The Copa Higher Power (Spanish for "Cup of Higher Power") is an annual tournament promoted by the Mexican lucha libre professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG). The tournament has been annual since September 1997. [1]
The tournament is featured in two different forms, as a singles tournament and as a tag team tournament. It was featured as a team tournament in 1997 and in 2003 it began as a singles tournament.
Mark Robert Ehrmentraut is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under his own name and for his appearances with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) under the ring name Marco Corleone. He is a former CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, CMLL World Trios Champion, and WCW World Tag Team Champion.
Masahiro Chono is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and actor best known for his 26-year stint with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). As the leader of nWo Japan, Team 2000 and Black New Japan, he was the promotion's top heel for much of his career, beginning in 1994 when he adopted a yakuza inspired gimmick.
Michael Polchlopek is an American retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1999 under the ring names Bart Gunn and Bodacious Bart, as well as his appearances with All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) from 1998 to 2002 and with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from 2002 to 2004 as Mike Barton.
Kensuke Sasaki is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and founder of the now-defunct wrestling promotion Diamond Ring.
Kenta Kobashi is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler. He started his career in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1988, where he became one of the promotion's top stars, holding the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship three times, and winning the Champion Carnival in 2000. Kobashi left All Japan in June 2000, taking part in a mass exodus led by Mitsuharu Misawa, which led to the formation of Pro Wrestling Noah.
César Cuauhtémoc González Barrón was a Mexican luchador enmascarado. He was known best as Silver King, but also had an extensive stint as the third wrestler to portray the Black Tiger character. He was the son of luchador Dr. Wagner and the brother of Dr. Wagner Jr. González worked for many years with El Texano as the tag team "Los Cowboys," winning tag team championships in both Mexico and Japan.
José Luis Jair Soria is a Mexican retired luchador or professional wrestler, who works under the ring name Shocker. He currently works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in Mexico and has previously worked for AAA in Mexico, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, in the United States and New Japan Pro-Wrestling in Japan. Soria is a second-generation professional wrestler; his father, Rubén Soria, was an active wrestler from 1963 to the 1970s.
Yuji Nagata is a Japanese professional wrestler, and former mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Considered one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, he is the fifth longest-reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion with a reign of 392 days, and formerly held the record for most successful title defenses with 10, until Hiroshi Tanahashi broke the record at Wrestle Kingdom VI. He is the only wrestler to have won Japanese professional wrestling's three biggest singles tournaments; New Japan Pro-Wrestling's G1 Climax, All Japan Pro Wrestling's Champion Carnival and Pro Wrestling Noah's Global League. In addition, he is the only man to have held all four major heavyweight championships in Japanese professional wrestling, the IWGP, World, GHC and Triple Crown heavyweight championships, making him the only "Grand Slam" champion.
José Gutiérrez Hernández, better known by his ring name Último Guerrero, is a Mexican luchador, who works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He is not related to the lucha libre legend Gory Guerrero or any of his children; "Guerrero" in this case is the Spanish word for warrior and not the surname of the character. On September 19, 2014, Último Guerrero lost a Lucha de Apuestas match to Atlantis, after which he was forced to unmask and reveal his birth name.
Gary Mitchell Albright was an American professional wrestler best known for his work in Japan, first with UWF International (UWFi), and later All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). In AJPW, Albright was a two-time World Tag Team Champion. Albright was also known for his work with Stampede Wrestling in Canada, under his birth name as well as the ring name Vokhan Singh.
John Raymond Rivera, better known by his ring name Rocky Romero, is a Cuban-American professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a Vice President in both promotions. He is a member of Chaos. He also makes appearances for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and Major League Wrestling. Also known by his nickname "Azúcar ", he is best known for his accomplishments as a tag team wrestler. He was member of tag teams like The Havana Pitbulls/Los Cubanitos, Forever Hooligans, and Roppongi Vice. His tenure as the fourth incarnation of Black Tiger was also met with praise and recognition.
Arturo García Ortiz is a Mexican luchador or professional wrestler best known under the ring name Rey Bucanero. Ortiz, as Rey Bucanero, has worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) since 1996. His ring name is Spanish for "Buccaneer King", which was originally reflected in his mask that featured a skull face and an eye patch. Ortiz was unmasked in 1999 and has worked unmasked ever since.
José Luis Amezcua Muñoz is a Mexican professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, best known by his ring name Apolo Dantés. He is the son of Alfonso Dantés, a successful and respected professional wrestler during the 1960s and 1970s. He was a longtime mainstay of Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) throughout the 1990s and now owns and operates "Dantés Lucha Factory" in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Sensei is a Mexican luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler, currently working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He previously worked for International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) as Fantasy where he won several titles. Sensei's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans.
Mark Shrader is a retired American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter who competed in numerous independent promotions throughout the United States during the 1990s and early 2000s. Among these included Atlantic Terror Championship Wrestling, the Future Wrestling Alliance, East Coast Wrestling Association, Cueball Carmichael's Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance, Doug Flex's International Pro Wrestling, and the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation. Shrader also briefly appeared as a preliminary wrestler for the World Wrestling Federation.
Alejandro Jiménez Cruz is a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Dr. Cerebro. He has been associated with the Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) since his debut in 1996 and has portrayed both a tecnico and a Rudo wrestling character. He is also a licensed Chiropractor.
Power League Wrestling (PLW) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It was founded in Swansea, Massachusetts by Bob Evans and Mark Amaral in 1991, and later taken over by Amaral, Carlos Arenas, Paul Lauzon, and Tommy Degnan. It was the first and longest-running "indy" promotion in the state of Rhode Island and one of the few successful groups outside the Greater Boston Area.
Javier Espinosa Romero is a Mexican luchador, or masked professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Tony Rivera. As Rivera he is currently working on the Mexican professional wrestling independent circuit portraying a tecnico wrestling character. Rivera worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) for over 10 years, followed by him working on the Mexican independent circuit, particularly for International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) and International Wrestling League (IWL). He originally worked as an Enmascarado or masked wrestler under the ring names Paris and Renegado but has used the name Tony Rivera since 1996. Following his departure from CMLL he became an advocate for wrestlers rights and pay, including Rivera organizing a blockade of one of CMLL's major shows, the 2011 Juicio Final.