CMLL Universal Championship (2013)


The CMLL Universal Championship 2013 was a professional wrestling tournament produced by the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre promotion, which took place over three shows between August 23 and September 6, 2013, in Arena México, Mexico City, Mexico. The CMLL Universal Championship is an annual tournament of CMLL champions that was first held in 2009.

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 place on August 23 and August 30, while the final took place on September 6, 2013.

2013 Universal Championship tournament

When CMLL announced the 2013 tournament the following champions were eligible to participate:
ParticipantChampionship held
AvernoMexican National Welterweight Championship
Diamante AzulNWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship
Dragón Rojo Jr.CMLL World Middleweight Championship
Hiroshi TanahashiCMLL World Tag Team Championship
Jushin Thunder LigerCMLL World Tag Team Championship
La MáscaraMexican National Trios Championship
Máscara DoradaCMLL World Trios Championship
NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship
MephistoMexican National Light Heavyweight Championship
MísticoCMLL World Trios Championship
PólvoraCMLL World Welterweight Championship
Rey EscorpiónCMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship
RushMexican National Trios Championship
La SombraNWA World Historic Middleweight Championship
El TerribleCMLL World Heavyweight Championship
TitánMexican National Trios Championship
ValienteCMLL World Trios Championship
VirusCMLL World Lightweight Championship

;Block A
Block A took place on August 23, 2013, and featured eight champions wrestling for a place in the finals.
;Block B
Block B took place on August 30, 2013, and featured eight champions wrestling for a place in the finals. Diamante Azul was scheduled to take part in the block, but had to pull out due to an injury and was replaced by CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Champion Okumura.
;Finals
The finals of the tournament took place on September 6, 2013, and saw Tanahashi defeat Rush two falls to one to become the 2013 Universal Champion.