This series might not get many editions since the next CMLL International Gran Prix is September 1st. I felt like highlighting some old Lucha Libre and after the historic Mask vs Mask match at Triplemania featuring Dr. Wagner Jr. I also wanted to see some of his older work.

So, what’s Torneo Cibernetico? Well, this team variation is basically like Survivor Series. 8 Men on team Mexico will take on 8 men from around the globe. Sometimes Japanese, Sometimes TNA, recently NJPW/RoH. They also have some non native CMLL talents like Marco Corleone or Johnny Idol who will fill the ranks of team international.

The match is Lucha Libre tag, since so many people are in the match they normally stay standing at ringside. When one man from any team leaves the ring, someone from his same team can come in. No tags are made, instead you just leave the ring. Once pinned or submitted that person leaves until only one man/team is standing.

Team International/TNA(2008)

Alex Koslov - a great talent who got his start in CMLL from 2006-2008, he recently retired from wrestling in 2015 after having a pretty good run in NJPW’s Junior division.



Sonjay Dutt - At the time Sonjay was feuding on again off again with Lethal in the X Division. He briefly left TNA, but is now back with them and is currently their X Division Champion.

A.J. Styles - You probably know AJ Styles. At this time in his career he had been NWA Heavyweight Champion 3 times, Inaugural X Division Champion and held the belt 5 times more between 2002-2006, though had not captured the TNA Heavyweight title or the TV/Legends Title which was created in 2008.

Jay Lethal - Lethal had been in RoH before in 2006 he jumped to TNA to chase the X Division title. 2008 was at the tail end of his Black Machismo period where his gimmick was basically Macho Man.



Marco Corleone - Mark Jindrak from the states, in 2006 he made his debut in CMLL and worked there for a while before leaving for AAA for a few years before coming back to CMLL. He is the only person from 2008′s Team International to also be on 2017′s team.

Chris Sabin - Another TNA X Division champion, Sabin had held it 4 times by 2008 and is one of TNA’s most decorated talents, later in his career winning the TNA Heavyweight Title.



Alex Shelley - Tag team partner with Sabin together known as Motorcity Machine Guns. Alex was just on the cusp of breaking out in 2009 he would become TNA X Division Champion for the only time and IWGP Jr Tag Champs with Sabin.



Johnny Devine - Probably the most forgotten name on this list. Devine only had one title in his TNA tenure, the X Division Champion which he held a brief 20 days earlier in the year before dropping it to Lethal.



Team Mexico/CMLL(2008)

Averno - In 2001 El Satanico used his powers of evil to turn tecnico Rencor Latino into Averno. Satanico used Averno as a minion to help him fight Rey Bucanero and Ultimo Guerrero who had turned on him. Averno was tag champion earlier in the year having beat Ultimo/Atlantis, though he lost it pretty quickly to Mistico/Garza. So Averno wasn’t exactly buddies with those two. Later in the year Averno would become double middleweight champion and was pretty big in CMLL Kayfabe at the time.



Hector Garza - Was current tag champions with Mistico and the two were very well liked by the crowds of Mexico. Hector Garza was a very popular wrestler who sadly passed away at the young age of 43 of Lung Cancer in 2013. He was Mexican National Heavyweight Championship and so beloved that the belt was retired rather than striped from him, as per the boxing/lucha libre commission of Mexico’s orders… who are the ones who control the Mexican National titles.

Ultimo Guerrero - Ultimo Guerrero was still teaming with a rudo Atlantis. The two being for the most part the strongest rudo faction in CMLL for a few years as Los Guerreros de la Atlantida. Ultimo Guerrero was the hottest guy on the team this year. He had been the winner and sole survivor of the 2006/2007 edition of this event and his team won the TNA X World Cup, with Volador Jr. being the won that won the event for Team Mexico.

Shocker - Shocker returned to CMLL in 2007 after leaving the company for a few years to work in TNA/AAA. He came back in 2007 to some fanfare, but CMLL were never as hot on him again his biggest days in the company being in the early 2000′s he still works in CMLL, but is not on Team Mexico this year.

Dr. Wagner Jr. - The reason I wanted to look at this particular Gran Prix. Wagner Jr. was no stranger to Gran Prix matches. In fact in 2003 he won for Team Mexico over Team Japan. Beating the last man on Team Japan, Ultimo Dragon with his patented Wagner Driver.

Dos Caras Jr.(Alberto Patron/Del Rio) - Alberto Del Rio got his start in AAA, went to Japan for a few years in until 2005 when he would join CMLL. He was then signed by WWE 2009, went to FCW and debuted as Alberto Del Rio.

Rey Bucanero - Most famously tag team champions with Ultimo Guerrero for the most combined days ever at this point, still hold that record, but current champs Negro Casas and Shocker are only 20 or so days away. Rey Bucanero won Leyenda de Azul… a yearly CMLL secondary tournament.

Volador Jr. - Was a young masked kid having debutted in 2001, but having not done much those first few years. He was Mexican National Trios Champion, but those belts aren’t as prestigious as the CMLL belts. He won TNA’s World Cup for team Mexico, which was one of the first big wins for the upcoming talent. He would of course later be in the monumental 80th CMLL match vs La Sombra years after this.

I’m not going to say what they are all wearing because the video does a good job of telling you peoples names as they are eliminated in text. Really nice formatting CMLL in 2008!

How’s the match?

Great! Genuinely great, I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t have some fun with this match. It’s a great look back at wrestling about a decade ago. Starring many talents who only grew greater as the years passed. Really, only Johnny Devine disappeared from the wrestling scene, and I suppose Kozlov who seems retired at the time of this writing. While guys like AJ Styles would be a defining wrestler of the next decade. As were guys like Ultimo and Volador Jr.

This might be one of the best performances and most high profile for Sabin and Shelley who really take it to Dr. Wagner Jr. on a big CMLL show. They were great in the later half of this match. It’s also nice to see a young AJ Styles the Styles Clash he delivers in this match is one of the better highlights.

Because this event’s importance it means pretty much anyone could win. I don’t think CMLL always wants Mexico to win because it would become predictable. Last year Mexico won, will they go 2 for 2 in the revival of this event? 2016 being the first time since this one in 2008. I’m glad it’s back because if this year’s is half as fun as this one, it’ll be great! Seeing Motorcity Machineguns here and their use of superkicks has me really jonesing for Young Bucks in Gran Prix some year, though I’m pretty happy getting Juice and Elgin too.

If you liked this match, this year’s format is exactly the same. 8 vs 8 elimination Team Mexico vs Team International. It’s an iPPV on the first and can be bought in a bundle with CMLL Anniversary for $20. I’d really suggest 2008′s and have made a playlist here with all 5 parts of the youtube source I used for to make these gifs which was uploaded by the fittingly named lawagnermania youtube channel

Wagner/AJ Styles/Jay Lethal are great in the early half of the match, I like Ultimo though and he lasted for most of the match. Seeing MCMG double teaming fools has to be one of the best takeaways from this match. The two worked great as a team and really pulled out all stops vs Shocker/Wagner/Ultimo.