IWRG Anniversary Shows

The International Wrestling Revolution Group Anniversary Shows is an annual major lucha libre event produced and scripted by the Mexican International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG; sometimes referred to as Grupo Internacional Revolución in Mexico). The show is always held on or just after January 1 each year, marking the creation of IWRG on January 1, 1996. The anniversary shows are often, but not always main evented by a Lucha de Apuestas, or "bet match", where a wrestler will put his wrestling mask or hair on the line.

The first Anniversary show was held on January 1, 1997 but records are unclear on the actual results of the show. Some years the anniversary is celebrated by IWRG holding one of their other annual shows to commemorate the date, such as the January 2009 Guerra del Golfo ("Gulf War") that was also the IWRG 13th Anniversary Show. In 2010 IWRG held the first ever Torneo Relampago de Proyeccion a Nuevas Promesas de la Lucha Libre (Spanish for "Projecting a new promise lightning tournament") tournament on January 1, marking the 14th anniversary. In 2011 the 15th-anniversary show was marked by IWRG arranging a Guerra de Empresas ("War of the promotions") tournament to mark the day.

History

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 (EMLL) to Naucalpan as well as featuring wrestlers from the Mexican independent circuit.[1] Later on he would promote shows mainly in "Arena KO Al Gusto" and served as the Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) partner, using the name Promociones Moreno as the business name for his promotional efforts.[1] 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.[1] In the 1990s the UWA folded and Promociones Moreno worked primarily with EMLL, now rebranded as Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL).[2] From the mid-1990s Moreno would promote several Naucalpan championships, including the Naucalpan Tag Team Championship, Naucalpan Middleweight Championship and the Naucalpan Welterweight Championship, all sanctioned by the local boxing and wrestling commission.[1]

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 (IWRG; sometimes referred to as Grupo Internacional Revolución in Spanish) on January 1, 1996.[3] 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.[4][5] With the creation of the IWRG Moreno abandoned the Naucalpan championships, instead introducing a series of IWRG branded championships, starting with the IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Championship created on July 27, 1997,[6] followed by the IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship two months later.[7] IWRG also kept promoting the Distrito Federal Trios Championship, the only championship predating the foundation of the IWRG.[8] In 2007 Adolfo Moreno died, leaving his sons César and Marco Moreno to take ownership of both International Wrestling Revolution Group as well as Arena Naucalpan.[9]

Event history

Each year on or right after January 1 IWRG has traditionally held a major lucha libre event to commemorate the creation of IWRG, starting in 1997. Records confirm that an anniversary show was indeed held but no details on what matches were held or what the results have been found.[4] Over the years IWRG has celebrated the anniversary by holding one or more Lucha de Apuestas, or "bet matches", where all wrestlers involved in the match would risk their wrestling mask or hair, "betting" it on the outcome of the match. In Lucha libre the traditions surrounding the Luchas de Apuestas match makes it the most prestigious type of match, more important to the Mexican fans and wrestlers alike than championship matches,[10] The earliest anniversary show with confirmed results is the IWRG 5th Anniversary Show main evented by a best two-out-of-three falls eight-man tag team match with the team of Bombero Infernal, El Enterrador and Los Megas (Mega and Super Mega) defeating Black Dragon, Kato Kung Lee, Mike Segura and Tony Rivera.[11]

In 2009 IWRG held their annual Guerra del Golfo ("Gulf War") on January 1 having the show doubled as the IWRG 13th Anniversary Show. In the main event steel cage match Dr. Cerebro defeated Cerebro Negro, forcing Cerebro Negro to be shaved bald as a result.[12] The following year IWRG held the first ever Torneo Relampago de Proyeccion a Nuevas Promesas de la Lucha Libre (Spanish for "Projecting a new promise lightning tournament") tournament on January 1, marking their 14th anniversary with the tournament.[13] The tournament would become an annual tradition under the name El Protector.[14][15][16]

In 2011 IWRG celebrated their 15th Anniversary by holding a Guerra de Empresas ("War of the promotions") tournament inviting representatives from other wrestling promotions. such as Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion, Los Perros del Mal, Desastre Total Ultraviolento and Alianza Universal de Lucha Libre to compete in a tag team tournament. The tournament was won by AAA representatives Los Psycho Circus (Monster Clown and Psycho Clown) as they defeated Perros del Mal representatives Super Crazy and X-Fly.[17]

Dates, venues, and main events
Event Date Main Event Ref(s)
1st Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 1997Unknown[4]
2nd Anniversary ShowJanuary 1998Unknown[5]
3rd Anniversary ShowJanuary 1999Unknown[18]
4th Anniversary ShowJanuary 2000Unknown[19]
5th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2001Bombero Infernal, El Enterrador and Los Megas (Mega and Super Mega) vs. Black Dragon, Kato Kung Lee, Mike Segura and Tony Rivera[11]
6th Anniversary ShowJanuary 2, 2002El Pantera and Pentagón Black vs. Bombero Infernal and Último Vampiro[20]
7th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2003Último Vampiro vs Bombero Infernal in a Luchas de Apuestas match[21]
8th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2004Brazo de Plata, Fantasy and El Felino vs. Cerebro Negro, Mike Segura and Scorpio Jr.[22]
9th Anniversary ShowJanuary 2005Unknown[23]
10th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2006Cerebro Negro vs. El Enterrador 2000 vs. Scorpio Jr. vs. Veneno vs. Xibalba vs. Cyborg in a six-way Lucha de Apuestas match[24]
11th Anniversary ShowJanuary 2007Unknown[9]
12th Anniversary ShowJanuary 2008Unknown[25]
13th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2009Dr. Cerebro vs. Cerebro Negro in a Lucha de Apuestas steel cage match[12]
14th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2010Hijo del Signo and Dr. Cerebro defeated Comando Negro and Oficial 911[13]
15th Anniversary ShowJanuary 2, 2011Los Psycho Circus (Murder Clown and Psycho Clown) vs. Los Perros del Mal (Super Crazy and X-Fly)[17]
16th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2012Multifacético vs. Apolo Estrada, Jr. in a Lucha de Apuestas match[26]
17th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2013Oficial 911 and El Ángel vs. Oficial Factor and Hijo de Pirata Morgan in a Relevos Suicidas tag team match[27]
18th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2014Cien Caras, Jr., Super Nova and X-Fly vs. Lizmark, Jr., Vampiro Canadiense and Villano IV[28]
19th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2015El Hijo de Dos Caras, Máscara Sagrada and Pantera vs. Monsther, Pirata Morgan and El Hijo del Pirata Morgan[29]
20th Anniversary ShowJanuary 3, 2016Danny Casas vs. Toscano in a Lucha de Apuestas match[30]
21st Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2017Imposible vs. Golden Magic vs. Pirata Morgan Jr. vs. Relámpago in a steel cage match[31]
22nd Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2018Imposible (c) vs. Dr. Cerebro in an IWRG Rey del Ring Championship Ladder steel cage match[32]
23rd Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2019Máscara Año 2000 Jr. vs Toscano in a Luchas de Apuestas, hair vs. hair, steel cage match[33][34]
24th Anniversary ShowJanuary 1, 2019Fuerza Guerrera Nueva Generacion vs. Pasion Cristal vs. Demonio Infernal vs. Ave Rex vs. Emperador Azteca vs. El Hijo del Alebrije in a Steel cage match for the "Briefcase of Glory"[35]

References
  1. "Arena Naucalpan". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). June 11, 2012. p. 18. Issue 466.
  2. "1993 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 7, 1994. pp. 2–28. issue 2214.
  3. "1996 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 10, 1997. pp. 2–28. issue 2280.
  4. "1997 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 7, 1998. pp. 2–28. issue 2332.
  5. "1998 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 9, 1999. pp. 2–28. issue 2348.
  6. Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "MEXICO: IWRG Intercontinental World Middleweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 402. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  7. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "MEXICO: IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 401. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  8. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "MEXICO: Districto Federal Trios Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 401. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  9. "2007 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). December 26, 2007. issue 244. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  10. Madigan, Dan (2007). "What is Lucha Libre". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 2–15. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
  11. "2001 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 13, 2002. pp. 2–28. Issue 2540.
  12. Lazaro Rodiguez, Jose (January 10, 2009). "Arena Naucalpan 1 de Enero". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  13. 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. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  14. "IWRG (Resultados 12 de enero): "El Protector" fue para X-Fly e Imposible". Super Luchas. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  15. Lázaro Rodríguez, José (February 3, 2014). "Súper Nova y Electro Boy, ganadores del Protector 2014". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  16. Mejía Eguiluz, Diego (February 1, 2016). "Atomic Star y Herodes Jr. se llevaron el Protector". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  17. Mejia Eguiluz, Diego (January 3, 2011). "Guerra de Empresas 2, 2 de Enero 2011". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  18. "1999 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 10, 2000. pp. 2–28. issue 2436.
  19. "2000 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 9, 2001. pp. 2–28. issue 2488.
  20. "2002: considerar detrás". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 19, 2003. Issue 2593.
  21. "Número Especial - Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2003". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 5, 2003. Issue 40.
  22. "Número Especial - Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2004". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 24, 2005. Issue 91.
  23. "2005 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 3, 2006. Issue 140.
  24. "Lo Mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana duranted el 2006". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). December 23, 2006. Issue 192. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  25. "Lo Mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana 2008". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 6, 2009. 296. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  26. Redaccion (January 2, 2012). "Multifacético rapó a Apolo Estrada Jr". MedioTiempo (in Spanish). MSN. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  27. Mejía Eguiluz, Diego (January 2, 2013). "Factor inicia el año como doble campeón". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  28. "IWRG Zona XXI - 18. Aniversario" (in German). Cagematch. January 1, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  29. Mejía Eguiluz, Diego (January 2, 2015). "IWRG inicia el año a tambor batiente". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  30. Lizarraga, Alfonso (January 4, 2016). "Gran triunfo de año nuevo para Danny Casas en Naucalpan". the Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  31. Mejía Eguiluz, Diego (January 2, 2017). "Imposible hace naufragar a Pirata Morgan Jr. y le gana la máscara en la Prisión Fatal". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  32. Lizarraga, Alfonso (January 2, 2018). "Dos cabelleras caídas y un firme Rey del Ring el saldo de la primer función del 2018 en IWRG". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  33. Lizarraga, Alfonso (January 2, 2019). "Con apuestas de cabelleras y campeonatos abre el año la Arena Naucalpan" [Arena Naucalpan opens the year with hair and championship bets]. The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  34. "IWRG 23. Aniversario". CageMatch. January 1, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  35. @LuchaLibreIWRG (December 23, 2019). "‼️GRAN FUNCIÓN INICIO DE AÑO 2020‼️" (in Spanish). Twitter. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
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