CMLL 63rd Anniversary Show


The CMLL 63rd Anniversary Show was a professional wrestling major show event produced by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in 1996. Different sources identify different shows in September as the actual Anniversary Show, either on September 20 or September 27, or possibly both as CMLL has held multiple shows to commemorate their anniversary in the past. Both shows took place in Arena Méxicoin Mexico City, Mexico. The September 20th show consisted of five matches, with the main event seeing Rayo de Jalisco Jr. defend the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship against challenger Gran Markus Jr. On the undercard El Hijo del Santo and Negro Casas faced off in a singles match, working a storyline that a year later, at the CMLL 64th Anniversary Show saw them wrestle in a Lucha de Apuestas, hair vs. mask match. Also on the show Lola Gonzales defended the TWF Women's Championship against Lioness Asuka as well as three further matches. The September 27th show consisted of at least four matches, with the main event being a Best two-out-of-three fallsLucha de Apuesta hair vs. hair match between rivals Emilio Charles Jr. and Silver King. One or both events commemorated the 63rd anniversary of CMLL, the oldest professional wrestling promotion in the world. The Anniversary show is CMLL's biggest show of the year, their Super Bowl event.

Production

Background

The 1996 CMLL Anniversary Shows commemorated the 63rd anniversary of the Mexican professional wrestling company Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre holding their first show on September 22, 1933 by promoter and founder Salvador Lutteroth. CMLL, originally known as Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre it would change its name to Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in 1992 to signal their departure from the National Wrestling Alliance. With the sales of the Jim Crockett Promotions to Ted Turner in 1988 CMLL became the oldest, still-operating wrestling promotion in the world. Over the years CMLL has on occasion held multiple shows to celebrate their anniversary but since 1977 the company has only held one annual show, which is considered the biggest show of the year, CMLL's equivalent of WWE's WrestleMania or their Super Bowl event. CMLL has held their Anniversary show at Arena México in Mexico City, Mexico since 1956, the year the building was completed, over time Arena México earned the nickname "The Cathedral of Lucha Libre" due to it hosting most of CMLL's major events since the building was completed. Traditionally CMLL holds their major events on Friday Nights, replacing their regularly scheduled Super Viernes show.

Storylines

Both shows featured a number of professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as either heels or faces as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

Results September 20, 1996

Results September 27, 1996