Wrestler-turned-promoter Adolfo "Pirata" Moreno began promoting wrestling shows in his native Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico, bringing in wrestlers from Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre to Naucalpan as well as featuring wrestlers from the Mexican independent circuit. Later on he would promote shows mainly in "Arena KO Al Gusto" and served as the Universal Wrestling Association partner, using the name Promociones Moreno as the business name for his promotional efforts. In 1977 Moreno bought the run down Arena KO Al Gusto and had Arena Naucalpan built in its place, an arena designed specifically for wrestling shows, with a maximum capacity of 2,400 spectators for the shows. Arena Naucalpan became the permanent home for Promociones Moreno, with very few shows held elsewhere. In late 1995 Adolfo Moreno decided to create his own promotion, creating a regular roster instead of relying totally on wrestlers from other promotions, creating the International Wrestling Revolution Group on January 1, 1996. From that point on Arena Naucalpan became the main venue for IWRG, hosting the majority of their weekly shows and all of their major shows as well. The first IWRG Anniversary Show was held on January 1, 1997 with all subsequent shows being held on or right after January 1 each year, all at Arena Naucalpan.
Storylines
The event featured five 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. IWRG promoter Adolfo Moreno had been working closely with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre from the mid-1990s, booking CMLL wrestlers in Arena Naucalpan when they were not needed for CMLL shows. This practice continued after Moreno formed IWRG, bringing in CMLL wrestlers on a regular basis. For the eight anniversary show IWRG brought in CMLL wrestlers Brazo de Plata, El Felino and Scorpio Jr., with both Scorpio Jr. and El Felino being regulars in Naucalpan while Brazo de Plata was brought in specifically for the show.
Event
In the first match of the night, rookie Chamaco Torres defeated Súper Cometa in a best two-out-of-three-falls match by winning the second and third fall of the match. For the second match of the night the tag team of masked wrestlers Paramédico and Zonik 2000 defeated Colt Master and Vampiro Metálico in a best two-out-of-three-falls tag team match For the third match of the night main eventer Brazo de Plata brought his sons and nephew to IWRG as Los Junior Brazos took on and defeated the trio known as Los Comandos in the first traditional lucha lubre best two-out-of-three-falls six-man tag team match. In the fourth match, El Fantasma Jr. and one of IWRG's most popular teams Los Megas defeated El Hijo del Diablo, Rambo and El Veneno by disqualification when El Hijo del Diablo pulled the mask off one of Los Megas. For the main event Brazo de Plata, Fantasy and El Felino defeated Cerebro Negro, Mike Segura and Scorpio Jr., winning the second and third fall to take the match for the técnico team.
Aftermath
The Los Brazos Junior trio that represented CMLL would later all abandoned their "Brazo" names and mask as their fathers encouraged them to develop their own legacies instead of working in the shadows of their fathers. Brazo de Oro Jr. was the first to adopt a new identity, deciding to become La Máscara, but still acknowledged that he was the son of Brazo de Oro. Brazo de Plata Jr. changed to be known as "Kronos" in 2005, but later adopted the ring character he would be best known under becoming known as "Psycho Clown", part of Los Psycho Circus. Brazo de Platino Jr., who is also a son of Brazo de Plata, not Brazo de Platino as the name would indicate, changed his name to Máximo not long after the IWRG 8th Anniversary Show, adopting an Exótico character. Chamaco Torres, who worked in the opening match would later begin working for CMLL on a full-time basis, adopting the masked character "Artillero". In CMLL he was teamed up with his brother, known as Súper Comando to form a regular tag team known as Los Hombres del Camuflaje.
