Great-ing Gimmicks of the Past: Guapo University – CMLL, 2002-2003

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Great-ing Gimmicks of the Past: Guapo University – CMLL, 2002-2003

History

Yes, we’d covered the Second Guapo University over a year ago and I’d always intended to go back and cover the first one. Here we are.

Remember, the dates that I’m giving will correspond with the shows’ air dates in the US, not their original Mexican broadcasts.

On the September 28, 2002 episode of CMLL’s show, Shocker and Mascara Magica were seen trying to figure out how to select a third member of the Guapos trio. They finally had an idea.

We didn’t find out what was going on until October 20th. Shocker had planned out a tournament. There would be twelve entrants, and the winners would go on. The original plan (soon dropped) was that the public would decide who had the better match and that person would go on.

A week later, we met the twelve lucky contestants: Terrible, Mr. Power, Genetico, Tony Rivera, Zumbido, Ricky Marvin, Loco Max, Alex Steel, Marshall, Cabellero, Centella de Oro, and Rocker. On an interesting note, this was also the only appearance with the group for Centella de Oro and Rocker.

The following week saw the first Tough Enough-like segment, and the special guest was El Hijo del Santo. Santo especially noticed Ricky Marvin and Tony Rivera, then Shocker used a tumbler to determine the first random match – Terrible vs. Genetico.

Zumbido was sneaking around behind everyone’s backs the next week, and a graphic showed that Centella de Oro and Rocker had already been cut. Ricky Marvin vs. Zumbido was set up, and the two had to be pulled apart.

Terrible took on Genetico next in a one-fall match. Again it was emphasized that the fans would determine who went on – not necessarily the winner of the match. In the end, Genetico won the match due to countout.

As promised, Zumbido and Ricky Marvin faced off the next week. Ricky got the win and Zumbido complained to the referee after the match.

Shocker mentioned this in this week’s video as he mentioned that Ricky had done a good job but Zumbido could stand to learn some professionalism. Shocker placed Zumbido on probation and announced the next match: Caballero vs. Marshall.

CMLL next showed the fan’s votes. The standings had Ricky Marvin in the lead, followed by (in correct order) Genetico, Zumbido, Alex Steel, Tony Rivera, Terrible, Loco Max, Mr. Power, Marshall, and Caballero.

The next show saw Marshall defeating Caballero.

A week later we saw Shocker teaching the Guapos an important survival skill – how to dance. Needless to say, they were terrible. Several other wrestlers showed up to point at them and laugh.

The match was Loco Max vs. Tony Rivera. In the end, Loco went for an uppercut below the belt and got caught. He was disqualified and Zumbido quickly started backing him in regards to the referee.

The next week the remaining trainees (Caballero was gone) got their revenge as they competed in a cibernetico match against Virus, Dr. X, Tigre Blanco, Volador Jr., Averno, Mephisto, Nitro, and Safari. In the end, Averno wound up pinning Ricky Marvin (the final Guapo trainee left) to win the match for his team.

We were back to one-on-one matches the next week as Mr. Power took on Ricky Marvin. Marvin won the match and the remaining trainees came out to congratulate him and check to make sure Power was OK.

Zumbido took on Genetico the next week. In the end, Zumbido got the win. The remaining trainees seemed split. Loco Max and Terrible congratulated Zumbido, while others checked to make sure Genetico was OK.

Next up was the Christmas show. Mascara Magica spent time instructing the trainees on the Guapo way to wish people a merry Christmas.

Interestingly enough, this was followed by a match where Ricky Marvin teamed with Mascara Magica and Apolo Dantes to take on Juventud Guerrera, New Japan’s Katsushi Takemura, and fellow Guapo trainee Zumbido. The first fall ended with Ricky Marvin getting Takemura to submit and then Magica pinned Zumbido. The second fall went to the rudos as they all powerbombed Magica and then Takemura put away Ricky Marvin. The deciding fall saw Apolo Dantes pin Juvi with a northern lights suplex.

After Olimpico wished us a happy new year the next week, Mr. Power, Genetico, Terrible, and Marshall took on Ramstein, Olimpico, Arkangel, and Sangre Azteca in a cibernetico match. Terrible put Arkangel away early to give the Guapos a one-man advantage. Olimpico evened the odds again by pinning Mr. Power. The eliminations of Ramstein, Azteca, and Genetico happened off-screen, and then Terrible hit a low blow on Olimpico. The referee caught it, and Olimpico won the match. Terrible simply laughed it off and celebrated anyway.

A week later Mr. Mexico, Zumbido, and Loco Max teamed up against Volador Jr., Ricky Marvin, and Virus. The first fall saw Virus getting Loco Max to submit and Ricky pinned Mr. Mexico. The second saw the Guapos triple-teaming Ricky Marvin for the pin. The third saw Mr. Mexico pin Volador and Virus lock Mexico in a submission. Zumbido got the deciding pinfall over Ricky Marvin. After the match, Loco Max was stretchered out after possibly wrenching his knee.

The next match saw Shocker teaming up with trainees Genetico and Terrible to face Dr. Wagner Jr., Arkangel, and Dr. X. Wagner pinned Shocker to win the first fall. Terrible and Genetico locked submission holds on Arkangel and Dr. X to tie things up at one fall each. In the third, Shocker pinned Arkangel and Terrible hit a low blow on Dr. X for the win. Afterward, he mocked Dr. Wagner by doing Wagner’s signature pose which didn’t sit well with Shocker.

The next episode saw Loco Max teaming with Zumbido and Nitro to take on Ricky Marvin, Safari, and Tony Rivera. The first fall saw Nitro and Loco Max getting pinned to give the fall to the tecnicos. The second fall ended when Zumbido was disqualified for throwing Ricky Marvin over the top rope.

And that was pretty much the end of that. The entire Guapo U storyline was completely shuffled aside as Ricky Marvin and Zumbido continued their feud, which would culminate in a hair vs. hair match. Shocker himself would also soon turn his focus to a feud with Vampiro.

In the end, a quick match took place between Terrible, Genetico, Ricky and Tony Rivera. Terrible wound up pinning Ricky to earn his place in the trio, where he remained until he turned on the group during the second Guapo U.

Analysis

WWE programming has always been popular in Mexico. From 1998-1999 the WWF even produced a Spanish TV show called Super Astros, which featured a great number of Mexican stars (such as El Hijo del Santo, Negro Casas, Tarzan Boy, Super Crazy, and Rey Bucanero). The show was well-received, but wound up cancelled in 1999. In an interview with Tarzan Boy, he claimed that the sole reason was to cover the money that the WWF had to pay Owen Hart’s widow.

This was during the time period when the WWF was producing Tough Enough, so a Mexican version seemed like a hit. The problems, however, were many. The initial field of 12 narrowed as Centalla de Oro and Rocker vanished without ever wrestling a match. The initial tournament idea also soon disappeared as the trainees began finding their own inner rudo or tecnico and started banding together (the Zumbido/Marvin feud is an excellent example of this). The call-in format of the votes were also soon abandoned.

In the end, Guapo U. wound up an afterthought by the bookers. It appears that Terrible’s win and subsequent joining of the Guapo trio was only a way to start teaming Shocker and Mascara Magica together after Shocker’s partnership with Vampiro dissolved.

Where are they now?

Shocker remained in CMLL. In April of 2005, he began making appearances for TNA, but didn’t seem to catch on with the crowds. Later in the year he jumped to CMLL’s rival AAA, where he soon found himself in a feud with Sangre Chicana and also began reforming the Guapos once again. In 2006 Shocker returned to TNA as the captain of Team Mexico during the World X Cup tournament. He has recently returned to CMLL, and his name has also been brought up as someone the WWE may have some interest in.

Mascara Magica remains with CMLL. After Shocker’s departure, he has only made his way into the occasional feud which usually end with Magica losing his hair.

Terrible remains with CMLL as well. After joining the Guapos, he turned on them during the second Guapo University and wound up taking Mascara Magica’s hair. A feud between him and Shocker was teased but ultimately dropped. He has since allied himself with the Perros del Mal.

Mr. Power soon vanished from CMLL and is still active on the independent scene of the Jalisco region.

Genetico was soon repackaged into Sagrado, a religious-themed gimmick that saw him receive the blessing of Fray Tormenta (the luchador that Nacho Libre was loosely based on). Sagrado didn’t catch on with the crowd and the gimmick was instead moved to Mistico, whose popularity soon exploded. Sagrado remains with CMLL today.

Tony Rivera remains with CMLL today as well.

Zumbido continued competing with CMLL until late 2005, when he jumped to rival AAA. In January, he won the vacant Mexican Middleweight title by defeating Histeria in the finals of a tournament. He lost the belt the following July to Octagon. He remains in AAA today.

Ricky Marvin wound up making his way to Japan. Today he competes mainly for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he and Kotaro Suzuki are currently the GHC Junior Tag Team champions.

Loco Max also remains in CMLL, now living up to his name. He was refused entry to the second Guapo U because he had been a former entrant and was talking to a stuffed animal. He soon wound up allied with the Guerreros del Infierno through the Pandilla Guerrera stable, and still retains ties to that group. In June of 2006 he wound up losing his hair to Maximo.

Alex Steel, Marshall, Caballero, Centella de Oro, and Rocker soon disappeared as well. Presumably they are still active on the indy scene, possibly under different identities.