by Bruce Bostwick

Created on: December 15, 2009   Last Updated: December 20, 2011

The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was a title that had been created as the counterpart to the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.  It was a way for giving guys who were really Cruiserweights a chance to have a title to go for outside of being a tag team champion.   Due to the fact that WWE only recognized title changes from 1997 to 2001, it is going to be the focus but will have a mention of its history going back a little bit further from different promotions so to speak.

The first champion in history would be a man named Taka Michinoku. He would go on to defeat Brian Christopher for the championship. He had a run with it that lasted almost one full year. He would go on to lose it to Christian, who was actually debuting in the company at that particular time. He would lose the championship to Gillberg. Speaking of Gillberg, the championship was pretty much forgotten about and it seemed like that it was being made to be forgotten about. His character was a parody of Goldberg.

He held the title for over a year without really defending the title and would eventually lose the title to Essa Rios. He held the title until losing it to Dean Malenko. He traded the championship with Scotty 2 Hotty. Crash Holly would go on to claim the championship himself. Jerry Lynn would take it briefly but would then lose it to Jeff Hardy.

Jeff Hardy would go on to hold the title until losing it to X-Pac. He then traded the title with Taijiri. There were plans to have him defend the title and unify it with the Cruiserweight Championship but the title was retired quietly and by the time X-Pac returned, nobody really cared that he was indeed the last Light Heavyweight Champion in the history of the World Wrestling Federation, now World Wrestling Entertainment.

It should be interesting to note that Gillberg is actually the longest running champion and that probably had something to do with not wanting to do something serious with the championship. He was more of a comedy character and had been involved with the J.O.B. Squad. Christian would get the championship rather quickly. It is interesting to note that there are some names that held the title that are not recognized in the World Wrestling Federation would be Chris Benoit, then known as The Pegasus Kid, Ultimo Dragon, and Jushin Liger. Only two of them have actually worked in the company at that time. It was in Mexico for some time.

The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship used to exist only for a few years in the company.  It is unlikely that it will ever return.  There will not be any chances of seeing it return because of the fact it probably will not get pushed anytime soon but who knows for sure.  All that can be said is that it had a history and was useful for a brief period of time.

If they decide to go on a hiring of Light Heavyweight or Cruiserweight type wrestlers, it is possible that this title may return instead of the Cruiserweight Title but would almost be regarded as new history.  Of course, it’s just a matter of perspective.  Until the day happens, it is one that must be seen to be believed.

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