| CMLL 71st Anniversary show | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Poster for the event | |||
| Promotion | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | ||
| Date | September 17, 2004[1] | ||
| City | Mexico City, Mexico[1] | ||
| Venue | Arena México[1] | ||
| Attendance | 17,000[2] | ||
| Event chronology | |||
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| CMLL Anniversary Shows chronology | |||
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TheCMLL 71st Anniversary Show was aprofessional wrestling major show event produced byConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) that took place on September 17, 2004, inArena México,Mexico City, Mexico. The event commemorated the 71st anniversary of CMLL, the oldestprofessional wrestling promotion in the world.[3] The Anniversary show is CMLL's biggest show of the year, theirSuper Bowl event. The CMLL Anniversary Show series is the longest-running annual professional wrestling show, starting in 1934.
The show consisted of six matches, with the main event being aLucha de Apuestas, elimination match where all four competitors put their mask on the line. The competitors wereRayo de Jalisco Jr.,Dr. Wagner Jr.,Universo 2000 andCanek.[1] It also featured fourSix-man tag team matches, including aMini-Estrella match. The show also featuredCMLL World Light Heavyweight ChampionÚltimo Guerrero defending the title againstL.A. Park.
The MexicanLucha libre (professional wrestling)companyConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) started out under the nameEmpresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre ("Mexican Wrestling Company"; EMLL), founded bySalvador Lutteroth in 1933. Lutteroth, inspired by professional wrestling shows he had attended in Texas, decided to become a wrestling promoter and held his first show on September 21, 1933, marking what would be the beginning of organized professional wrestling in Mexico.[4] Lutteroth would later become known as "the father of Lucha Libre" .[5] A year later EMLL held theEMLL 1st Anniversary Show, starting the annual tradition of theConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Anniversary Shows that have been held each year ever since, most commonly in September.[6]
Over the years the anniversary show would become the biggest show of the year for CMLL, akin to theSuper Bowl for theNational Football League (NFL) orWWE'sWrestleMania event.[4][7] The first anniversary show was held inArena Modelo, which Lutteroth had bought after starting EMLL. In 1942–43 Lutteroth financed the construction ofArena Coliseo, which opened in April 1943. TheEMLL 10th Anniversary Show was the first of the anniversary shows to be held in Arena Coliseo.[6] In 1956 Lutteroth had Arena México built in the location of the original Arena Modelo, making Arena México the main venue of EMLL from that point on.[6] Starting with theEMLL 23rd Anniversary Show, all anniversary shows except for theEMLL 46th Anniversary Show have been held in the arena that would become known as "The Cathedral of Lucha Libre".[6] On occasion EMLL held more than one show labelled as their "Anniversary" show, such as two 33rd Anniversary Shows in 1966.[6] Over time the anniversary show series became the oldest, longest-running annual professional wrestling show. In comparison, WWE's WrestleMania is only the fourth oldest still promoted show (CMLL's Arena Coliseo Anniversary Show andArena México anniversary shows being second and third).[4][6][3] EMLL was supposed to hold theEMLL 52nd Anniversary Show on September 20, 1985, but Mexico City was hit by amagnitude 8.0earthquake. EMLL canceled the event both because of the general devastation but also over fears that Arena México might not be structurally sound after the earthquake.[6][8]
WhenJim Crockett Promotions was bought byTed Turner in 1988 EMLL became the oldest still active promotion in the world.[7] In 1991 EMLL was rebranded as "Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre" and thus held theCMLL 59th Anniversary Show, the first under the new name, on September 18, 1992.[6] Traditionally CMLL holds their major events on Friday Nights, replacing their regularly scheduledSuper Viernes show.[3]
The event featured sixprofessional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre-existingscripted feuds,plots andstorylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as eitherheels (referred to asrudos in Mexico, those that portray the "bad guys") orfaces (técnicos in Mexico, the "good guy" characters) as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[3]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mascarita Sagrada,Shockercito andTzuki defeatedEspectrito,Fire andPequeño Violencia - two falls to one | Six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team match | 18:00 |
| 2 | Místico,Misterioso II andVolador Jr. defeatedAverno,Mephisto andOlímpico - two falls to one | Six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team match | 11:19 |
| 3 | Atlantis,Blue Panther andMáscara Sagrada defeatedPierroth Jr.,Tarzan Boy andVampiro - two falls to one | Six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team match | 15:03 |
| 4 | Último Guerrero defeatedL.A. Park - two falls to one | Singles match for theCMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship | 15:55 |
| 5 | Los Perros del Mal (Perro Aguayo Jr.,El Terrible andHéctor Garza) defeatedEl Hijo del Santo,Negro Casas andShocker - two falls to one | Six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team match | 13:37 |
| 6 | Universo 2000 lost toCanek, also in the match:Dr. Wagner Jr. andRayo de Jalisco Jr. | Four-wayLucha de Apuesta mask vs. mask elimination match.[1] | 19:50 |
featuring clearly distinguished good guys and bad guys, or técnicos and rudos