Cruiserweight Championship - Who do you think of?

[The Crock]

Cruiserweight Title​

I'm back with the latest installment in this thread series. Today's thread will focus on the Cruiserweight Title, and no, it does not have to be a WWE guy. The Cruiserweight division in pro wrestling is and was home to some of the finest wrestling in the business, especially for high-flying moves. There have been many great champions, some multiple times, some just once. I sat down and attempted to decide who I thought was the greatest champion ever. I narrowed it down to 2 guys, Chris Jericho and Dean Malenko. As simple as the decision was, this guy really personified the division. In the end my choice was:

Dean Malenko​

Malenko was one of the finest in-ring workers in any company he worked in. He was an excellent technical wrestlers, and is to this day considered one of the best technical wrestlers ever, earning the monicker "The Man of 1000 Holds". His best time was in WCW in the 90s, where he was a member of what might be the greatest division in wrestling history. He put on a number of absolute classics with a variety of guys. He really was the lifeblood of the Cruiserweight division, and will forever be associated with it. Here are some of his highlights as Cruiserweight Champion:

- May 2, 1996: Wins first Cruiserweight Title with a win over Shinjiro Otani.

- Halloween Havoc 1996: Defeats Rey Mysterio Jr. for second Cruiserweight Title.

- January 22, 1997 (Clash of the Champions): Malenko would defeat Ultimo Dragon for third Cruiserweight Title.

- Slamboree 1998: Enters Battle Royal for shot at Chris Jericho's Cruiserweight Title, wins as masked wrestler "Ciclope". He revealed his identity and went on to defeat Jericho with a Texas Cloverleaf (revenge for tapping out to the Liontamer) and began his fourth, and final, Cruiserweight Title reign.

Your thoughts?

 

[the croc says]

Billy Kidman made me notice the cruiserweights. Once he won that belt and broke from the Flock I went nuts! Ultimo Dragon would be a distant second.

 

[#hamler]

It's gotta be the four guys who transformed the division into th great division it was. Chris Jericho, Eddie Guererro, Dean Malenko, and Rey Mysterio. All of these guys come to mind when I think of the cruiserweight championship. They made the cruiserweight something to really fight for. Who cares how many times it changed hands between these four, they still put on great matches, on right after another. Jericho, Malenko, Guererro, and Mysterio gave the title it's prestige.

These guys were leaders of the best division not only in WCW but wrestling period. Their matches didn't really need any kind of story or lead up to them because anytime you heard any combination of Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho or Eddie Guererro were on the card, it was worth watching. Rey Mysterio went on to become the biggest underdog in Wrestling's history. Dean went on to take part in the great faction known as the Radicalz, Eddie held the WWE Championship and eventually became a major player on Smackdown and Chris Jericho went on to become The Best in the World. Point is, the WCW Cruiserweight Championship launched these four careers into superstardom and anytime I'm reminded of the Cruiserweight title, I think of these four greats.

 

[Simmo]

wow im surprised no one mentioned rey mysterio, but rey mysterio for me. i was also a fan tajiri

I was thinking Mysterio but the thing is most of his matches had one of Malenko, jericho or Ultimo Dragon in them so they were the headliners and hewas just up and coming in WCW at the time

As for Tajiri, sure he won it 4 times when it came to WWE but by the time it was there all the prestige was gone (Jacquilene won it at one point for god sake!!!)

 

[LamaNamaneumi]

The first wrestler that popped into my head was Matt Hardy. I know he is far from a Cruiser weight, but I remember when he held the title on SMACKDOWN! back in the day.
I thought that's when Matt was at his best, and the WWE was actually doing something with the title.

 

[marklouis]

When I think of the cruiserweights, I immediately think of WCW, because that was the best of the division. And the guy who comes to mind is Ultimo Dragon. There were so many great cruiserweights from the WCW days, but for some reason, he personifies the division for me. He was the total package-he could do high-flying moves, but was also an excellent mat wrestler. Malenko would be 2nd, & Jericho 3rd. I know Mysterio held the title the most, but I really don't think he was as good as those other 3 guys.

 

[Heartachetonight926]

The first wrestler that popped into my head was Matt Hardy. I know he is far from a Cruiser weight, but I remember when he held the title on SMACKDOWN! back in the day.
I thought that's when Matt was at his best, and the WWE was actually doing something with the title.

Thank You-very much. I was afraid to mention Matt because he is pretty much hated by everyone on these forums, for reason's I will never understand.


But to me personally, I always think of Rey mysterio. In 2002, I didn't get Smackdown because we didn't have the channel it was on. But In 2003 I started watching it again, and Mysterio had a very impressive run with belt after beating Matt hardy for it in the Main-event on Smackdown.

In fact, Here it is.



I didn't watch very much WCW, so that's why I am using his WWE run as an Example.

 

[californiachef84]

This has to go to Malenko or Jericho. I remember the feud that the two of them had. Malenko was always built as "the man with a 1,000 holds" and Jericho started stating that he was "the man of 1,004 holds". They had a great feud... I was tempted to put Mysterio in the mix, but it always seemed as if he was in the ring with Malenko or Jericho or Eddie Guerrero.

Props to Juventud Guerrera, Psychosis, Ultimo Dragon, & Billy Kidman...

 

[pessimism101]

Two that immediately come to mind are Jamie Noble and the Hurricane, although, I honestly don't know why... But after thinking about it, the one person who personified the Cruiserweight title was Rey Misterio (WCW spelling). Back in WCW, Misterio was simply amazing and his small size allowed him to do some breathtaking high spots. Misterio and the rest of the Cruiserweight division were the main reason I watched WCW in the first place.

 

[Rasha]

Wow, I feel dumb. I always thought the Jericho/Malenko feuds involved the Television Title. After reading these responses and verifying on Wikipedia, it turns out I've been wrong for over ten years. This changes everything for me......

But anyway, the first name that popped into my head was Rey Mysterio so that's the answer I have to give. Also using the power of Wikipedia, I can confirm that Rey Rey held the title more times (eight) than any other wrestler between WCW and the WWE. Interestingly, the next closest guys are Kidman (seven), Chavo (six), and Juvi (five)! I'd have never guessed Chavo held it so many times.

 

[MegaStarAustinSavage]

I am a HUGE fan of Cruiserweight wrestling , I really enjoy watching the matches not just the spot fest matches but the ones where they have the perfect mix of high spots and mat wrestling , with that said the first person I think of is the Longest Reigning champion is Smackdown history Gregory Helms this man had it all the flash and flare , the Charisma , the look and most importantly the skills to be a great cruiserweight . my top TEN Cruiserweights Of all time are as fallows ( In no order )

Gregory Helms
Rey Mysterio
Dean Malenko
Eddie Gurrerro
Ultimo Dragon
Jamie Noble
Chris Jericho
Jerry Lynn ( WWE Lightheavyweight Champion )
Flyin' Brian Pillman ( WCW Lightheavyweight Champion )
Brad Armstrong (WCW Lightheavyweight Champion )

I included Jerry Lynn , Brian Pillman and Brad Armstrong because they were all WCW Lightheavyweight Champion which was the predocessor to the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship . and three of my favorites when I was a kid . I hope you enjoy reading this post . Happy Holidays everyone in the IWC : O)

 

[Montague]

Every time i think of Chavo...
not because of what he did for the devision but because of what he could have done before that damn midget ruined it

 

[Fling_a_thong]

I was thinking Mysterio but the thing is most of his matches had one of Malenko, jericho or Ultimo Dragon in them so they were the headliners and hewas just up and coming in WCW at the time

As for Tajiri, sure he won it 4 times when it came to WWE but by the time it was there all the prestige was gone (Jacquilene won it at one point for god sake!!!)

yeah but i still thought he brought prestige to that title. especially around his 4th or 5th title reign. plus as rasha mentioned, he won it more than any one ever did.

yeah, i agree tajiri when he won it was all out of prestige. i was just a fan of his. jacquilene winning it, SMH. wwe took a big shit on the cruiserweight division with that one. wcw def had the best cruiserweights, just hope hogan and the crew dont ruin the x division in TNA. but thats another topic

also fun fact: chavo Sr won it as well, hehehehe kinda thought that was funny

 

[Klown_Karnage]

Naturally, when I think of the Cruserweight Championship, I immediately think of Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. These two pretty much revolutionized the ring-work end of the title. Ultimo Dragon also comes to mind for his many great matches.

However, I also keep thinking of Jamie Noble. It's not because his ring-work was superior to these others. It wasn't, although he could still hold his own. I think Jamie Noble because he took the title that was pretty much the only storyline involving it (i.e. go for it simply because it's a title) and turned it into some other more personal storylines, at least during his first period with the WWE. Most only remember Noble as he was during his second stretch with the WWE, as a tiny entry-level jobber there to get squashed, but for a while, he really had something going and treated the Cruserweight Title as if it were a main event piece.

 

[JETER123]

First of all, when I think of the Cruiserweight championship, I think of WCW. And I think of 4 men: Juventud Guerrera, Rey Misterio Jr., Psychosis, and Billy Kidman.

Every time I would turn on WCW Nitro during 97-99, those guys would always catch my eye. I especially enjoyed watchin Juventud vs. Rey.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

As much as guys like Jericho and Malenko did for that title, the cruiserweight division was directly tied to the lucha libra wrestlers, so for me it conjurs images of Rey Mysterio Jr, Juventud Guerrera, and Psychosis

 

[Dyno Kid]

When I think Cruiserweight wrestling I think of 5 people:

The Dynamite Kid
Tiger Mask
Jushin Liger
Chris Benoit
Eddie Guerrero

Dynamite and Tiger laid the groundwork for all the cruiserweights that followed them by revolutionising pro wrestling ! Liger, Benoit, and Eddie then took what they did to another level !

 

[XgringolocoX]

The first one that popped into my head is Gregory Helms. I never really liked the Hurricane gimmick, though it did have some good moments. I've always been a fan of Suga Shane and was overjoyed when he went with his real name and all that. Longest reigning Cruiserweight!!!!
Honorable mention to Jericho, Melenko and Rey (WCW version).

 

[CMPunk420]

I started watching wrestling during the Velocity days and at the time that was my favorite wwe program because of the cruiserweight division. Paul London was big in those days with like a 6 month title run in there. I think he also lead Scotty 2 Hotty and Funaki in a fued against rival cruiserweight the MEXICOOOOLS... Maybe I want to change my answer. The Mexicools as a group were awesome.

 

[bigbadwolf8169]

I know its been said, so im gonna agree with whoever said it.....

Rey Misterio!

How could u NOT think of him!?

Guerrero,Jericho,Kidman,Juventud, those guys were all great, but it was Misterio that everyone got behind. He was never a heel, always had a great fan base from kids to adults, and was a great wrestler, he was that generations Ricky Steamboat. Did some high flying things that hadnt been seen. Guys like Guerrero, Jericho, and Malenko were great, but they were mat based wrestlers. When u think of Cruiserweights, u think of the high flyers. Ill never forget the spot where Misterio did a springboard, moonsault DDT on Eddie Guerrero at Halloween Havoc 1997! Amazing spot still to this day.

 

[UFOcalling]

Like many others who have already posted, I think of WCW (the late 90s era) when I think of the Cruiserweight Division. The guys who I think of (who have already been mentioned, of course) are Malenko, Jericho, Juvi, Benoit, Rey Mysterio Jr. (he still had the "Jr." back in WCW), Billy Kidman, Psychosis (before his unmasking), LaParka, etc.

I can't remember if it was after Jericho lost the Cruiserweight Title or the TV Title, but I loved his "conspiracy theory" bits. They were so funny, I was an instant Jerichoholic. It seemed like Jericho ALWAYS had a belt when I saw him back then.

I also remember in WCW's dying days when Disco was trying to lose weight so he could compete in the Cruiserweight Division. Those bits cracked me up as well.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

In WCW, there is no ONE wrestler that springs when I think of the Cruiserweight title, it is simply the whole division.

Rey Misterio Jr, Juvi, Kidman, Chris Jericho, Evan Karagias, Dean Malenko, Eddie...the list is endless. WCW really did have something special with their crusierweight division, they always put on terrific matches but I just wish WCW had taken advantage of their unique selling point better. The same thing has happened with TNA. They had the unique X-Division putting on spectacular matches, but apart from rare occasions, not enough focus was given to the light weights.

In WWE the answer to this question HAS to be Rey Mysterio. WWE have really done very little with the Cruiserweight division, eventually scrapping the title belt completely. The fact that wrestlers such as Funaki, Spike Dudley and even HORNSWOGGLE?! held the title before it was cancelled just shows the lack of interest Vince has in smaller wrestlers.

However, in Mysterio, WWE had the one cruiserweight wrestler who is a recognised superstar in the US. There was a big build up to his arrival, and he certainly did not disappoint, going on to hold the belt several times, and having some thrilling matches. Yes, he may not be as fast or agile as he was in his younger years, but when you think of cruiserweight wrestlers, you think of Rey Mysterio. He is synonomous with the title to me, even since he has moved up to compete with the heavyweights (which I still think is stupid and unrealistic).

WWE have had some great smaller wrestlers in the last decade, such as The Mexicools, Tajiri, Kid Kash, Londrick and Evan Bourne, but the only one they really focused on (apart from Bourne and Brian Kendrick for a short time), is Rey...which is why he stands out. If WWE had given more time and attention to the cruiserweight division it wouldnt just be Mysterio that people think of when they talk about the Cruiserweight title

 

[nbrew2119]

For me personally...as far as the WCW version...I was always a fan of Ultimo Dragon, and Dean Malenko...These two guys were so grossly underused in the WWE it was sickening.

As far as the WWE version, I would say a name I haven't heard yet, and that was The Hurricane/Gregory Helms...Granted, he wasn't on every single PPV defending, but, the man held the title for over a year. I always thought he was a pretty good wrestler, who, could also face the bigger guys if needed...didnt really care for the Hurricane/Rosey tag team...ugh...But, these are who I think of when I think of the Cruiserweight division.

 

[Judah's Lion]

As for Tajiri, sure he won it 4 times when it came to WWE but by the time it was there all the prestige was gone (Jacquilene won it at one point for god sake!!!)

i can appreciate the complaint here. The Natural (and you know i love your posts!!) had similar complaints with Spike Dudley, Funaki and Hornswoggle. these complaints are pretty valid and i will admit that they did not help the validity and credibility and prestige of this title belt.

however, i now feel compelled to remind everyone that all of this took place AFTER WCW put this same Cruiserweight Title on Medussa first and Oklahoma second. just saying.

as for who i think of...? Malenko, Jericho, Eddie, Rey, Benoit, Juvi, Kidman, La Parka and countless others from WCW. they made it pretty awesome.

as far as some names that i haven't seen mentioned, two come to mind:

1. X-Pac. not that he was the best in the division, but i did enjoy him some back in the day. also, as a big fan of trivia in general and wrestling trivia especially, i appreciate that he's the only person to win the equivalent to this title in the 3 big promotions of WWE, WCW and TNA. so that's kinda cool.

2. Christian. he's in a pretty elite group of people in that he won a title, this title, in his debut match. there are a few others that have done similar feats (including Taka, Jerry Lynn with the WWE, Gail Kim and Carlito) but i'm just a huge Christian fan and so he gets my vote here.

 

[jaywake111]

HORNSWOGGLE lmao jking rey mysterio has to be it for me he is still one of the best highflyers in the wwe