último Guerrero Team International 45:02 [1][4][6]
16 Último Guerrero (Winner) Team Mexico 45:02 [1][4][6]

Tournament show
No. Results[1][5][6][7] Stipulations Times
1 Los Nuevo Infernales (Euforia, Nosferatu, and Virus) defeated Brillante, Leono, and Stuka Jr. Six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team match 14:06
2 Black Warrior and La Triada del Terror (Averno and Mephisto) defeated La Dinastia Casas (El Felino, Heavy Metal, and Negro Casas) Six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team match 10:10
3 Último Guerrero defeated Alex Koslov, Atlantis, Dos Caras Jr., Dr. Wagner Jr., El Sagrado, Hirooki Goto, Jushin Thunder Liger, Lizmark Jr., Marco Corleone, Minoru Suzuki, Okumura, Olímpico, Pierroth, Rey Bucanero, and Último Dragón Gran Prix Torneo Cibernetico 16 Man Elimination Match 45:02[8]

References
  1. Ocampo, Ernesto (May 12, 2007). "Resultados Arena Mexico (11 Mayo 07)". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved August 30, 2009.
  2. "CMLL Gran Prix Tournament". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  3. Madigan, Dan (2007). ""Okay... what is Lucha Libre?"". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. New York, New York: HarperColins Publisher. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3. featuring clearly distinguished good guys and bad guys, or técnicos and rudos
  4. "Guerrero de Otro nievel". MedioTiempo (in Spanish). May 12, 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  5. Ascensio, Alfredo (May 12, 2007). "Último Guerrero si es de otro nievel". ESTO (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 14, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  6. "CMLL Super Viernes - Gran Prix 2007". CageMatch. May 11, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  7. "CMLL Súper Viernes - Gran Prix Internacional 2007". Wrestling Data. May 11, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  8. "Gran Prix Cibernetico 2007". ProWrestlingHistory.com. May 11, 2007. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
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