Day: May 15, 2012

Who is the best luchador in CMLL? A question that everyone wonders about, except maybe CMLL. It’s fun to do rankings to determine the top guy, but you know what’s even more fun that? Math. Record was doing a crazy intrict system to rate US and Mexico wrestlers based on a whole bunch of different criteras, but didn’t get to finish out it’s planned year of tracking. I’m looking for something a bit simplier.

To that aim, I’ve come up with CMLL rankings based on the ELO rating system, developed for ranking chess players. Chess and lucha libre have so much in common (the chess has the little piece shaped as a horse, CMLL has Bronco, both move oddly), it just seemed like a natural choice.

(I later found out MookieGhana had done the same bit.)

Critera
– only matches in the last two years are counted. Statue of limitations, really.
– only singles matches count. This is trying to mimic reality (and it was easiest.)
– all singles matches count the same. Blue Panther vs Negro Casas counts exactly as much as a rookie opening match in GDL. This turns out to be hilarious.
– only matches in Mexico, Coliseo, Puebla, and Guadalajara count. Again, trying to mimic reality.
– only matches with results count, which leaves out some GDL stuff I haven’t figured out.
– Draws are half wins.

The part I barely understand
Everyone starts at 1200. I’ve settled on a K-Factor of 50, which the most points you can pick up in a win, but only if you’re the very worst and they’re the very best. This rating system means you gain a lot by beating someone very ahead of you, and little by losing to someone already close to you. 50 is a much larger swing than you’d find in Chess, or what Mookie used in his survey, but CMLL singles matches are generally rare and important things.

What do we come up with?

(as of May 10th)
Místico: 1354
Rush: 1347
Dragón Rojo Jr.: 1341
Pólvora: 1326
Amapola: 1312
Virus: 1310
Tondar: 1302
Shigeo Okumura: 1300
Fuego: 1299
Leo (GDL): 1296
Princesa Blanca: 1292
Volador Jr.: 1288
Gallo: 1285
Averno: 1285
Marcela: 1280
Máscara Dorada: 1278
Silueta: 1275
Pequeño Olímpico: 1273
La Sombra: 1272
La Máscara: 1268

CMLL’s problems in a nutshell: Mistico is still the best, and he hasn’t been here in 16 months. Otherwise, this is a more intersting set of results than the year end win/loss tables I do, with more of a rudo/tecnico mix. Rudos tend to lose 2/3rds of the match overall, but they do better in singles blow offs to feuds. Tecnicos do especially well in opening card rookies matches, which is how Tondar(!) finishes six. I thought those who have been in single match heavy situations (tournaments, Forjando de un Idolo) might finish higher, but that doens’t seem to be the case. Okumura has not lost a singles match in two years (he’s won four) and would be higher if I could bring myself to enter the Valiente result.

On the other side, the bottom 10:

Niebla Roja: 1114
Princesa Maya: 1114
Infierno: 1114
Templario: 1110
Raziel: 1099
Quca: 1097
Puma King: 1096
Mephisto: 1088
In Memoriam: 1065
Psicosis II: 1006

Psicosis’ number is amazing. It takes some great effort to be 59 points away from the next closest person under the system. That’s what happens when you’re 0-12 in singles matches. The first one was May 10th 2 years ago, so he’s better if I reran it now, because some of those are cleared off. No chance of him actually winning something. In related news, no one pays to see the Invasors. Mephisto is good enough to be in title match, not good enough to win them. Puma’s poor performance in tournaments hurts him. Lots of GDL novato rudos. Guerrero Maya almost made this list, which caught me off guard. I guess he’s a trios specialist!

One more try: let’s throw out Guadalajara & Puebla because they don’t actually count either. (Sorry, Porra Fresa & Fuego en el Ring.) What does it look like now?

Top 10:

Dragón Rojo Jr.: 1354 La Sombra: 1344
La Máscara: 1317
Pólvora: 1306
Amapola: 1295
Virus: 1289
Averno: 1287
Marcela: 1270
Último Guerrero: 1269
Rush: 1265

(Mistico falls to 11)

Dragon Rojo is random, but that’s what winning single elimination tournaments will do for you. Polvora’s helped by that as well. Virus is just great.

Bottom 10:

Loco Max: 1134
Niebla Roja: 1130
Cancerbero: 1127
Bam Bam: 1126
Princesa Sugheit: 1126
Puma King: 1125
Máximo: 1123
Triton: 1111
Raziel: 1102
Psicosis II: 1099

Psicosis, still poor. Rey Cometa actually tied with Loco Max, but I left him off.

If I were to do this again, and do it a bit seriously, I’d obviously have to change the valuation for wins. All wins are not created equal, especially the wins that come in 3 minutes in the quartefinals of a soon to be forgetton tournament. I do think this might be amusing as a something to keep track of monthly, though it seems mostly just confirm what we already know.

LyC (SUN) 05/13/2012 Arena Coliseo Monterrey [LMdLL]
1) Rey Orion b Xtreme Boy, Angelus, Dark Fenix
2) Golden Boy & Rey Demonio Jr. b Hijo Del Mongol Chino & Misionero
3) Lady Puma, Ninja Jr., Silencio b Gemelo Muerte I, Gemelo Muerte II, Sexy Star
4) Rico Rodriguez & Zorro b Neurosis & Simbolo
5) Hijo del Ninja b Héctor Garza, El Elegido, Toscano
Ninja snuck in a foul on Garza.

Attendance was better than the typical ACM show but seems disappointing for Ninja’s first unmasked match and the AAA wrestlers being in. There’s only a couple pictures up, but it looks like the bleachers were empty and the floor seats were moderately filled.

Today is the 20th Anniversary of the first AAA show. AAA was announced as forming on May 7th, 1992, then ran it’s first show in Veracruz this day 20 years ago. (There’s a spot show there today.) The first show led off with one of Antonio Pena’s innovations, a high energy minis match, and the second match featured the debut of Winners, the future Abismo Negro.

It’s also the 20th anniversary of the La Parka character. Principe Island was most recently a notable indy wrestler but not part of CMLL or UWA when AAA scooped him up for one of their most iconic characters. Parka teamed with Fuerza Guerrera (still around, not on good terms with AAA) and Ice Killer (who’s reapperaed in the last few years as a small time promoter) took take on Angel Azteca (deceased), Justiciero (promoter of Coliseo Coacalco), and Octagon (still around, now much more round.) The main event was Hermanos Dinamitas vs Fantasma, Mascara Sagrada and Perro Aguayo Sr., all of who are still around, though none with AAA. The two referees on that show, Pepe Casas & Tirantes, are still refereeing on opposite sides, but in opposite promotions. Konnan (prohibited from wrestling due to CMLL holding up his visa), Juvi (who had just debuted), Hijo del Santo, and Blue Panther are active names who appeared at that initial press conference and appeared on later shows. It took a few months of securing arenas and local promoters before they could run enough shows to get everyone working.

The whole thing was incredible risk for everyone involved; if AAA had failed, all those who left CMLL would face a lot of resistance returning there, and the ringleaders (Octagon, Konnan and Pena) are still blackballed from the promotion. Some people might have made it into UWA, but those three had their careers on the line.

As much as Televisa has maligned AAA in recent years, the promotion still owes the media company a huge debt of gratitude. AAA never exists, much less last 20 years, had Televisa not agreed to fund the promotion and give it a TV slot. AAA was treated by Televisa as equal or more important than CMLL, which must’ve been a big help in getting the promotion accepted as a major deal right away. Antonio Pena capitalized on the opportunity, and AAA launched into one of the hottest periods any wrestling company has ever had.

Rob has highlights of 05/1 CMLL.

Links

• AAA has highlights of the Leon taping.
• Mr. Cacao shows off a Mascara Dorada mask he’ll be wearing shortly. Cacao is making a special mask for a CMLL wrestler each month this year.
• Cronicas Y Leyendas has an interview with Sangre Chicana from 1982.
• Zombie Blood Fights – a great name – has pictures and a recap from the Lucha Libre USA show in San Antonio.
• Los Bastardos are having a children’s drawing contest.

Lucha Libre in Japan

The Lucha Libre Fan Fest will air on Samurai TV, between June 18th and June 24th.

Angel de Oro’s Best of Super Juniors match versus Prince Devitt, Taichi, and Rocky Romero will take place on TV tapings. Not sure if any of the others will surface; two years ago, NJPW uploaded all of the matches to their YouTube channel, but only showed highlights last year.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 05/21/2012 Arena Puebla
1) Tigre Rojo & Tigre Rojo Jr. vs King Jaguar & Sauron
2) Estrellita, Luna Mágica, Marcela vs Amapola, Princesa Sugheit, Tiffany
3) Arissma, Asturiano, Espiritu Maligno, Lestat, Milenium, Stigma vs Dragon Lee, Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso, Puma King, Skándalo, Súper Comando [cibernetico]
4) Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., La Sombra vs Mr. Águila, Olímpico, Psicosis
5) Atlantis vs Volador Jr.

The cibernetico is a rematch of a really great one back in 2010, though the DF team doesn’t have Raziel this time. Puebla team might be able to take this.