Torneo Gran Alternativa (2016)
Official poster for the April 5 CMLL show with theGran Alternativa finale.
Promotion	Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Date	March 22, 2016 – April 5, 2016[1][2]
City	Mexico City, Mexico
Venue	Arena México
Event chronology
← Previous Homenae a Dos Leyendas Next → Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles
Torneo Gran Alternativa chronology
← Previous 2014 Next → 2017

TheTorneo Gran Alternativa (2016) was aprofessional wrestling tournament event produced by the Mexican wrestling promotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLLl; Spanish "World Wrestling Council") that began on March 22, 2016 and ran over the course of three of CMLL's Tuesday night shows inArena México through April 5. TheTorneo Gran Alternativa (Great alternative tournament) concept sees aNovato or rookie team up with an experienced wrestler for atag team tournament. The rookie winner is often elevated up the ranks of CMLL as a result of winning the tournament, but there is no specific "prize" for winning the tournament beyond a symbolic trophy.

After not holding aGran Alternativa in 2015 CMLL brought the concept back in 2016, this time holding the first block of the tournament on their Tuesday show in Arena México as opposed to previous years where they held it on their Friday nightSuper Viernes shows. The 2016 tournament was the 21stGran Alternativa tournament that CMLL has held since its inception in 1994 and was won byEsfinge andVolador Jr. as they defeatedFujin andRey Escorpión in the finals.

Starting in 1994 the Mexicanprofessional wrestling promotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) created a special tournament concept where they would team up anovato, or rookie, with a veteran for a single-eliminationtag team tournament.^[3][4] The tournament was calledEl Torneo Gran Alternativa, or "The Great Alternative Tournament" and became a recurring event on the CMLL calendar. CMLL did not hold aGran Alternativa tournament in 1997 and 2000 held on each year from 2001 through 2014, opting not to hold a tournament in 2015. The 2016Gran Alternativa tournament will be the 21st overallGran Alternativa tournament. All tournaments have been held inArena México, CMLL's main venue and up until 2016 all tournaments had taken place on Friday nights, with the 2016 tournament being the first time theGran Alternativa was held as part of CMLL's Tuesday night shows.^[5]

The tournament features 15professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers teaming up, some of which may be involved in pre-existingscripted feuds orstorylines while others are simply paired up for the tournament. Wrestlers portray eithervillains (referred to asRudos in Mexico) orfan favorites (Técnicos in Mexico) as they compete in wrestling matches with pre-determined outcomes. The tournament format follows CMLL's traditional tournament formats, with two qualifying blocks of eight teams that compete on the first and second week of the tournament and a final match between the two block winners.^[1][2] The qualifying blocks were one-fall matches while the tournament finals will be a best two-out-of-three-falls tag team match. Each qualifying block started with all 8Novatos competing in a "seeding"battle royal to determine the brackets for the block.^[1]

Gran Alternativa participants

Block A of the 2016 tournament marked the first time Rocky Casas, El Cuatrero, Flyer, Fuji, Magia Blanca and Super Halcón Jr. has competed in aGran Alternativa tournament. The tournament also marked the CMLL debut of Rocky Casas and Arena México debut of Magia Blanca. Oro Jr. previously competed in both the2013 and2014;^[9][10][11] tournaments while Tritón was part of the2012 tournament,^[12] and also worked the2011 tournament under his previous identity of "Metal Blanco".^[13] For Block B the 2016 tournament marked the first time CMLL regulars Esfinge, Raijin, Sansón and Stigma competed in the tournament, with Raijin and Sansón making their CMLL debut in 2016. Warrior Steel and Yago had not worked regularly for CMLL prior to the tournament, but primarily worked for the CMLL-affiliatedLucha Elite promotion while Golden Magic had never worked a CMLL show prior to his entry in theGran Alternativa.^[14][15]Pegasso was the lone rookie to have competed before, having been part of the2010Gran Alternativa tournament, six years prior.^[16]

On the veteran side Último Guerrero had won the tournament twice, in1999 as anovato,^[4][17] and in2008 as a veteran.^[18] In 2008 Guerrero won the tournament with Rey Escorpión as the rookie, two years later Rey Escorpión teamed up withBoby Zavala to win the 2013 tournament.^[9] Rey Bucanero won thesecond 1996 tournament as a rookie and Atlantis won the2005 tournament as a vet.^[4][19][20] Block B veterans includedComandante Pierroth for the first time in his career, including previous stints in CMLL as "Poder Boricua" and "Poder Mexica". For the 2016 tournament veteran winner of the2012Gran Alternativa tournamentEl Terrible was teamed up with rookie Sansón.^[8]

Block A of the 2016Gran Alternativa tournament started out with all eightnovatos fighting in abattle royal where the order of eliminations helped determine the team match-ups for the first round. Magia Blanca and Oro Jr. outlasted Flyer, Rocky Casas, Super Halcón Jr.Fujin, El Cuatrero and Tritón which meant that those two teams would face off in the last first round tournament match, giving them longer to rest before having to wrestle again.^[7] Due to their early elimination Flyer and Rocky Casas had to compete in the first tournament match moments after the battle royal concluded. Atlantis and Flyer defeated Rocky and Negro Casas to advance to the second round. They would be joined by Fujin and Rey Escorpión, Tritón and Místico and finally Magia Blanca and Último Guerrero.^[1] In the second round Japanese wrestler Fujin and Mexican Rey Escorpión defeated Atlantis and Flyer, which thetecnico team of Tritón and Místico defeated therudos Magia Blanca and Último Guerrero.^[6] The final match of the March 22 show saw Fujin and Rey Escorpión defeat Tritón and Místico to qualify for the finals of theGran Alternativa tournament.^[7]

In Block B the rookies followed the same pattern of first competing in a seeding battle royal. For the match Yago came to the ring wearing a spiked mask that resembled that of his "veteran" partnerMephisto as well as the robes normally worn by Mephisto's teamLos Hijos del Infierno ("The Sons of the Inferno", Mephisto,Ephesto andLuciferno) as a sign of team unity.^[21] Golden Magic and Warrior Steel were the last two competitors, earning the rights to compete last in the tournament.^[2][21] Pegasso and Máscara Dorada defeated Sansón and El Terrible while Yago and Mephisto's unity and team work brought them the victory in the all-rudo match against Commandante Pierroth and Raijin. The teams of Esfinge and Volador Jr. and Golden Magic and Rush rounded out the last two teams to advance.^[8] In the second round, Yago and Mephisto continued to work well together, defeating Pegasso and Máscara Dorada to advance to the semi-finals. In the other quarter-final match Rush got himself intentionally disqualified when he pulled off Esfinge's mask in front of the referee. Afterwards, he showed little remorse over losing the match and little interest in his partner Golden Magic.^[2] In the semi-final, Mephisto pinned Volador Jr. but Esfinge ended up pinning therudo veteran to earn his team a spot in the finals of the tournament.^[2][8] In the tournament finals Esfinge and Volador Jr. defeated Fujin and Rey Escorpión in the main event of the April 5Arena México in a best two-out-of-three falls match to win the tournament. The victory marked the first time that both rookie Esfinge and veteran Volador Jr. won theGran Alternativa tournament.^[22]

March 22, 2015 CMLL Martes

March 29, 2016

April 5, 2016

• 2016 in professional wrestling
• CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa
• March 2016 in Mexico
• April 2016 in Mexico

• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
• CS1 German-language sources (de)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata