dark match wrestlers

I was excited to see Super Comando on FSE this week. Even with now 4 hours of CMLL TV on a weekly basis, the very opening guys (and the minis) rarely make TV appearances. Comando’s spot here was probably pre-planned fill in duty, but it was also the first time he’s wrestled on either b-show.

Super Comando’s made 8 main show appearances since 2003 (the earliest I have CMLL TV indexed at the moment, and help with that would be nice) and also last December’s PPV,. I don’t get to see those shows regularly, and I was kinda surprised to see how much he has been on TV when I looked it up.

It got me to thinking, if the TV universe has been expanded so Super Comando is on TV every other month, than who’s taking his place as a guy who’s on a lot of DF cards but never making it to air? Thankfully, I have a large database of CMLL results for reasons like this.

SINCE 2003-01-01, only including CMLL shows at Arena Coliseo and Arena Mexico
TV appearances include main show, PPVs and both GdR shows, but not the old LA show*

People with 0 TV appearances, at least 15 matches.

19: Mano Negra Jr. – gone from promotion
23: Halcon Negro – ?
24: Meteorix – ?
27: Alacrán De Durango – ?
28: Mini Fantasy – Mini
29: Último Vampiro – regimmicked?
30: Sicod̩lico Jr. Рgone from promtoion
38: Ringo Mendoza – off TV
39: Bam Bam – mini
41: Zetta – ?
45: Explosivo – ?
48: Reyes Veloz – ?
59: Guerrero del Futuro – off TV
77: Sombrita – mini
83: Bracito de Oro – mini
87: Peque̱o Violencia Рmini, tv match if I go back a little farther
111: Rayo Tapatío I
113: Rayo Tapatío II

I’m sure both Rayo Tapatios have appeared if I go back far enough, but this is a long dry spell.

Most matches with least TV appearances

1 appearance: Vaquero, 115 matches. (Fire has 113)
2: Polvora (132)
3: Flecha (108)
4: Sombra de Plata (128)

Lowest rate of appearance, at least 10 TV matches

06.1%: Ramstein (12 of 198)
11.7%: Tiger Blanco (18 of 154)
12.7%: Apocalipsis (21 of 166)
12.8%: Valiente (12 of 94) – this number looks to be improving rapidly
14.7%: Neutron/Metro II (19 of 129)

Highest rate of appearance, at least 10 TV matches (aka Guys Who Don’t Work Tuesday Coliseo)

93.6%: Marco Corelone (44 of 47)
89.3%: El Hijo del Santo (25 of 28)
88.6%: El Hijo del Perro Aguayo (132 of 149)
88.5%: Kenzo Suzuki (23 of 26)
83.4%: Hector Garza (96 of 115)

(Groon is 7 of 8. Kid Tiger is 3 of 4!)

Most TV appearances
184: Ultimo Guerrero (301 matches)
165: Atlantis (289 matches)
164: Rey Bucanero (267 matches)
143: Mistico (222 matches)
141: Dr. Wagner Jr. (241 matches)

141: Negro Casas (281 matches)
132: Perro Aguayo Jr. (149 matches)
129: Universo 2000 (229 matches)
129: Tozcano (229 matches)
129: Averno (243 matches)

* – I don’t know why I don’t have this show in the database, but I should fix it. Weeks were there’s no TV records skew things. Stellar moments are not counted. Matches which air twice (Best Of) are counted twice. Naturally, numbers are as accurate as I can make them, but surely not 100%.

3 thoughts to “dark match wrestlers”

  1. This was an insanely fascinating read. Thanks a lot cubs.

    Some quick notes:

    Los Rayos Tapatios: Have never made the regular show UNLESS you stretch and count the Fox Sports version of CMLL TV which always included a bonus match or two since they had 30 extra minutes to fill. If you count that show, then they have a grand total of *1* CMLL TV appearence against Enemigo Publico and Fugaz in March 2001.

    OK, I already have to correct myself. Los Rayos Tapatios both made a 1 minute appearence in the Arena Coliseo Tag Team Title tournament show, losing to Fugaz and Virus. That tournament also included Jeque’s only TV match until this past year when he had the feud (if you wanna stretch and use that term) with Stuka Jr..

    Halcon Negro: He was released from the promotion in 2003 so maybe he shouldn’t count?

    Meteorix: Suffered a serious arm injury and might be retired by now.

    Alacran De Durango: Made the second ever Sin Limite show in an Arena Coliseo trios match opposing Sangre Azteca. First TV match since appearing regularly in 1996.

    Ultimo Vampiro: Semi-retirement.

    Zeta: Only TV appearence for a full match would have been a Feb. 2004 Guadalajara show where he teamed with ASTRO BOY.

    Guerrero Del Futuro: Not a comment having to do with this list but it’s hilarious to look back to mid-2001 when he was given the role of choosing which matches appear on television. Prior to that his last TV appearence was in 1996. How many times did he make TV after his promotion? I have at least 4 appearences within the first 3 months. No selfishness at all.:)

    Pequeno Violencia: Had the mask match with Pequeno Olimpico but it was only joined in progress. May 2003, IIRC.

    Ramstein: Can you imagine how lower his numbers would be if CMLL TV hadn’t switched to showing Coliseo segundas? Out of his 12 matches, at least 10 have to be from this change.

    I hope this wasn’t an attempt to get Henrik and I to stop complaining about which guys don’t get on TV. There will ALWAYS be people to complain about.:)

    Right now I’d love to see Astro Boy (II) get more TV time. I just saw his 5/6 GDL TV appearence and he was pretty awesome. Almost tried a suicidal assisted SFTD dive but chickened out.

    My current list of guys who need more TV time:

    – The mini’s (any will do but if I have to choose – Tzuki)
    – Astro Boy
    – Caligula
    – Messala
    – Stuka Jr.
    – Artillero
    – Flash
    – Dr. X
    – Zayco
    – Karisma (at least one appearence to see if he’s good)

    My current list of guys(well…) who need less TV time:

    – The women (all of them)
    – Fabian El Gitano
    – Loco Max
    – Trueno
    – Nitro
    – Arkangel
    – Apocalipsis
    – Starman

    More later.

  2. Cubs, really interesting stats but are you just trying to make me depressed?! :(

    Things are better now for sure, but like Rob says, there is still much to be sad about :(

    I’m not even that bothered about seeing loads of Flash, Super Nova, Comando, Stuka, Brillante etc just now. Sure it’s great to see them, but these are the youngest guys who have years and years of opportunities ahead of them – and with the way TV is going we won’t miss out on them.

    No, it’s guys like Ramstein, Neutron, Los Romanos, Sombra De Plata, Flecha, Jeque, Rayos Tapatios not making Tv which saddens me most – because even though some of these guys are barely 30, it feels as if their time is almost up and they are being passed by. The new wave of novatos are breaking through and it feels like these guys above who maybe peaked in the first half of the decade have missed their chance of decent exposure because TV coverage wasn’t so hot then. Thats why i’m so pleased when these guys air. But at the same time, when you see statistics like those above above, it really is quite saddening how little chance we’ve ever had to see these guys in relation to the number of matches they have had on TV taping cards. Hence my annoyance when the women came in around 2005 and almost always air in place of them – so don’t say my dislike of them is illogical! :)

    A few questions now;
    1) Do these Fox Sports versions of CMLL exist anywhere on tape? Does anyone even have lineups? I read that the Sangre/Fugaz~ V Ricky/Sombra lightning match that semi-mained Arena Mex in ’99 made this show – does that exist somehwere today? these are the shows that aired in Panama etc, right?

    2) was CMLL Guadalajara not air on TV between 2000 and late 2003?

    Might as well go for my folk who need more and less time now to round things off. I can wish. This could predictable :-p

    More
    1. Neutron
    2. Ramstein, once he reverts back to Fugaz
    3. Los Romanos
    4. Sombra De Plata
    5. Tigre Blanco
    A few Rayos Tapatios V Polvoro/Vaquero matches wouldn’t go amiss

    Less
    1. All the women
    2. La Mascara
    3. Marco Corleone
    4. Fabian El Gitano
    5. Nitro
    6. Leono
    7. Ultimo Dragon
    8. Loco Max
    9. Tony Rivera
    10. Olimpico

    PS – a bit harsh on Arkangel, Rob ;)

  3. The only Fox Sports stuff would be what I have. There is TONS more as I’ve been told by many people the show aired from mid-’99 to late 2001. My source from Panama eventually got tired of the expensive shipping to Canada, plus he was lazy, and lied by saying the show ended so there was no more to send.

    The Marvin/Plata vs Fugaz/Azteca match did indeed air and is a lost classic.:(

    As for CMLL Guadalajara, they’ve been on the air for years and years. Just the other day I was watching a 2001 show with Ricky Marvin and Virus. There is supposedly a classic match which was called the best match held in Guadalajara in years around the time Rey Jr./Psicosis first showed up in CMLL. I think the match was Rey/Santo/Aguila/HSN against Psic/Juventud/Halloween/Damian. Someone was supposed to send me a copy but never came through.:(

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