NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship

Background

The first light heavyweight division professional wrestling championship recognized in Mexico was the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship, created in 1942, sanctioned by the Mexico City boxing and wrestling commission and promoted by a number of different Mexican professional wrestling promotions including Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL; Spanish for "Mexican Wrestling Enterprise"). In 1953, EMLL joined the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and in 1957 EMLL was given control of the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship after it had been inactive for around four years. From 1957 on the championship was defended primarily in Mexico on EMLL shows and occasionally in Southern California during the 1970s.

In the late 1980s, EMLL left the NWA to avoid the politics of that organization. On September 26, 1991, CMLL determined the first ever holder of the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship as Jerry Estrada defeated Pierroth Jr. in the finals of a tournament.

In 2010, the NWA, represented by NWA Mexico president Blue Demon Jr., reached out to CMLL and asked them to stop using the NWA-branded championships since they were not part of the NWA. Blue Demon Jr. was in the process of establishing NWA Mexico as a promotion and wanted to use the championship. There had been previous attempts by the NWA to gain back control of the three NWA-branded championships that CMLL used, the light heavyweight championship as well as the NWA World Welterweight Championship and the NWA World Middleweight Championship, but in those instances, CMLL had not responded to those requests at all. The promotion did not directly respond to the latest claim; the NWA Welterweight Champion, Mephisto, commented instead, simply stating that the championships belonged to CMLL. Finally, on August 12, 2010, CMLL debuted the new NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship belt and named El Texano Jr., the final CMLL-recognized NWA World Light Heavyweight Champion, as the inaugural champion.

Reigns

Atlantis Jr. is he current champion in his first reign. He defeated Stuka Jr. For the championship on February 4, 2023. He is the eighth overall champion and the sixth individual to hold the title. Rey Bucanero is the only wrestler to have won the championship on two occasions and also holds the distinction of holding the record for the longest reign as his first reign with the championship lasted 714 days in total. Of all the champions El Texano Jr. and Shocker are the only champions to never have a successful championship defense. Hechicero's 641-day reign from 2016 to 2018 saw Hechicero successfully defend the championship six times, the most of any champion.

Rules

The official definition by the Mexican lucha libre commission for the light heavyweight division in Mexico is between 92 kg and 97 kg. In the 20th century CMLL were generally consistent and strict about enforcing the actual weight limits. However, in the 21st century the official definitions have at times been overlooked for certain champions. One example of this was when Mephisto, officially listed as 90 kg, won the CMLL World Welterweight Championship, a weight class with a 78 kg upper limit. While the heavyweight championship is traditionally considered the most prestigious weight division in professional wrestling, CMLL places more emphasis on the lower weight divisions, often promoting those ahead of the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship.

Championship matches usually take place under best two-out-of-three falls rules. On occasion single fall title matches have taken place, especially when promoting CMLL title matches in Japan, conforming to the traditions of the local promotion.

Tournaments

2011

In May 2011 CMLL declared the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship vacant when the then reigning champion Shocker had to undergo knee surgery after suffering an injury and thus would be unable to defend the championship for an undetermined amount of time.

;Block A Cibernetico

;Block B Cibernetico

2015

Due to the championship being vacated on February 23, 2015, CMLL held a tournament for the vacant light heavyweight championship starting March 1, 2015. La Sombra and Rey Bucanero outlasted Atlantis, Blue Panther, Dragón Rojo Jr., Ephesto, Misterioso Jr., Mr. Águila, Niebla Roja, Stuka Jr., Valiente and Último Guerrero in a 12-man torneo cibernetico elimination match. On March 8, Bucanero defeated La Sombra to win the tournament and the vacant championship.

;2015 Torneo Cibernetico

Title history

Combined reigns

Footnotes

References

References

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