(the 2022 Tapatia awards voting is closing in a few days, vote now)
This post is the annual summary of hundreds of hours of work building and maintaining a database of every known Mexico and lucha libre event in the past year. The number of those shows remains down from 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will likely remain down for 2022 as well. You can find the typical list of disclaimers at the end of this post and can see the complete win/loss records and other data on this Google Sheet. It’s all on one sheet, I thought to just set up filters this year.
Shows for each year, over the last ten. (Number in parenthesis indicates the change since I ran these numbers a year ago – ‘new’ shows discovered or duplicates removed.)
Year: Shows 2012: 2901 (0) 2013: 2879 (+20) 2014: 5589 (+1) 2015: 6424 (+4) 2016: 7117 (+6) 2017: 6108 (+4) 2018: 6346 (+1) 2019: 6922 (-5) 2020: 2162 (+5) 2021: 3993
It seemed like the difference between 2020 and 2021 was even bigger than that number. It’s still a long way off from normal. This number felt like maybe I hadn’t done as much as I thought in 2021.
Events Actually Added To LuchaDB In During The Year (No Matter What Year They Happened)
2015: 11,536 2016: 9,774 2017: 8,629 2018: 9,682 2019: 7,696 2020: 5,909 2021: 12,315
I was stunned to discover that 12,315 number. I can put together what happened – I got through the 80s lucha libre magazines, where the Box y Lucha weekly calendar of events becomes standard, and I worked on them to the exclusion of a lot of other work – but I didn’t anticipate it going up that much. I really don’t know what I’ll do once I finish the rest of those magazines, and I’ve only got a couple of dozen left from the original set at this point.
Most Matches
2008: Ultimo Guerrero (228)
2009: La Parka Jr. (211)
2010: Mistico (204)
2011: Último Guerrero & La Mascara (188)
2012: Último Guerrero (189)
2013: Último Guerrero (205)
2014: Atlantis (215)
2015: Atlantis (207)
2016: Atlantis (217)
2017: Último Guerrero & Psycho Clown (204)
2018: Último Guerrero (205)
2019: Caristico (223)
2020: Joe Lider (67)
2021: Psycho Clown (138)
I don’t count US ‘mainstream’ indie events like GCW and AIW, so Psycho Clown may have nudged over 150 for the year. It’s an incredible amount of matches given how little work there was for most people, but it’s consistent with Psycho Clown’s work ethic.
Psycho Clown matches each year:
2015: 130
2016: 191
2017: 204
2018: 200
2019: 208
2020: 57
2021: 138
Ten wrestlers had at least 100 recorded matches
138 Psycho Clown 134 Hijo del Espectro (Laguna) 126 Místico (Myzteziz, Carístico) 126 Jessy Ventura 113 Último Guerrero 112 Atlantis Jr. 111 Volador Jr. 107 Pagano 102 Toxin 100 Joe Lider
Joe Lider’s done media interviews where he said he did crazy things in matches because he wasn’t sure if he would get booked elsewhere and wan’t sure what was there for him when he left for AAA. What’s turned out be there are a lot of bookings. Most low level show, but he’s hustled.
Most Wins
2008: Blue Panther (97)
2009: Mistico (110)
2010: Mistico (128)
2011: Último Guerrero (90)
2012: Atlantis (93)
2013: La Mascara (102)
2014: Atlantis (99)
2015: Volador Jr. (113)
2016: Volador Jr. (120)
2017: Volador Jr. (120)
2018: Caristico (115)
2019: Caristico (126)
2020: Caristico (37)
2021: Mistico/Carisico (68)
As always, this is a measure of which tecnico is both at the top and wrestling the most. Volador, Atlantis Jr., and Titan are right behind; I guess the mystery here is if/when Atlantis Jr. gets to the lead. IWRG wrestlers fared well simply because we get those results and very few other results turn up.
Most Losses
2008: Averno (84)
2009: Negro Casas (86)
2010: Negro Casas (75)
2011: La Mascara (72)
2012: Último Guerrero (79)
2013: Último Guerrero (84)
2014: Último Guerrero (82)
2015: Último Guerrero (80)
2016: Último Guerrero (91)
2017: Último Guerrero (92)
2018: Último Guerrero (99)
2019: Mephisto (91)
2020: Stuka (29)
2021: Toxin (38)
Poor Toxin makes the list not because he’s a big loser, but because he shows up in a lot of places that actually bother to put out results of their shows (or air on TV and I pay attention to them.) Atlantis Jr. & Mephisto are right behind at 36.
I don’t do yearly draw stats. I’ll note here Demonio Infernal ended up with 9, nearly 20% of his matches with finishes. Fresero was right behind at 8. Los Negociantes have a lot of matches where neither side feels like losing, even in a scene where there are plenty of cheap and meaningless wins and losses.
Best Win % (with at least 10 known results)
2008: Psycho Clown & Zombie Clown (100%)
2009: Psycho Circus (100%)
2010: Tondar (GDL) (100%)
2011: Mini Monster Clown (90%)
2012: Rayo de Oro (Guatemala) (97%)
2013: Tinieblas Jr. (90%)
2014: William Rock/Pequeno Violencia (92%)
2015: Súper Muñeco (93%)
2016: Huracán Ramírez (85%)
2017: Huracán Ramírez (90%)
2018: Tinieblas Jr. (91%)
2019: Microman (87%)
2020: Muerte Extrema (90%)
2021: Estrella de Jalisco I (2021) (90%)
Estrella de Jalisco I (or maybe Estrella de Jalisco Jr. I) is an Arena Coliseo Guadalajara guy I added to the database just before doing these stats. He’s mostly a prelim guy, usually teaming with Estrella de Jalisco II. An Estrella de Jalisco I of a previous era became Guadalajara mainstay Gallo, so there’s a decent chance those are his sons. 90% here translates to 9-1. Brazo Celestial, one-third of Los Bad Boys, went 8-1-1.
If we raise the minimum matches to 25
77% Ultimo Dragoncito (21-6)
75% Psycho Clown (26-8-2)
73% Chik Tormenta (20-7-1)
70% Mistico (68-28-2)
68% Legendario (29-13-1)
68% Vangellys (17-8)
Worst loss % (with at least 10 known results)
2008: Carrona (0%)
2009: Espectrito (0%)
2010: Metailk II (GDL) (11%)
2011: Akron (13%)
2012: Mini Talisman (8%)
2013: Estrella De Fuego (5%)
2014: Psicosis I/Nicho el Millionario (0%)
2015: Lady Shani (5%)
2016: Nahual (Morelos) (10.53%)
2017: Pitbull I (Jalisco) & Flayer Boy (9%)
2018: Rey Muerte (Guerrero) (0%)
2019: Mije (0%)
2020: La Guerrera (CMLL) (0%)
2021: Quca (0%)
Quca/Quka/Cuca is a prelim Arena Coliseo Guadalajara wrestler who was on both tecnico and rudo sides and didn’t win either way.
with a minimum of 25 decisions:
24% Electrico 29% Noisy Boy 30% Drone/Hombre Bala Jr. 31% Blue Panther 31% La Metalica
Events by State (at least 100 events)
648 Estado de México 413 Jalisco 406 Coahuila 395 Distrito Federal 255 Veracruz 190 Nuevo León 157 Tamaulipas 153 Baja California 152 Puebla 140 Texas 139 Durango 115 Hidalgo
There’s been a half dozen arenas running regularly in Coahuila and Jalisco, where that hasn’t been possible Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Or, they’ve kept it quiet.
Events by arena
176 Arena México 81 Arena Naucalpan 56 Arena Lopez Mateos 54 Arena Roberto Paz, Guadalajara, Jalisco 49 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara 47 Arena Olimpico Laguna, Gomez Palacio, Durango 44 Coliseo Coacalco, Coacalco, Estado de México 44 Arena Azteca, Torreón, Coahuila 42 Arena Lucha Time, Monterrey, Nuevo León 41 Arena Colon, Torreón, Coahuila
Arena Roberto Paz runs twice a week when it can get away with it.
Most Matches on AAA TV Tapings
27 Octagon Jr., Hijo del Vikingo, Laredo Kid 23 Latigo & Abismo Negro Jr.
Most Arena Mexico matches
45 Volador Jr. 40 Mistico/Caristico 37 Euforia 36 Terrible 34 Titán/Ángel de Oro
Negro Casas, who was 61 most of 2021, was sixth at 33.
Most Arena Naucalpan matches
53 Aster Boy 49 Puma de Oro 47 Tonalli 41 Dick Angelo 3G 40 Jessy Ventura 40 Toxin 37 Rey Halcón Jr. (2017) 36 Legendario (Estado de México, 2013) 33 Satania (2015) 33 Sol (2017)
This includes the Tryout matches, or at least the Tryout matches I was able to record. It probably helped Aster Boy get all the way into first. A lot of midcard guys on this list; the top guys come and go.
Specific limiting factors
- As with 2020, 2021 saw a fewer amount of shows run because it was either unsafe or unprofitable to run events. It also saw an unknown but likely significant amount of shows run with no or minimal only advertising to escape notice from the authorities.
- I’m doing this a little earlier than usual, so there are some lineups being added (usually because a video posted on YouTube for a show I wasn’t previously aware of and may have led to other lineups)
- CMLL numbers remain messy, brought on by the unknown taping dates of the empty arena shows. Most empty arena matches are recorded on the date they first aired, though we know these tapings were combined into weekly mass tapings. The last round of empty arena matches was recorded in the luchadb instead with a single taping day per month. (That’s the new plan going forward if CMLL is forced to return to empty arena tapings in 2022.)
- There are also a few indie promotions with similar taping date issues from the first three months of the year, though far fewer than last year. Monterrey’s KAOZ and Lucha Time are the two that stick out the most.
- AAA records are potentially missing a handful of empty arena matches taped but never aired on Space. A couple aired on Azteca that didn’t air elsewhere. There may be more didn’t air elsewhere, though probably less than 10 total.
- Up until 2019, I’d do an end of year check where I’d look at buildings that had 25 shows, determine if there were running on a regular schedule, then look to see if there were obviously missing shows in that schedule. I’d know to hunt in Facebook if a building was running every Thursday and there was a couple of Thursdays missing. That usually found 50-100 extra events. I haven’t done this check the last couple of years because schedules have been to erratic to find those patterns.
- I’ve tried to mark matches as canceled (no match) on shows which did not take place, and those matches are not counted before. Cancelations aren’t always announced or recorded, so many of them are probably in the ? (unknown outcome) pile.
- There’s also general exhaustion and lesser curiosity on my part; I’m putting in the posters that get to me (which still is a lot) and not as much rooting through Facebook to find missing venues. If I’ve got extra time devoted to typing in lineups, I’ve shifted it towards the old magazine research project I’ve been doing – it seems more sound to spend that time adding missing lineups from big promotions rather than obscure groups that don’t exist to me outside of a hastily designed JPG.
- In the same vein, there are a lot of matches where no one posted results and I could’ve still worked if I spent a minute watching video of the match I have in the database, but those minutes collectively felt better spent elsewhere. This is probably always going to be a one-person project but I’ve hit the ceiling on what one person can do and that ceiling seems like it’s coming downward.