| WWF Light Heavyweight Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship belt with the WWF scratch logo (c. 2001) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Details | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Promotion | Universal Wrestling Association (March 26, 1981 – June 16, 1995) Michinoku Pro Wrestling (June 16, 1995 – November 5, 1997) World Wrestling Federation (November 5, 1997 – March 8, 2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date established | March 26, 1981 December 7, 1997 (as per WWE's official title history) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date retired | March 8, 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | |||||||||||||||||||||
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TheWWF Light Heavyweight Championship was aprofessional wrestling championship in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) promotion. The title was challenged bylight heavyweights at a maximum weight of 215 lb (98 kg) (before deactivation, the weight limit was changed to 220 lb (100 kg)). It was created on March 26, 1981, for theUniversal Wrestling Association (UWA) in a partnership between the WWF and UWA. On June 16, 1995, the title moved toMichinoku Pro Wrestling, but due to WWF's ownership of the title, it was returned to the WWF in 1997, the year which WWErecognizes as the beginning of the championship's lineage. The inaugural champion in UWA wasPerro Aguayo, however, the WWE considers the inaugural champion to beTaka Michinoku, with his reign beginning onDecember 7, 1997. It was retired on March 8, 2002, withX-Pac as the final champion.
| Quarterfinals (Raw is War) | Semifinals (Raw is War) | Finals (D-Generation X: In Your House) | ||||||||||||
| Nov. 3 | Águila | Pin | ||||||||||||
| Hershey | Super Loco | 5:12 | ||||||||||||
| Nov. 252 | Águila | Pin | ||||||||||||
| Roanoke | Taka Michinoku | 6:19 | ||||||||||||
| Nov. 10 | Taka Michinoku | Pin | ||||||||||||
| Ottawa | Devon Storm | 5:00 | ||||||||||||
| Dec. 7 | Taka Michinoku | Pin | ||||||||||||
| Springfield | Brian Christopher | 12:00 | ||||||||||||
| Nov. 111 | Eric Shelley | Pin | ||||||||||||
| Cornwall | Scott Taylor4 | 5:27 | ||||||||||||
| Nov. 252 | Scott Taylor | Forf3 | ||||||||||||
| Roanoke | Brian Christopher | |||||||||||||
| Nov. 24 | Brian Christopher | Pin | ||||||||||||
| Fayetteville | Flash Flanagan | 3:30 | ||||||||||||
Notes:
1This match aired on November 17.
2These matches aired on December 1.
3Christopher won by forfeit afterKane chokeslammed Taylor before Christopher made his way to the ring, leaving Taylor unable to compete.
4Per brackets displayed early in the tournament,Jerry Lynn was originally slated to face Eric Shelley. He was replaced by Scott Taylor.
In March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation purchasedWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW). Following the conclusion of theInvasion angle at the2001 Survivor Series pay-per-view, the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was abandoned in favor of theWCW Cruiserweight Championship (a unification match at Survivor Series was cancelled due to X-Pac's injury). The Light Heavyweight Championship was defended byX-Pac at house shows until March 8, 2002, when the 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.[1][2]
The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was first introduced inJapan in a tournament which ended withPerro Aguayo defeatingGran Hamada to become the first recognized champion. It then migrated to the US West Coast before transitioning toMexico and then later being defended once again inJapan 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 theUnited States to crown a champion. Before the tournament, the title was previously considered a part of the much veneratedJ-Crown.