El Protector (2018)

El Protector (2018)
Official poster showing all scheduled tournament participants
DateFebruary 25, 2018[1]
CityNaucalpan, State of Mexico[1]
VenueArena Naucalpan[1]
Event chronology
← Previous
Cabellera vs. Cabellera
Next →
Rebelión de los Juniors
IWRG El Protector chronology
← Previous
2017
Next →
2019

El Protector (2018) was a major lucha libre event produced and scripted by Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), which took place on January 31, 2016 in Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico. The 2017 El Protector was the seventh annual event produced under that name. The focal point of the show was the El Protector tag team tournament where eight teams composed of a "rookie" and a "vet" team up to compete for as a way to showcase the "rookie" of the team.

The 2018 El Protector tournament saw 8 teams of rookies and veterans wrestle in a single elimination tournament. Villano V Jr. was originally scheduled to team with Shadow Boy, but IWRG booked the tournament so that Rokambole Jr. was allowed to replace Shadow Boy to team with his brother. The brothers won the tournament, defeating Ram El Carnero and Trauma I in the finals, marking the first time that a "rookie"/"veteran" team did not win the tournament. There were five non-tournament matches on the show as well.

Production

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Background

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Lucha Libre has a tradition for a tournament where a rookie, or novato, would be teamed up with an experienced veteran wrestler for a tag team tournament in the hopes of giving the Novato a chance to show case their talent and move up the ranks. Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre has held a Torneo Gran Alternativa ("Great Alternative Tournament") almost every year since 1994, but the concept predates the creation of the Gran Alternativa.[2] The Mexican professional wrestling company International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG; at times referred to as Grupo Internacional Revolución in Mexico) started their own annual rookie/veteran tournament in 2010.[3] The first two tournaments were called Torneo Relampago de Proyeccion a Nuevas Promesas de la Lucha Libre (Spanish for "Projecting a new promise lightning tournament") but would be renamed the El Protector tournament in 2012.[3][4][5] The El Protector shows, as well as the majority of the IWRG shows in general, are held in "Arena Naucalpan", owned by the promoters of IWRG and their main arena.[3][4][5][6][7][8] The 2018 El Protector show was the ninth time that IWRG promoted a show around the rookie/veteran tournament, with the name changing to El Protector in 2012 and onwards.

Storylines

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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 (referred to as rudos in Mexico, those that portray the "bad guys") or faces (técnicos in Mexico, the "good guy" characters) as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[9]

Results

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No.Results[1]Stipulations
1Haziel defeated SkandaBest two-out-of-three-falls match
2Haziel and Super Brazo Jr. defeated Adrenalina and Atomic StarBest two-out-of-three-falls six-man tag team match
3Chico Che defeated Gallo FrancesBest two-out-of-three-falls match
4Obett, Trauma II and X-Fly defeated El Hijo del Alebrije, El Hijo del Pantera and Emperador AztecaBest two-out-of-three-falls six-man tag team match
5Los Comandos Elite (Oficial Factor, Oficial Liderk and Oficial Spartan) and Black Warrior defeated Los Terribles Cerebros (Cerebro Negro and Dr. Cerebro), Capo del Norte, Capo del Sur by disqualificationBest two-out-of-three-falls eight-man tag team match
6Aramís and Dinamic Black defeated Black Dragon and Dragon Bane and Leroy and Lunatic Extreme and Ram El Carnero and Shadow BoyEl Protector seeding battle royal
7Lunatic Extreme and Máscara Año 2000 Jr. defeated El Hijo del Medico Asesino and LeroyEl Protector 2018 first round match
8Ram El Carnero and Trauma I defeated Dragon Bane and EternoEl Protector 2018 first round match
9Rokambole Jr. and Villano V Jr. defeated Black Dragon and VenenoEl Protector 2018 first round match
10Aramís and El Hijo de Dos Caras defeated Dinamic Black and El Pantera IIEl Protector 2018 first round match
11Ram El Carnero and Trauma I defeated Lunatic Extreme and Máscara Año 2000 Jr.El Protector 2018 semi-final match
12Rokambole Jr. and Villano V Jr. defeated Aramís and El Hijo de Dos CarasEl Protector 2018 semi-final match
13Rokambole Jr. and Villano V Jr. defeated Ram El Carnero and Trauma IEl Protector 2018 final match

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Lizarraga, Alfonso (February 26, 2018). "Los Warrior tienen retadores al campeonato intercontinental de parejas". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  2. ^ "CMLL Gran Alternativa". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Ruiz Glez, Alex (January 1, 2010). "IWRG (1 de enero 2010): Torneo relámpago "Proyección a nuevas promesas de la lucha libre"" (in Spanish). Super Luchas Magazine. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Número Especial – Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2011". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 13, 2012. 450.
  5. ^ a b "IWRG (Resultados 12 de enero): "El Protector" fue para X-Fly e Imposible". Super Luchas Magazine. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  6. ^ "Carta Brava júnior y X-Fly, ganadores del Protector 2013". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  7. ^ Lázaro Rodríguez, José (February 3, 2014). "Súper Nova y Electro Boy, ganadores del Protector 2014". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  8. ^ Mejía Eguiluz, Diego (February 16, 2015). "Chicano y Dany Casas, firmes en el trono de parejas". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  9. ^ Madigan, Dan (2007). ""Okay... what is Lucha Libre?"". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3. featuring clearly distinguished good guys and bad guys, or técnicos and rudos
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