CMLL Universal Championship (2011)


The CMLL Universal Championship 2011 was a professional wrestling tournament produced by the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre promotion, which took place over three shows between September 2, 2011, and September 16, 2011, in Arena México, Mexico City, Mexico. The CMLL Universal Championship is an annual tournament of CMLL Champions that was first held in 2009. The 2011 tournament was the first one to include a non-CMLL Champion as New Japan Pro Wrestling's IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi also took part in the tournament.

Background

The tournament featured 15 professional wrestling matches under single-elimination tournament rules, which means that wrestlers were eliminated when they lose a match. There were no specific storylines that build to the tournament, which has been held annually since 2009. All male "non-regional" CMLL champions at the time of the tournament were involved in the tournament with the exception of the reigning CMLL World Mini-Estrella and Mexican National Lightweight Champions, who have never taken part in the tournament. Regionally promoted championships such as the CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship and the Occidente championships promoted in Guadalajara, Jalisco were not included in the tournament; only titles that have been defended in CMLL's main venue Arena Mexico were included. The tournament was divided into two qualifying blocks, which took take place on September 2 and September 9, while the finals took place on September 16, 2011.

2011 Universal Championship tournament

When CMLL announced the 2011 tournament the following champions were eligible to participate:
ParticipantChampionship held
Ángel de OroMexican National Trios Championship
AvernoCMLL World Trios Championship
NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship
DiamanteMexican National Trios Championship
Dragón Rojo Jr.CMLL World Tag Team Championship
EphestoCMLL World Trios Championship
Héctor GarzaCMLL World Heavyweight Championship
Jushin Thunder LigerCMLL World Middleweight Championship
CMLL Universal Championship
La MáscaraMexican National Light Heavyweight Championship
Máscara DoradaCMLL World Welterweight Championship
MephistoCMLL World Trios Championship
PólvoraMexican National Welterweight Championship
Rey BucaneroNWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship
RushCMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship
Mexican National Trios Championship
La SombraNWA World Historic Welterweight Championship
Último GuerreroCMLL World Tag Team Championship
VirusCMLL World Super Lightweight Championship

;Block A
Block A took place on September 2, 2011, and featured eight champions wrestling for a place in the finals.
;Block B
Block B took place on September 9, 2011, and featured eight champions wrestling for a place in the finals.
;Finals
The finals of the tournament took place on September 16, 2011, and saw La Sombra defeat Averno two falls to one to become the 2011 Universal Champion.