The Mexican professional wrestling promotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) has held a number of tournaments tag team or their "Trios" (three man teams) divisions over the years. Some of the tournaments were recurring, but have not been held in the last two to three years and others were one-off tournament held for a special event. Being professional wrestling tournaments, they are not won legitimately through competitive matches; instead they are won via predetermined outcomes to the matches that is generally kept secret from the general public.
Copa de Arena Mexico
CMLL held three tournaments under the name Copa de Arena Mexico, named after their main venue Arena Mexico, where all the tournaments also took place. The tournament was held in 1999, 2001 and 2002.
The first Copa de Arena Mexico tournament was a one night, four team single-elimination tournament was held on December 10, 1999 and was also called Torneo Siglo XXI ("21st Century Tournament"). The tournament was won by "Los Guerreros del Infierno" (El Satánico, Rey Bucanero and Último Guerrero), a team name that Bucanero and Guerrero would later use when they split from El Satánico to form their own faction. The winners were given a trophy but no other tangible award was given as a result of the victory. The tournament included four teams who all teamed on a regular basis both before and after the tournament.[1]
The second Copa de Arena Mexico tournament was once again a one night single-elimination tournament, this time with eight teams instead of four. The tournament was held on December 28, 2001 and was won by "Team Shocker" (Black Warrior, Shocker, and Apolo Dantés). The winners were given a trophy but no other tangible award was given as a result of the victory. Some of the teams in the tournament worked together on a regular basis, others were created for the tournament.[2]
The third and last Copa de Arena Mexico tournament was a one night eight team single-elimination tournament, held on July 5, 2002 and was won by "Team Tall" (Black Warrior, Lizmark Jr., and Rayo de Jalisco Jr.). The win made Black Warrior the only wrestler to win the tournament more than once. The winners were given a trophy but no other tangible award was given as a result of the victory. Some of the teams in the tournament worked together on a regular basis, others were created for the tournament. Team Giant only consisted of two members, Giant Silva and Mr. Niebla, due to the size of Giant Silva CMLL counted him as two wrestlers for this tournament and most of the matches he participated in.[3]
On October 26, 1993 Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) wrestler Oro died as a direct result of a match at Arena Coliseo. The following year, on September 25, 1994 CMLL held a tag team tournament in Arena Coliseo to commemorate the loss of the popular wrestler and honor his memory. The tournament winners were presented with a trophy by Oro II, the original Oro's brother who had taken the name out of respect. The tournament was an eight-team single elimination tournament won by Apolo Dantés and El Dandy.[4]
On October 26, 1993 Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) wrestler Oro died as a direct result of a match at Arena Coliseo. CMLL held Copa de Oro one year later in 1994 and followed it with a second Copa de Oro in 1995 on October 24. The tournament winners were presented with a trophy by Oro II, the original Oro's brother who had taken the name out of respect. The tournament was an eight-team single elimination tournament won by Chicago Express and Pierroth Jr.[5]
Wrestling is a family tradition in Lucha libre, with a large number of second or even third generation wrestlers following in the footsteps of their relatives.[6]Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) held a tag team tournament on September 1, 1995 to pay homage to the wrestling families by holding a tournament for second or third generation wrestlers. In a few cases the family relationship was not a blood relationship, but more of a storyline with the "Junior" wrestler either paying to use the name or being given the name by the "Senior". The winners got a trophy and no other tangible reward. The second generation concept led to CMLL creating the La Copa Junior tournament in early 1996.[7] The CMLL Second Generation Tag Team Tournament was won by the team of Apolo Dantés and Emilio Charles Jr.[8]
In 1995 Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) held a one-night single elimination Trios tournament dedicated to the memory of Salvador Lutteroth, the founder of CMLL. The tournament filled the entire Friday night CMLL Super Viernes show, preceding the 1996 Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth show becoming the unofficial forerunner for the event that is now known as Homenaje a Dos Leyendas ("Homage to two Legends") that CMLL holds every spring.[21] The tournament was won by the team of Bestia Salvaje, Emilio Charles Jr. and Sangre Chicana, who received a trophy, but no other obvious awards for winning the tournament.[21]
In 2009 Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) held a tag team tournament for wrestlers who work in CMLL's Guadalajara, Jalisco Arena Coliseo and its associated wrestling training school. The tournament was named after Guadalajara native and wrestling pioneer Tanque (Tank) Alfonso Dantés.[24] The teams were paired up specifically for the tournament and did not work together on a regular basis prior to it. The teams all competed in a round robin league format, earning points for victories (two) or draws (one).[25] The tournament started on February 15, 2009 and ran until April 12 of that year, spanning five shows in Arena Coliseo. During the tournament wrestler Boomerang had to be replaced with Meteoro for one match and Mr. Trueno replaced Rey Trueno after just one match. The team of Palacio Negro and Samurai won the tournament with four victories, 1 loss and a total of 8 points.[26]
Days after completing the 2013 Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles that concluded at the 2013 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, CMLL held a similar tournament in Arena Puebla, in Puebla, Puebla. The tournament consisted of two qualifying blocks that took place on March 18 and 25, with a final on April 1, 2013. The tournament is based on the Lucha Libre Parejas Increibles match type where two wrestlers of opposite allegiance, portraying either villains, referred to as "Rudos" in Lucha Libre wrestling terminology or fan favorites, or "Technicos".[28] At times some of the team members were part of a pre-existing scriptedfeuds or storylines with each other.[28] The tournament was won by Atlantis and Volador Jr. as they defeated Shocker and Rey Bucanero in the finals after the team failed to get along.[29]
^ abcdeRoyal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Copa de Arena Mexico". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^ abcdefghiBox y Lucha staff (January 13, 2002). "2001 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). pp. 10–25. 2540.
^ abcdefghi"2002: considerar detrás". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 19, 2003. 2593.
^ abcdefghRoyal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Copa de Oro 1994". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 398. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^ abcdefghRoyal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Copa de Oro 1995". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 398. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^ abcdMadigan, Dan (2007). "A family affair". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizare & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 128–132. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^"Apolo Dantés". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
^Madigan, Dan (2007). "Los Enmascarados (the masked men): Blue Demon Jr.". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizare& honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 90–93. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^"El Gigante Sabio / the Wise Giant". Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling. Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. 2005. pp. 125–131. ISBN968-6842-48-9.
^ ab"Los Brazo Familia Ejemplar / The Brazo a Model Family". Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling. Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. 2005. pp. 187–190. ISBN968-6842-48-9.
^"Luchas 2000". La Dinastia Wagner (in Spanish). Juárez, Mexico: Publicaciones citem, S.A. de C.V. pp. 1–35. Especial 23.
^"Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Gran Markus Jr. (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. August 2007. p. 47. Tomo II.
^"Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero". El Hijo del Santo (1963) (in Spanish). Mexico. 2008. p. 31. Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre.
^"Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre". Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (in Spanish). Portales, Mexico. November 2008. p. 48. 17.
^Madigan, Dan (2007). "Los Enmascarados (the masked men): El Solitario". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizare& honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 106–110. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^Madigan, Dan (2007). "A family affair". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 128–132. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^ abMadigan, Dan (2007). "Okay... what is Lucha Libre?". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 29–40. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^ abPortillo, David (April 2, 2013). "Campeones". Deportes (in Spanish). El Popular. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
^ abcdefgPortillo, David (March 19, 2013). "Triunfan Atlantis y Volador". Deportes (in Spanish). El Popular. p. 1, Sports Section. Retrieved March 24, 2013. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)