Date March 21, 1997 City Mexico City, Mexico | Venue Arena México | |
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Promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth (1997) International Gran Prix (1997) Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth (1997) Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth (1998) | ||
Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth (1997) (Spanish for "Homage to Salvador Lutteroth") was a professional wrestling major show event produced by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), which took place on March 21, 1997 in Arena México, Mexico City, Mexico. The event was to honor and remember CMLL founder Salvador Lutteroth who died in March 1987. The annual March event would later be renamed Homenaje a Dos Leyendas ("Homage to two legends") as CMLL honored both Lutteroth and another retired or deceased wrestler. The main event was a singles match between Silver King and La Fiera under Lucha de Apuestas ("Bet Match") rules, which meant that whichever wrestler lost the match would be forced to have all their hair shaved off after the match. The show also hosted an eight team tournament to crown the next CMLL World Trios Champions as the championship had been vacant at the time.
Contents
Background
Since 1996 the Mexican wrestling company Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (Spanish for "World Wrestling Council"; CMLL) has held a show in March each year to commemorate the passing of CMLL founder Salvador Lutteroth who died in March 1987. For the first three years the show paid homage to Lutteroth himself, from 1999 through 2004 the show paid homage to Lutteroth and El Santo, Mexico's most famous wrestler ever and from 2005 forward the show has paid homage to Lutteroth and a different leyenda ("Legend") each year, celebrating the career and accomplishments of past CMLL stars. Originally billed as Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth, it has been held under the Homenaje a Dos Leyendas ("Homage to two legends") since 1999 and is the only show outside of CMLL's Anniversary shows that CMLL has presented every year since its inception. All Homenaje a Dos Leyendas shows have been held in Arena México in Mexico City, Mexico which is CMLL's main venue, its "home". Traditionally CMLL holds their major events on Friday Nights, which means the Homenaje a Dos Leyendas shows replace their regularly scheduled Super Viernes show. The 1997 show was the second overall show officially billed in honor of Salvador Lutteroth.
Storylines
The event featured nine 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.
Event
The main event featured second generation wrestler Silver King, son of Dr. Wagner as he tried to wart off the attacks of rudo veteran La Fiera ("The Fierce"). In Lucha Libre the most important match type is a Lucha de Apuestas, or "Bet match", more important than even championship matches. The two both bet their hair on the outcome of the match, with the loser being shaved bald once the match is finished. Dos Caras, La Fiera and Héctor Garza were the seventh team to become CMLL World Trios Champions but had to vacate the championship when Héctor Garza decided to leave CMLL over a contract dispute. CMLL entered eight trios teams into a one-night tournament to determine the new champions.