WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Infobox championship
championshipname=WWE Cruiserweight Championship


image_size=
caption=Matt Hardy as Cruiserweight Champion.
promotion=World Championship Wrestling (1990 — 2001), World Wrestling Entertainment (2002 — 2007)
brand=SmackDown! (WWE)
created=October 27,1991
titleretired=March 3, 2008
mostreigns=Rey Mysterio (8 reigns)
firstchamp=Brian Pillman
finalchamp=Hornswoggle
longestreign=Gregory Helms nobr| (385 Days)
shortestreign=Psicosis (<1 hour)
oldest=Chavo Classic nobr|(55 years, 160 days)
youngest=Hornswoggle nobr|(21 years, 51 days)
heaviest=Oklahoma nobr|(convert|260|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on)
lightest=Hornswoggle nobr|(convert|119|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on)
pastnames=small
*WCW Light Heavyweight Championship
*WCW Cruiserweight Championship
*WWF Cruiserweight Championship
pastlook

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs (97.5 kg) ^{[http://www.wwe.com/shows/thegreatamericanbash/matches/42789824/results/]} . During its tenure in WWE, it was exclusive to the SmackDown! brand.

History

The WWE Cruiserweight Championship was recognized as formerly being the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Light Heavyweight Championship. Following the title's introduction in 1991, a tournament was held to determine the inaugural champion. On October 27, Brian Pillman defeated Richard Morton in the tournament final to win the title. However, when Brad Armstrong was forced to relinquish the title due to injury on September 2 1992, it became inactive. Then, on March 20 1996, Shinjiro Otani defeated The Pegasus Kid in a decision match to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

In March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation purchased World Championship Wrestling. Soon after, "The Invasion" took place, in which the WCW/ECW Alliance was ultimately dismantled. Following Survivor Series 2001, the title was renamed the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) Cruiserweight Championship, replacing the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship. [ [http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/lightheavyweight/ WWE: Inside WWE > Title History > Light Heavyweight ] ] .

Following the WWF/WWE name change in 2002, the championship was subsequently referred to as the WWE Cruiserweight Championship and became exclusive to the SmackDown! brand. On September 28, 2007, the title was vacated after the final champion, Hornswoggle, was stripped of the championship by the SmackDown! General manager, Vickie Guerrero. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/09272007/articles/hornswoggled|title=Hornswoggled |accessdate=2007-11-12|publisher=WWE]

After a six month absence, on March 3 2008, WWE removed the championship from the active championship web page, where originally the title was listed as "vacant." Afterward, the title was removed from the active titles list on WWE's title histories web page to the defunct championship list. In this way, the title was quietly retired. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/|accessdate=2008-03-04|title=WWE Superstars|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment] [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/|accessdate=2008-03-04|title=WWE title histories|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment]

See also

*List of WWE Cruiserweight Champions
*List of WWE Cruiserweight Championship reigns by length
*WWF Light Heavyweight Championship

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/cruiser/ WCW/WWE Cruiserweight Title History]