Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) (Spanish for Worldwide Wrestling Council) is a Lucha libre promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico. The promotion is also referred to by its previous name Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre (EMLL) (Mexican Wrestling Enterprise). It is currently the oldest promotion still in existence.

History
The promotion was founded by "The Father of Lucha Libre" Salvador Lutteroth Gonzales when he ran a card under the banner of EMLL in 1933. The promotion flourished and quickly became the premier spot for workers. If wrestlers were big in Mexico City, they were considered stars throughout Mexico. With stars like El Santo, Bobby Bonales, Tarzán Lopez and Gory Guerrero (father of Eddie Guerrero), "La Empressa" was at the forefront of the Lucha Libre movement and for the next 50 years, EMLL would continue its place as the leader.

In the 1970s, Lutteroth left the company in the hands of his son Chavo, but the company weakened with Ray Mendoza along with a few promoters breaking off and forming the Universal Wrestling Association. UWA ran in Mexico City and in nearby Naucalpan against EMLL. UWA would be a tremendous force for 15 years but due to a weakening talent pool and affiliates, it died in the 1990s.

EMLL joined the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as its Mexican affiliate as NWA-EMLL but it pulled out in the 1980s due to various promoters becoming more self-centered and the World Wrestling Federation's national expansion. At this time, it changed its name to Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre to make itself sound more international. At the start of the 1990s the company began appearing on Televisa. This led to a big boom in business due to national television exposure (before this, magazines were the sole medium of Lucha Libre). After the initial boom, long time booker Antonio Peña broke off and formed his own promotion, Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, taking many of the young talent with him. AAA took the lead for several years but when the Mexican economy went by the wayside in the mid-1990s, AAA scaled back and CMLL started rebuilding with the famous El Hijo del Santo vs. Negro Casas feud where Santo shocked the world by turning heel when he dressed up like Negro Casas' brother Felino and attacked him. CMLL followed this up by pushing younger stars, leading to another boom period.

Style and Television
Its weekly cards at the legendary Arena Mexico draw crowds of over 10,000 fans. Of all the major promotions in the world, CMLL is one of the most conservative. Matches with blood are not broadcast and, other than an annual cage match, gimmick matches such as ladder matches are never used. Over the past few years, many AAA wrestlers have jumped to CMLL but recently, some major wrestlers such as Vampiro and Shocker have jumped to AAA because CMLL has too many workers and does not run enough shows.

CMLL's main programming, hosted by Alfonso Morales, Leobardo Magadan and Miguel Linares, is broadcast regularly on Televisa in Mexico, Galavisión in the United States, and formerly on Telelatino in Canada and The Wrestling Channel in the United Kingdom. CMLL also had a syndicated show called "Sin Limite de Tiempo" ("with no time limit") which shows matches from Arena Coliseo shows and matches they could not fit onto the regular broadcast. It aired in Los Angeles on KWHY. This show was followed up by "Guerreros del Ring" on Canal 52MX. CMLL is affiliated with New Japan Pro Wrestling as part of "G-1 World." Also, Spanish-language American sports channel Fox Sports en Español recently started broadcasting CMLL programming.

Roster
See: Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre roster

Major shows
Each year CMLL promotes a number of signature events, some shown as pay-per-view events and others shown on regular television. Over the last couple of years CMLL have held three regular events each year and a number of one off, special events. The Major show, shown in order of when they happen during the year, include:

Championships and tournaments

 * CMLL championships


 * Other championships used by CMLL

These titles controlled by the Guadalajara branch of CMLL.
 * CMLL Guadalajara Championship

These title are now defunct and was only when CMLL toured Japan in 1999 and 2000.
 * CMLL Japan championships

Active tournaments
CMLL conducts several annual tournaments which usually signify a big push or start off storylines. Tournaments have been left out of the schedule for unexplained reasons. Tournaments are conducted as torneo cibernéticos, a large multi-man tag team elimination match or a normal single elimination tournament.

Torneo Gran Alternativa("Great Alternative" Tournament)- A one night tag team tournament where an established star teams with a young midcarder with the intent to give the younger wrestler more credibility.

Campeonato Universal(Universal Champion) - An elimination tournament consisting of all champions to determine the "Universal champion". Winner received a title belt but it is defended in the annual tournament.

Copa Jr.("Junior Cup") - This tournament features wrestlers who are at least second generation wrestlers, though worked family relations have been accepted as well. This tournament has been held four times in CMLL in 1996, 2005, 2006 and 2010. In 1996 the winner was Emilio Charles, Jr.. The 2005 winner was Shocker. The 2006 winner was Dos Caras, Jr. After a four-year hiatus, the tournament was brought back in December 2010, when Dragón Rojo, Jr. emerged as the fourth winner.

Reyes del Aire("King of the Air") - This tournament is for high flyers. The tournament usually works as a cibernetico with mostly young and undercard tecnicos, with the idea of focusing more attention on the winner.

Pequeño Reyes del Aire("Miniature King of the Air") - Like the Reyes del Aire but for Mini-Estrellas

Past annual tournaments
These are all the tournament that have been held in the past by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre but have not been promoted in the last two years.

Leyenda de Plata ("Silver Legend")- A tournament in honor of El Santo. This is the most prestigious of the CMLL tournaments and the tournament is usually made up of the best in-ring workers. It is done as a torneo cibernético with the last remaining members from both teams facing each other in a normal singles match on the next show. They must also defeat the previous year's winner to win the trophy, a plaque with Santo's mask on it. Previous winners: Scorpio, Jr., El Hijo del Santo, Negro Casas, Black Warrior, Felino, Perro Aguayo, Jr. Atlantis and Místico.

Leyenda de Azul ("Blue Legend")- A tournament in honor of Blue Demon. It is secondary to the Leyenda de Plata tournament but features most of the big name wrestlers in the promotion. It has been conducted as a normal torneo cibernético and as a one night tournament. Previous winners: Blue Panther, Tarzan Boy, Universo 2000 and Lizmark, Jr.

International Gran Prix- Previously an elimination tournament, now a tornero Cibernetico. Features a "Mexico vs. International" wrestlers theme with one side being native Mexicans and the other side of the Cibernetico being foreigners, in 2008 it featured several Total Nonstop Action Wrestling wrestlers.

Copa de Arena Mexico - A one night tournament for trios teams. The winners earns a trophy; each team comes up with a name for their trio. The tournament was only held in 1999, 2001, and 2002. In 1999, the winners were Satánico, Rey Bucanero and Ultimo Guerrero as "Team Guerreros del Infierno". The 2001 winners were Black Warrior, Shocker, and Apolo Dantes as "Team Shocker".