Arena Coliseo


Arena Coliseo is an indoor arena in Mexico City, Mexico located at República del Perú 77 in the Cuauhtémoc borough. The arena is primarily used for professional wrestling, or lucha libre, shows promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. The building was completed in 1943, built by Salvador Lutteroth, founder and owner of CMLL and served as the main venue for CMLL from 1943 until 1953 when Arena México was completed and became the main venue for Lutteroth's promotion. It has a seating capacity of 5,250 when configured for professional wrestling or boxing events.

History

began promoting wrestling, or Lucha libre events in Arena Modelo in 1933 as he founded Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre. The building served as the main venue for Lutteroth's promotion from 1933 until the early 1940s when the success of Lucha Libre meant that Arena Model was becoming too small to accommodate the weekly shows. Lutteroth financed the building of a new arena with $40,000 that he had won in the national lottery. The building would sit on the location of República del Perú 77 in the Cuauhtémoc and was designed by Architect Francisco Bullman. Upon its completion in 1943 it was the first sports building in Mexico to have built in Air Conditioning. The building would hold 8,863 spectators for wrestling or boxing events and quickly gained the nickname the "Lagunilla Funnel" due to the design of the spectators stands in regards to the ring in the middle. The event began hosting Boxing events only a few months after opening and for years would run both wrestling and boxing events throughout the year. The venue served as the main building for EMLL, hosting their Anniversary shows starting with their 10th Anniversary show in 1943 through their 22nd Anniversary show in 1955. From 1956 and forward Arena Coliseo became a secondary venue for EMLL, with the newly constructed Arena México taking over as the venue for all of EMLL's major shows. In 1979, for undisclosed reasons EMLL held their 46th Anniversary Show in Arena Coliseo instead of Arena México, marking the last major EMLL event held there. By the beginning of the 2000s EMLL, now renamed Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre only held one weekly event, a Sunday Night show. The reduction in use is both as a result of the building's state, lack of parking and the general area being less secure with time due to rise in crime.

As a boxing venue

Arena Coliseo hosted its first boxing event only a month after opening, taking place on May 1, 1943. The event started a tradition of Monday night boxing event at Arena Coliseo that would remain long after Arena Mexico had taken over as CMLL's main venue. The first show was headlined by a fight between Mexican National Bantamweight champion Ernesto Aguilar and Leonardo Lopez. Over the years a number of Mexican and international boxing greats fought at Arena Coliseo, including but not limited to: Jose Medel, Butter Napoles, Vicente Saldivar, Toluco Lopez, Pajarito Moreno, Cuyo Hernandez, El Chango Casanova, Carlos Zarate, Lupe Pintor, Alexis Arguello Alfonso Zamora, Ricardo Lopez, Pipino Cuevas, Kid Azteca and Chiquita Gonzalez. Julio César Chávez fought at Arena Coliseo during his amateur days, but the main attraction of the Arena Coliseo boxing was Raul Macias, with his matches often being shown on the Televisa television channel.

Deaths on location

Over the years Arena Coliseo has witnessed the deaths of several wrestlers and boxers. The first death happened on March 21, 1946, during a boxing match. In the second round of a fight between veteran Guillermo Ramos and young wrestler Fernando Mendoza where Mendoza fell to the floor in the second round and never woke up after the knockout. On December 25, 1979, wrestler José Vincent Ramos Estrada, known to the wrestling world under the ring name Sangre India faced off against César Curiel. Curiel teamed up with El Vengador while Sangre India was teaming with Leo Lopez. During the match Curiel executed a drop kick, a move that was supposed to knock Sangre India out of the ring to the floor. During the fall to the floor, Estrada's head and neck struck the apron before he tumbled uncontrollably to the ground. Estrada died shortly after the fall. The third death to occur in Arena Coliseo was not as a result of a match, but a gunshot. On May 14, 1983 "Uncle" Jimenez, the manager of boxer James Casas was shot dead during Casas' victory celebration. A 100,000 pesos reward was offered at the time but no murderer was ever found. On October 26, 1993, professional wrestler Jesús Javier Hernández Silva, better known under the ring name Oro, teamed up La Fiera and Brazo de Plata to face the team of Kahoz, Dr. Wagner Jr. and Jaque Mate at an Arena Coliseo show. Before the match, while going over the plans for the match Oro said he wanted to take a "Kobashi bump" during the match, a reference to a head first backdrop driver which Kenta Kobashi took in a match in All Japan Pro Wrestling only a few months earlier. That particular bump had a dramatic effect, as it looked like Kobashi had broken his neck from the move and Oro wanted to use the shock effect to help build the drama for their match. During the match, Kahoz clotheslined Oro, who spun and landed on his head as he had planned. His opponent tried to pick him up, but soon thereafter he collapsed and his pulse became weak. Oro was put on a stretcher at the start of the second fall while his brother screamed, "Don't fall asleep!", warning him to remain alert so that he wouldn't lose consciousness. Oro died before being placed in an awaiting ambulance.

Significant events

Over the years Arena Coliseo has hosted a number of significant events, especially a large number of EMLL/CMLL events have taken place in Arena Colise, including a number of CMLL Anniversary shows, shows celebrating the anniversary of Arena Coliseo and shows headlined by major, important matches.
;EMLL Anniversary Shows
The first show in Arena Coliseo took place on April 2, 1943, before the show the Archbishop of Mexico, Luis M. Martinez, gave the arena a Catholic blessing. The Mexico City council leader Javier Rojo Gomez was also in attendance for this major event. The show was originally slated to have Bill Longsan from Texas defend a version of the World Heavyweight Championship against Juan Humberto, but Humberto was not able to travel from the United States to Mexico City in time. Instead Lutteroth booked Mexican National Middleweight Champion Tarzán Lopez to defend his championship against Santo, who at the time was already a prominent figure in Lucha Libre, although not the icon he would later become through his lucha films and in-ring exploits.

50th Anniversary Show

The then-recently renamed CMLL celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Arena Coliseo with a wrestling show on April 4, 1993 centered around a Ruleta de la Muerte tournament where the loser of each match would advance to the next round and the person who lost the final match would be forced to remove his wrestling mask and reveal his real name per lucha libre traditions.

70th Anniversary Show

On April 7, 2013, CMLL celebrated the 70th anniversary of Arena Coliseo with a show that featured a number of veteran wrestlers that did not usually work for CMLL such as Negro Navarro, Black Terry, Villano IV, Ray Mendoza Jr., Universo 2000, Máscara Año 2000 and Rayo de Jalisco Jr. Before his match Ray Mendoza Jr. stated that his match in Arena Coliseo would be his last match, after having held a Retirement show a few weeks before. During the show CMLL gave an award to a fan who had also attended the first show 70 years prior.

75. Aniversario de Arena Coliseo

The 75. Aniversario de Arena Coliseo show was a major professional wrestling show produced by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre to commemorate the opening of Arena Coliseo, in 1943. The event took place on April 7, 2018, and featured six matches in total, including a guest appearances from several leyendas who had previously worked for CMLL. The main event saw Atlantis and Blue Panther defeat leyendas Fuerza Guerrera and El Satánico
;Results

Luchas de Apuestas

Unlike most sports or sports entertainment around the world Lucha Libre holds championships in less regards compared to the prestige of winning a Lucha de Apuesta, literally a "bet match". In a Lucha de Apuesta match each competitor "Bets" either their wrestling mask or hair on the outcome of the match and if they lose must unmask or have their hair shaved off in the ultimate form of humiliation. Since the mask holds a sacred place in Lucha Libre the most prestigious Apuesta is the mask, once it is lost a wrestler is not allowed to put the mask back on when wrestling. As part of the tradition an unmasked wrestler must also reveal their "true identity", which means give their birth name, age and wrestling experience as they lose the "anonymity" of the enmascarado character. Over the years Arena Coliseo has been host to a number of Luchas de Apuestas, including one that many consider the biggest Luchas de Apuestas match where Lucha Libre icon El Santo defeated and unmasked Black Shadow in 1952. Below is a list of all documented Luchas de Apuestas that have taken place in Arena Coliseo since its completion in 1943.
DateWinnerLoserBet
El SantoJack O'BrienHair
Torbellino BlancoSugi SitoHair
Médico AsesinoTonina JacksonHair
El SantoBlack ShadowMask
El SantoHalcón NegroMask
Blue DemonCavernario GalindoHair
Huracán RamírezMolochMask
Mishima OhtaHuroki SitoHair
Espanto ICavernario GalindoHair
Espanto IDory DixonHair
Karloff LagardeCavernario GalindoHair
Huracán RamírezEl ScorpioMask
Rodolfo RuizSergio BarrayoHair
Black ShadowDory DixonHair
El AudazManuel RoblesHair
El VengadorEl SatánicoHair
Demonio BlancoEl NaziHair
As CharroChino ChowHair
TalismánTauroHair
Cachorro MendozaEl SatánicoHair
Gran CochisseAmérico RoccaHair
Sangre IndiaChamaco OrtizHair
TalismánEl MagoMask
Águila SolitariaEl BastardoMask
Américo Rocca and Divino RoyGran Cochisse and Aguila IndiaHair
TalismánTiburónMask
El BrazoAntaresMask
Franco ColomboDivino RoyHair
Faisán and Franco ColomboPánico and Manuel RoblesMask/Hair
PánicoFaisánHair
Gran CochisseLeo LópezHair
Zorro MendozaRey DavidHair
Gusano Yánez and Olímpico FloresPánico and Bruno VictoriaHair
Gusano YánezDivino RoyHair
Jerry EstradaGusano YánezHair
Cachorro MendozaJerry EstradaHair
Tony SalazarChacho HerodesHair
Cachorro MendozaCarlos PlataHair
El JaliscoPirata MorganHair
PánicoDobermanHair
Américo Rocca and Grand CochisseComando Ruso I and IIHair
El DandyJavier CruzHair
Rey DavidMóduloHair
Javier CruzFranco ColomboHair
Enfermero Jr.Lemus IIHair
TalismánLemus IIHair
El DandyJavier CruzHair
SeleneLa GuerrilleraMask
Rocco Valente and Roberto PazRojo and Reyes VelozHair
RokamboleEl MachoMask
MogurEl EgipcioHair
Gusano YánezEl Macho IHair
Remo BandaComando RusoHair
MogurEl MachoHair
Bestia SalvajeCachorro MendozaHair
Martha VillalobosRossy MorenoHair
El ScorpioCachorro MendozaHair
Ringo MendozaEl ScorpioHair
Gusano YánezAmérico RoccaHair
MogurHombre BalaHair
ZuleymaPantera SureñaHair
Baby RichardSímboloHair
Mascarita SagradaPiratita MorganHair
Lola GonzálezKarla YvonneHair
Chamaco AyalaPánicoHair
Bestia SalvajeRingo MendozaHair
Gran ApacheRey DavidHair
Shogun BelloIncógnitoMask
Brazo de PlataAarón GrundyHair
Javier CruzRingo MendozaHair
Máscara MágicaRey BarbaroMask
Corazón de LeónCromagnonHair
Tornado NegroÁguila IndiaHair
MestizoBaby RichardHair
Grand Apache and MestizoRojo and Reyes VelozHair
Cachorro MendozaChamaco ValaguezHair
La SombraSupremo IIMask
Américo RoccaKung FuHair
Escudero RojoMestizoHair
Apolo DantésMogurHair
UltratumbitaMáscarita MágicaMask
Chicago ExpressCiclón RamírezHair
Américo RoccaReyes VelozHair
Arkangel de la MuerteLa SombraMask
Chicago ExpressCiclón RamírezHair
Chicago ExpressJavier CruzHair
Astro Rey Jr.MetálicoMask
Américo RoccaRingo MendozaHair
Reyes VelozEl VencedorHair
LynxÁngel de PlataMask
AtlánticoKung FuHair
Brazo de PlataMano NegraHair
Tony RiveraReyes VelozHair
Tony RiveraValentín MayoHair
Rencor LatinoApolo ChinoMask
Ringo Mendoza and TajiriChicago Express and MogurHair
Tony RiveraGuerrero de la MuerteHair
Tony RiveraGuerrero del FuturoHair
Lady ApacheTania la GuerrilleraHair
AtlánticoBúfalo SalvajeMask
Ringo MendozaEl SignoHair
Lady ApacheTania la GuerrilleraHair
Tony RiveraHalcón NegroHair
Tony RiveraHalcón NegroHair
Américo RoccaKid GuzmánHair
El ToreoGuerrero del FuturoHair
Tigre BlancoSúper CacaoMask
Tony RiveraHalcón NegroHair
Tony RiveraMr. MéxicoHair
Brazo de OroValentín MayoHair
Tony RiveraSúper CacaoHair
Ricky MarvinSúper CacaoHair
Ricky MarvinFieroHair
Sangre AztecaPegaso IIMask
Mano NegraMr. MéxicoHair
Ricky MarvinAmérico RoccaHair
Guerrero del FuturoChris StoneHair
Ricky MarvinEl Hijo del GladiadorHair
Alan StoneGuerrero del FuturoHair
Súper KendoSolar IIMask
Rey BucaneroBrazo de PlatinoHair
Guerrero del FuturoSolar IIHair
Pierroth Jr.Apolo DantésHair
TakemuraMr. MéxicoHair
Ringo MendozaGuerrero del FuturoHair
Máscara Año 2000El SatánicoHair
VenenoTony RiveraHair
Negro CasasOkumuraHair
Stuka Jr.La FlechaMask
MáximoLoco MaxHair
India SiouxMedusaMask
Rey BucaneroOkumuraHair
MáximoEmilio Charles Jr.Hair
LeonoMogurHair
Stuka Jr.El JequeMask
Bam BamPequeño HalloweenHair
Bam BamHair
VirusTony RiveraHair
Bam BamPequeño ViolenciaHair
Bam BamHair
Loco MaxTony RiveraHair

Footnotes