page_title: Torneo Gran Alternativa (2016)
section_title: Tournament background
hierarchical_section_title: Torneo Gran Alternativa (2016) / Tournament background
caption_attribution_description: Mephisto lucha en el Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, haciendo equipo con Averno, donde fueron los Campeones Mundiales en Parejas del CMLL.
context_page_description: The Torneo Gran Alternativa (2016) was a professional wrestling tournament event produced by the Mexican wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre that began on March 22, 2016 and ran over the course of three of CMLL's Tuesday night shows in Arena México through April 5. The Torneo Gran Alternativa concept sees a Novato or rookie team up with an experienced wrestler for a tag 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 a Gran 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 night Super Viernes shows. The 2016 tournament was the 21st Gran Alternativa tournament that CMLL has held since its inception in 1994 and was won by Esfinge and Volador Jr. as they defeated Fujin and Rey Escorpión in the finals.
context_section_description: The tournament features 15 professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers teaming up, some of which may be involved in pre-existing scripted feuds or storylines while others are simply paired up for the tournament. Wrestlers portray either villains (referred to as Rudos in Mexico) or fan 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. 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 8 Novatos competing in a "seeding" battle royal to determine the brackets for the block.
  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 a Gran 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 the 2013 and 2014; tournaments while Tritón was part of the 2012 tournament, and also worked the 2011 tournament under his previous identity of "Metal Blanco". 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-affiliated Lucha Elite promotion while Golden Magic had never worked a CMLL show prior to his entry in the Gran Alternativa. Pegasso was the lone rookie to have competed before, having been part of the 2010 Gran Alternativa tournament, six years prior.
  On the veteran side Último Guerrero had won the tournament twice, in 1999 as a novato, and in 2008 as a veteran. In 2008 Guerrero won the tournament with Rey Escorpión as the rookie, two years later Rey Escorpión teamed up with Boby Zavala to win the 2013 tournament. Rey Bucanero won the second 1996 tournament as a rookie and Atlantis won the 2005 tournament as a vet. Block B veterans included Comandante 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 the 2012 Gran Alternativa tournament El Terrible was teamed up with rookie Sansón.
caption: Mephisto, teamed with rookie Yago and was eliminated in the semi-finals.
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