WWF Light Heavyweight Championship


The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Federation promotion. The title was challenged by light heavyweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs. It was created on March 26, 1981 for the Universal Wrestling Association in a partnership between the WWF and UWA. On 16 June 1995, the title moved to Michinoku Pro Wrestling, but due to WWF's ownership of the title, it was returned to the WWF in 1997, the year in which the WWE begins the championship's lineage. The inaugural champion in UWA was Perro Aguayo, however, the WWE considers the inaugural champion to be Taka Michinoku, with his reign beginning on. It was retired on March 8, 2002 with X-Pac as the final champion.

History

The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was first introduced in Japan in a tournament which ended with Perro Aguayo defeating Gran Hamada to become the first recognized champion. It then migrated to the US West Coast before transitioning to Mexico and then later being defended once again in Japan by way of the Michinoku Pro Wrestling promotion. The title would later become popularized and widely defended within the confines of the World Wrestling Federation in 1997, when a tournament was held in the United States to crown a champion. Before the tournament, the title was previously considered a part of the much venerated J-Crown.

1997 tournament

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Title deactivation

In March 2001, the WWF purchased World Championship Wrestling. Following the conclusion of the Invasion angle at the 2001 Survivor Series pay-per-view, the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was abandoned in favor of the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. The Light Heavyweight Championship was defended by X-Pac at house shows until March 8, 2002, when WWF finally deactivated the title. Simultaneously, the WCW Cruiserweight Championship was rebranded as the WWF Cruiserweight Championship. It would become the WWE Cruiserweight Championship in accordance with the company's name change in May 2002, and it would be defended until September 2007.