The Torneo Gran Alternativa (1995) (Spanish for "Great Alternative Tournament") was the second annual

CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa The ''Torneo Gran Alternativa'' (Spanish for "the Great Alternative Tournament") is an annual '' lucha libre'' (professional wrestling) tournament held by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). The t ...

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 April 7, 1995, in Mexico City, Mexico at CMLL's main venue,

Arena México Arena México is an indoor arena in Mexico City, Mexico, located in the Colonia Doctores neighborhood in the Cuauhtémoc borough. The arena is primarily used for professional wrestling, or ''lucha libre'', shows promoted by Consejo Mundial de Luc ...

. The Gran Alternativa tournament features

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...

s 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 An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may oc ...

that professional wrestling is a competitive sport. The 1995 version of the tournament was held as part of CMLL's 39. Aniversario de Arena México show. The second 'Torneo Gran Alternativa featured several participants that were also part of the first tournament, Dr. Wagner Jr. and Pierroth Jr. once again participated as the veterans while Guerrero de la Muerte, Astro Rey Jr. and Shocker returned in the rookie section. Dr. Wagner Jr. and Astro Rey Jr. earned their passage to the finals by defeating

Mocho Cota Manuel Cota Soto (June 5, 1954 – December 22, 2016) was a Mexican ''luchador'', or professional wrestler best known under the ring name Mocho Cota. "Mocho" is Spanish for "mutilated", and Cota had lost two fingers. In his career, which began ...

and Guerrero de la Muerte in the first round and the brother team of

Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and '' Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that b ...

and Atlantico in the second. Silver King and Shocker qualified for the finals by defeating Pierroth Jr. and Chicago Express and the team of

Bestia Salvaje Juan Manuel Rodriguez Carillo (February 11, 1962 – March 20, 2008) was a Mexican luchador, best known by his ring name Bestia Salvaje, who competed in Mexican and international promotions during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably with Emili ...

and Corazón Salvaje. In the finals Silver King and Shocker overcame Dr. Wagner Jr. and Astro Rey Jr. to win the 1995 Torneo Gran Alternativa. Over the subsequent years Shocker became one of the main event wrestlers of CMLL, winning various singles and tag team titles.

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

tournament with the purpose of increasing the profile of the rookie wrestler. CMLL had used a similar concept in August 1994 where ''Novato'' Shocker teamed up with veterans

Ringo Mendoza Genaro Jacobo Contreras is a retired Mexican professional wrestler, or '' Luchador'' in Spanish, and is a professional wrestling trainer for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Contreras is best known under the ring name Ringo Mendoza, which he ...

and

Brazo de Plata José Luis Alvarado Nieves (March 19, 1963 – July 26, 2021) was a Mexican luchador best known under the ring name Brazo de Plata, a name he had used since his debut in 1977. He is also well known for his appearances in WWE as Super Porky. A ...

to defeat ''novato''

Apolo Dantés José Luis Amezcua Muñoz (born September 28, 1968) is a Mexican ''luchador'', or professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, best known by his ring name Apolo Dantés. He is the son of Alfonso Dantés, a successful and respected ''luchador' ...

and veterans Gran Markus Jr. and

El Brazo Juan Alvarado Nieves (July 30, 1961 – October 15, 2013) was a Mexican Luchador (professional wrestler). He was best known under the ring name El Brazo (Spanish for "the Arm"), which he used since his debut in 1980. Alvarado was part of the Alv ...

in the finals of a six-man tag team tournament. CMLL would later modify the concept to two-man

s 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, but resumed their schedule in 2016.

Tournament brackets

Aftermath

The 1995 ''Gran Alternativa'' victory was the beginning of a long and successful career for Shocker as he worked his way up the ranks of CMLL from 1995 to 2005. He would win the mask of Rey Bucanero in July 1999 but lose his own mask to Mr. Niebla later that same year. After losing his mask Shocker developed a self-absorbed pretty boy persona, dubbing himself "100% Guapo" ("1000% Hansome") as he founded a group known as Los Guapos with

Scorpio Jr. Rafael Núñez Juan (born October 11, 1966) is a Mexican ''Luchador'' or professional wrestler who is best known under his Ring name Scorpio Jr. Núñez is the son of professional wrestler "Scorpio", and was trained by his father and Rafael Sal ...

and

. Subsequently he worked for the Florida based

Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promoti ...

(TNA) and then for CMLL rival

Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply ...

. in 2006 he returned to CMLL where he has won the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship, CMLL World Tag Team Championship three times, the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship twice and the NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship.

References

{{CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa 1995 in professional wrestling 1995 in Mexico CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa April 1995 events in Mexico