La Copa Junior (2016) (Spanish for "The Junior Cup") was a professional wrestling tournament produced and scripted by the Mexican wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLLl; Spanish "World Wrestling Council"). The tournament ran from January 5, 2016 to January 19, 2016 in Arena México in Mexico City, Mexico. CMLL's recurring La Copa Junior tournament featured second, third or fourth generation wrestlers completing against each other. The 2016 version of the La Copa Junior was the eight tournament held by CMLL.

The format of the 2016 tournament matched the 2012 version of the tournament and a number of CMLL's other annual tournaments. The 16 wrestlers were divided into two groups of eight that wrestle in a torneo cibernetico elimination match on January 5 and January 12, the survivor of each qualifying torneo cibernetico then faces off against each other in the finals on January 19, 2015. Puma won the first cibernetico and Esfinge won the second cibernetico to qualify for the finals. On January 19 Esfinge defeated Puma to win the 2016 La Copa Junior tournament

Production

Background

Starting in 1996 the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre ("World Wrestling Council"; CMLL) held their first ever La Copa Junior tournament. CMLL held the tournament to celebrate the fact that lucha libre in Mexico is often a family tradition, with a large number of second, third, or even fourth generation wrestlers following the footsteps of their relatives. The premise of the tournament is that all participants are second-generation or more, although at times the family relationship is a storylines family relationship and not an actual one. One example of this is Dragón Rojo Jr. being billed as the grandson of Dragón Rojo, when in reality that is simply a storyline created by CMLL. The original La Copa Junior was won by Héctor Garza.

CMLL would not hold another La Copa Junior until the 2005 tournament (won by Shocker), followed by a 2006 tournament won by Dos Caras Jr. The tournament did not return until 2010 where Dragón Rojo Jr. won the 2010 version. In 2012 third-generation luchador La Sombra won the Junior cup

In 2014, CMLL held two La Copa Junior tournaments, first a tournament on January 1, won by Super Halcón Jr., followed by a VIP tournament, featuring higher card wrestlers than the usual tournaments, which was won by Máximo The semi-regular tournament returned in 2016, won by Esfinge In 2017, Soberano Jr. won the La Copa Junior Nuevos Valores

Storylines

The tournament featured a number of 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.

Family relationship

WrestlerFamilyRelationshipGroupRef(s).
Blue Panther Jr.Blue PantherFatherBlock A
Canelo CasasPepe CasasGrandfatherBlock B
CuatreroCien CarasFatherBlock A
EsfingeMagnumFatherBlock B
Espanto Jr.Espanto Jr.FatherBlock B
Hijo del SignoEl SignoFatherBlock A
Hombre Bala Jr.Hombre BalaFatherBlock A
MagnusTony SalazarFatherBlock A
Oro Jr.PlataFatherBlock A
The PantherBlue PantherFatherBlock B
PumaEl FelinoFatherBlock A
SansónCien CarasFatherBlock B
SkándaloJuan Manuel MarFatherBlock A
Soberano Jr.EuforiaFatherBlock B
Super Halcón Jr.Super HalcónFatherBlock B
TigerEl FelinoFatherBlock B

Tournament

Order of elimination

Block A January 5, 2016

#EliminatedEliminated by
1El Hijo del SignoOro Jr.
2MagnusSkándalo
3CuatreroHombre Bala Jr.
4Oro Jr.Puma
5SkándaloBlue Panther Jr.
6Hombre Bala Jr.Puma
7Blue Panther Jr.Puma
8WinnerPuma

Block B January 12, 2016

#EliminatedEliminated by
1Soberano Jr.Sansón
2Espanto Jr.Super Halcón Jr.
3Canelo CasasThe Panther
4Super Halcón Jr.Tiger
5SansónEsfinge
6The PantherTiger
7TigerEsfinge
8WinnerEsfinge

Results

January 5

No.ResultsStipulations
1Angelito and Fantasy defeated Pequeño Nitro and Pequeño Universo 2000Best two-out-of-three falls tag team match
2Flyer, Robin, and Star Jr. defeated Akuma, Artillero, and Espanto Jr.Best two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match
3La Amapola, La Seductora, and Zeuxis defeated Estrellita, La Vaquerita, and Princesa SugehitBest two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match
4Guerrero Maya Jr. defeated El Sagrado"Lighting match", 1 fall, 10 minute time limit 08:36
5Puma defeated Blue Panther Jr., Magnus, Skándalo, Hombre Bala Jr., El Cuatrero, Oro Jr., and El Hijo del Signo2016 La Copa Junior semifinal 10-man torneo cibernetico elimination match
6Kráneo, Niebla Roja, and Ripper defeated Marco Corleone, Máximo Sexy, and Stuka Jr.Best two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match

January 12

No.ResultsStipulations
1Robin and Sensei defeated Artillero and El CholoBest two-out-of-three falls tag team match
2Disturbio, Nitro, and Okumura defeated Pegasso, Star Jr., and StarmanBest two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match
3Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., and Titán defeated Boby Z, Hechicero, and VirusBest two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match
4Esfinge defeated The Panther, Tiger, Sansón, Soberano Jr., Canelo Casas, Súper Halcón, Jr., and Espanto Jr.2016 La Copa Junior semifinal 10-man torneo cibernetico elimination match
5Máximo Sexy defeated RipperBest two-out-of-three falls match
6Atlantis, Dragon Lee, and Marco Corleone defeated Bárbaro Cavernario, Mephisto, and Último GuerreroBest two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match

January 19

No.ResultsStipulationsTimes
1Fantasy and Stukita defeated Mercurio and Pequeño NitroBest two-out-of-three falls tag team match13:30
2Los Cancerberos del Infierno (Cancerbero, Nitro, and Raziel) defeated Oro Jr. and Los Principes del Ring (Soberano Jr. and Star Jr.)Best two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match18:48
3La Amapola, La Comandante, and Reyna Isis defeated La Vaquerita, Marcela, and La SiluetaBest two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match15:50
4Esfinge defeated Puma2016 La Copa Junior final match11:11
5Blue Panther, Pegasso, and Rey Cometa defeated Pierroth, Pólvora, and VangellysBest two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match12:24
6La Peste Negra (El Felino, Negro Casas, and Rey Bucanero) defeated Máximo Sexy, Brazo de Plata, and ValienteBest two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match06:27