Torneo Gran Alternativa (2003)

The Torneo Gran Alternativa (2003) (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 January 1, 2003, 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 (2003)
PromotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
DateJanuary 1, 2003
CityMexico City, Mexico
VenueArena México
Event chronology
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CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa chronology
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2004

The 2003 Gran Alternativa was held on January 1, 2003, and featured a Battle Royal between the eight rookies to determine the seeding for the tournament. Sangre Azteca won the battle royal, getting the number one seed for himself and Cien Caras. Order of elimination in the battle royal: #1 Marchall, #2 Loco Max, #3 Genético, #4 Ramstein, #5 Chris Stone, #6 Mr. Power and #7 Alan Stone. The final of the tournament saw Villaño IV and Alan Stone defeat Genético and Máscara Año 2000 in the final to win the tournament.[2][3] Alan Stone did not receive much of a "reward" after the tournament, he continued teaming with his brother Chris Stone until the brothers left CMLL for rival promotion AAA. In contrast the rookie "loser" of the final, Genético would be repackaged as "El Sagrado" in 2003 and given a push.

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 held on each year from 2001 through 2014, opting not to hold a tournament in 2015.[7]

Tournament background
Gran Alternativa participants
Rookie Veteran Ref(s)
GenéticoMáscara Año 2000[2]
Loco MaxJuventud Guerrera[2]
Mr. PowerMáscara Mágica[2]
MarshallGran Markus Jr.[2]
RamsteinScorpio Jr.[2]
Sangre AztecaCien Caras[2]
Alan StoneVillano IV[2]
Chris StoneVillano III[2]

Tournament brackets
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
Sangre Azteca and Cien Caras W
Marshall and Gran Markus Jr. [2][8][9]
Sangre Azteca and Cien Caras [2][8][9]
Alan Stone and Villaño IV W
Alan Stone and Villaño IV W
Loco Max and Juventud Guerrera [2][8][9]
Alan Stone and Villaño IV W
Genético and Máscara Año 2000 [2][8][9]
Mr. Power and Máscara Mágica [2][8][9]
Genético and Máscara Año 2000 W
Genético and Máscara Año 2000 W
Ramstein and Scorpio Jr. [2][8][9]
Ramstein and Scorpio Jr. W
Chris Stone and Villaño III [2][8][9]

Aftermath

Alan Stone would go on to win the Guapos U tournament to become a member of Los Guapos, but left CMLL by the end of 2004 to return to AAA and the Mexican independent circuit.

The Gran Alternativa loss did not hold back Genético, instead CMLL decided to repackage him, giving him the name "El Sagrado", a new outfit including a mask with a silver cross on it and a storyline that claimed that he was the protoge of Fray Tormenta.[10] He would later team up with Máximo and El Texano, Jr. to win the Mexican National Trios Championship, On April 24, 2007 the team lost the Mexican National Trios Championship to Los Perros del Mal (Damián 666, Halloween and Mr. Águila) when Texano, Jr. turned on his teammates and joined Los Perros del Mal.[11] On August 18, 2007 Sagrado became a double champion as he teamed up with Volador Jr. and La Sombra to defeat Los Perros del Mal for the Mexican National Trios Championship.

In 2015 Sagrado turned rudo and adopted a darker persona and ring gear, replacing the bright cross imagery with darker burning cross symbols on his mask and tights. He later began to team regularly with the newest version of Comandante Pierroth and Misterioso, Jr. to form a group called La Comando Caribeño ("The Caribbean Commando"), adopting a storyline allegiance to Puerto Rico. In early 2015 La Comando began a storyline rivalry with the team of Delta and Guerrero Maya, Jr. over the CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship. On February 28, 2015 Misterioso, Jr. and Sagrado defeated Delta and Guerrero Maya, Jr. to win the championship.[12]

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 #9". Pro Wrestling History. January 1, 2003. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  3. "Gran Alternativa: Vilaño IV y Alan Stome". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 12, 2003. issue 2592.
  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 Miercoles de Coliseo". CageMatch. January 1, 2002. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  9. "CMLL Martes de Coliseo - Torneo Gran Alternativa 2003". WrestlingData. January 1, 2002. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  10. Madigan, Dan (2007). "What's in a name". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 215–223. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
  11. Arturo Rosas Plata (April 26, 2007). "Los Perros del campeones!". Ovaciones (in Spanish). Mexico, D.F.: Editorial Ovaciones, S. A. de C.V. p. 21. Número 20843 Año LX.
  12. 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 March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
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