Saturday, July 07, 2012

Ultimo Guerrero = Selfish Booker, Genius or both?

Just something random that popped into my head while scouring CMLL results in 2011/2012. Ultimo Guerrero is developing into one of the better manipulators in Mexico. Every year Cubsfan of the fabulous luchablog.com puts together a list of CMLL Win/Loss Records. A funny thing shows up when you look at the 2011 list:

MOST WINS:

90 Último Guerrero - oddly high for a rudo

MOST LOSSES:

72 La Máscara
69 La Sombra
68 Máscara Dorada
68 Shigeo Okumura
66 Último Guerrero

The fact Ultimo Guerrero wins a lot isn't debateable. He was #1. The only person even remotely close to him was La Mascara and half those wins were in his feud with Averno. The curious thing is Ultimo Guerrero also lost a lot. But does that tell the whole story? Let's take a look at all his non-standard trios matches from 2011 & so far in 2012:

(I'm starting around the time it became fact that he was part of booking team in late March 2011)

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CMLL (FRI) 04/08/2011 Arena Mexico
6) Escorpion & Último Guerrero b Máscara Dorada & Metal Blanco [Gran Alternativa, final]


CMLL (TUE) 04/12/2011 Arena Mexico
6) Dragón Rojo Jr. & Último Guerrero b La Máscara & La Sombra [CMLL TAG]


CMLL (FRI) 04/29/2011 Arena Mexico
5) Último Guerrero b Hirooki Goto [CMLL HEAVY]
 

CMLL (SUN) 06/12/2011 Arena Mexico
5) Último Guerrero b Rush [CMLL HEAVY]
 

CMLL (FRI) 07/29/2011 Arena Mexico
4) Mr. Niebla b Atlantis, Máximo, Rush, Héctor Garza, Blue Panther, Shocker, Terrible, Texano, Hijo del Fantasma, Rey Bucanero, Strong Man, Último Guerrero, Ángel de Oro, Psicosis, Metro [LdA, cibernetico]

(Guerrero was pinned by Strongman) 

CMLL (FRI) 08/12/2011 Arena Mexico
6) Héctor Garza b Último Guerrero [CMLL HEAVY]
 

CMLL (FRI) 09/02/2011 Arena Mexico
12) Dragón Rojo Jr. & Último Guerrero b Atlantis & Guerrero Maya Jr. [CMLL TAG]
 

CMLL (FRI) 09/09/2011 Arena Mexico
4) Último Guerrero b Rush [CMLL Universal, eightfinal]
8) Último Guerrero b Hiroshi Tanahashi [CMLL Universal, quarterfinal]
10) Averno b Último Guerrero [CMLL Universal, semifinal]
 

CMLL (FRI) 09/23/2011 Arena Mexico
5) Atlantis b Último Guerrero
 

CMLL (SUN) 11/20/2011 Arena Mexico
4) Shocker b Atlantis, Felino, Volador Jr., La Máscara, Rey Bucanero, Jushin Lyger, Último Guerrero, Metro, Negro Casas, Super Porky, Terrible, Averno, Máximo, Texano, Delta [cibernetico, Copa Revolución Mexicana]
(Guerrero went to a double pin with Lyger)
 

CMLL (FRI) 12/09/2011 Arena Mexico
4) Último Guerrero b Jushin Lyger
 

CMLL (FRI) 02/03/2012 Arena Mexico
4) Atlantis b Último Guerrero


CMLL (FRI) 02/24/2012 Arena Mexico
10) Rush & Terrible b Marco Corleone & Último Guerrero [natl pi, semifinal]


CMLL (SUN) 03/18/2012 Arena Mexico
5) Último Guerrero b La Sombra


CMLL (FRI) 03/30/2012 Arena Mexico
8) Dragon Lee & Rush b Niebla Roja & Último Guerrero


CMLL (SUN) 04/01/2012 Arena Coliseo
5) Último Guerrero b Shocker
 

CMLL (TUE) 05/01/2012 Arena Mexico
5) Dragón Rojo Jr. & Último Guerrero b Blue Panther & Diamante Azul [CMLL TAG]
 

CMLL (SUN) 06/03/2012 Arena Coliseo
6) Último Guerrero b Diamante Azul

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What can we interpret from that list? A few things.

6. Ultimo Guerrero rarely loses a major match.

5. Hiroshi Tanihashi only took one deciding pinfall in his visit to Mexico. It was to Ultimo Guerrero.

4. Jushin Lyger was in a generous mood during his Mexico stay and lost three seperate singles matches. One to Volador Jr., one to Ultimo Guerrero & one to Dragon Rojo. How did he lose that match to Dragon Rojo? Ultimo Guerrero low blowed him outside the ring.

3. The most overtly protected wrestler in CMLL since the start of 2011 has been Rush. Ultimo Guerrero has defeated him two times. Out of Rush's 15 other singles matches in the time period, how many has he lost? Just 1. The finals of the CMLL Heavyweight Title tournament which everyone figures is just so he can win the belt back from Terrible at some point this year.

2. The only loss to anyone other than Atlantis (who Ultimo has no problem losing to since it keeps their feud on the backburner - think Canek vs Wagner over the years) was when Hector Garza pinned him. I can't figure that one out but not many people can since Garza ended up quitting the promotion 2 months later.

And the most important thing in my opinion...

1. For a guy who is constantly in the main event mix on a week-to-week basis Ultimo Guerrero has never lost to any of the top CMLL tecnicos besides Atlantis. La Mascara, La Sombra, Rush, Mascara Dorada, Shocker, Maximo, Diamante Azul, Blue Panther, etc. are all without wins over Ultimo. In fact he defeated Diamante Azul within 3 months of his "big debut" in a match where losing at Arena Coliseo would have meant nothing. Aside from losing the Universal Title tournament semi-final to Averno he's also never lost to any of the other top CMLL rudos: Mephisto, Terrible, Rey Bucanero, Texano (at the time), Negro Casas, Volador Jr., Mr. Niebla, etc. It's not as if CMLL is against rudo vs rudo matches - there have been plenty of those. The 2011 Anniversary was headlined by one. Yet somehow Ultimo Guerrero avoids getting involved and when he does he wins (beating Mr. Niebla in Puebla for example).

Question: So how is Ultimo Guerrero racking up all these losses?

Answer: Lots and lots and lots of meaningless unmemorable trios matches where most of the time he likely isn't even involved in taking the pinfalls/submissions.

Is Ultimo Guerrero a selfish booker? You just read all that... you decide.

Is Ultimo Guerrero smart? Hell fucking yes! He's managed to position himself as an invincible wrestler much the same way El Hijo Del Santo & Dr. Wagner Jr. have over the course of their careers. Pretty elite company.