Torneo Gran Alternativa (2003)
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| Torneo Gran Alternativa (2003) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Promotion | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | ||
| Date | January 1, 2003 | ||
| City | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
| Venue | Arena México | ||
| Event chronology | |||
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| CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa chronology | |||
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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]
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.
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 modify 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