Cruiserweight Championship - Who do you think of?

[nomolos619]

I hear cruiserweight, i think Mysterio and WM 19. The match between him and Matt Hardy. I wanted Rey to win that match so bad. It was an awesome match. Even with Matt holding the ropes during the pin for the win, i still have to say great match.

 

[Rasha]

I've already responded with my pick, but I feel it is necessary to point out that everyone here seems to be forgetting someone. This man is a jam up guy and a real professional... El Dandy.

Seriously, perhaps the first thing I really think of when I look back on the Cruiserweight Title was the horde of guys WCW had who weren't the big stars; El Dandy, Silver King, La Parka, Cyclope, Super Calo, and others. They looked so lame coming down to the ring (except La Parka, of course) but were a fantastic, entertaining attraction that solidified WCW's lower midcard during its peak. Can you imagine a team like El Dandy and Silver King coming down to the ring today? Not me, and that's one of the sadder truths of modern wrestling. For all the forced humor they attempt today, just the natural "fun" of guys like these seems to have been lost.

 

[ccotreau1]

For me, when I think of the Cruiserweight Title, I don't only think of whoever holds it, I think of the style the cruiserweights bring, and here are 2 videos showcasing what I love about Cruiserweight matches, and their hunger to get the #1 contendership for that title...FYI it is WCW Starrcade 2000 and the 3 teams are: 3 Count (Shane Helms and Shannon Moore), the Jung Dragons (Yun Yang and Kaz Hayashi) (with Leia Meow), and Jamie Knoble and Evan Karagias

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioI1vUjDyc8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbCAtR3ymbk

 

[UltimateHitman]

I've always been partial to Ultimo Dragon. He just made everything look fluid and flawless. I do tend to like Liger also, as well as a lot of the other guys that were mentioned. I have to also give props to Rasha for mentioning some of the not-so-huge names such as Silver King, El Dandy, etc. And I will have to admit, I used to love the La Parka chair guitar thing. Awesome.

 

[ScruffDog]

As soon as I hear Cruiserweight Champ, the first name that comes to mind is Chavo Guerrero. I don't know why I immediately think of Chavo, maybe because he is my Cruiserweight Champ in Smackdown Vs. Raw, but to me I always associate this title with him.

I feel you got to give Chavo so love to. He is one of the most underappreciated wresters, and he was the last person to hold the Cruiserweight belt. Well actually Hornswoggle was, but what ever. Chavo will always be my Cruiserweight Champ.

 

[nachoman13]

For some reason I think of Chavo & Eddie Guerrero. I think of Chavo because of the sheer amount of times he won it (6) and his unexpected loss to Hornswoggle which was fairly implausible. I think of Eddie because even though he only won it twice he seemed to always be going after it

 

[Xtreme_Animlas2314]

The names with the * by it should have not probably won the title at all but hey thats my opininion.!!


WWF Junior Heavyweight (1967 - 1985)

Johnny De Fazio, Bradley Lowe, Jackie Nicholas, Carlos Jose Estrada, Tatsumi Fujinami, Ryuma Go, Tiger Mask [Satoru Sayama], Black Tiger [Mark Rocco], Dynamite Kid, The Cobra, and Hiro Saito


WWF Light Heavyweight (1981 - 2001)

Perro Aguayo, Fishman, Chris Adams, Gran Hamada, Villano III, Sangre Chicana, Pegasus Kid [Chris Benoit], El Signo, Aero Flash, Great Sasuke, El Samurai, Ultimo Dragon, Jushin Liger, Shinjiro Otani, Taka Michinoku, Christian, Duane Gill [Gillberg], Essa Rios, Dean Malenko, Scotty 2 Hotty, Crash Holly, Jerry Lynn, Jeff Hardy, X-Pac, and Tajiri


WCW Light Heavyweight (1991 – 1992)

Brian Pillman, Jushin Liger, Scotty Flamingo [Raven], and Brad Armstrong


WCW Cruiserweight (1996 – 2001)

Shinjiro Otani, Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio, Jr., Ultimo Dragon, Syxx [X-Pac], Chris Jericho, Alex Wright*, Eddy Guerrero, Juventud Guerrera, Billy Kidman, Psicosis, Lenny Lane, Disco Inferno*, Evan Karagias, Madusa*, Oklahoma*, Prince Iaukea [The Artist], Chris Candido, Crowbar/Daffney [joint holders]*, Lt. Loco [Chavo Guerrero, Jr.], Lance Storm, Elix Skipper, Mike Sanders, Chavo Guerrero, Jr., and Shane Helms


WWE/F Cruiserweight (2001 – 2008)

Billy Kidman, X-Pac, Tajiri, Hurricane [Shane Helms], Jamie Noble, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Chavo Guerrero, Jr., Jacqueline*, Chavo Guerrero*, Spike Dudley*, Sho Funaki, Paul London, Nunzio, Juventud Guerrera, Kid Kash, Shane Helms, and Hornswoggle*


You to think if you going to be using both orgainzation to really defining the best Cruiserweight. Then you got to think hard because a lot of people that did win or didn't win were all talented. The WCW as a whole had the best talents compare to what WWE was using at the time. Yes, Malenko and Jericho was the stars that helped but as closely those two were you have to admit that Eddie and Rey were right behind those two as of making the cruiserweight division what it was in WCW.

This division I can talk about all day long if I had the time to do so.!

The top five that I believed that helped the WCW Cruiserweight Division was Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Eddy Guerrero, and Ultimo Dragon/Jushin Liger tying in the fifth spot. I could easily ranked the WCW Cruiserweight Division during 1996 - 2001 era. I don't have time and its a lot of people to go though. Now the honoring mentions are that I believed help to finish the TOP 27: Billy Kidman, Chavo Guerrero, Damien 666, Elix Skipper, Evan Karagias, Halloween, Hector Garza, Jamie Noble, Jerry Lynn, Jimmy Yang, Juventud Guerrera, Kid Romeo, L.A. Parka/La Parka, Lance Storm, Psicosis, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, X-Pac/Syxx/123 Kid/Pac/Syxx-Pac/Sean Waltman.

Their are probably some wrestlers that I didn't mention or that has been mention by others though.


Looking at what WWE/F Light Heavyweight Division before it joined forces with WCW talents.

Lets face it really looking at the rosters and who ended up champions is pretty funny. The wrestlers that helped or made this division in the long haul would be the following: Great Sasuke, Ultimo Dragon, Jushin Liger, Taka Michinoku, Christian, Essa Rios, Dean Malenko, Jerry Lynn, Jeff Hardy, X-Pac, and Tajiri.

These should've or could have helped WWE to make a great division if they wanted to. Their were some wrestlers I never heard of but WCW announcers knew their information about NEW wrestlers in this type of division.


Finally just going by with what we ended up left with WCW Cruiserweight and WWE Light Heavyweight Division should have been magical but it was done poorly. Yeah, we finally got some good fast paced matches here and their but the WWE never truly understood what this division was all about. I mean we will have to live with Hornswoggle as the last champion for this title which is a joke to be honest. A fan of this division. At least TNA first started knew how to use it time to time unlike the WWE. Its a shame and WWE could get anyone for this division and they still didn't do it properly.


Using the WCW Cruiserweight and WWE Light Heavyweight Title/Division. I will give you my top 25 of all time that had only competed in this divisions and company during the time and actually made a name for them selves.

Rey Mysterio
Eddie Guerrero
Dean Malenko
Chris Jericho
Jushin Liger
Ultimo Dragon
Billy Kidman
Great Sasuke
Black Tiger [Mark Rocco]
Tiger Mask [Satoru Sayama]
Brian Pillman
Dynamite Kid
Pegasus Kid [Chris Benoit]
Jerry Lynn
Super Crazy
Jeff Hardy
Tajiri
X-Pac/Syxx/123 Kid/Pac/Syxx-Pac/Sean Waltman
Juventud Guerrera
Psicosis
L.A. Parka/La Parka
Jamie Noble
Shane Helms
Taka Michinoku
Chavo Guerrero


Now if we were to add the X Division into this mix I will never stop talking or even get a top 25 because it would be at least over 100 because theirs been some great wrestlers the past two decades. Especially tag teams and stables to help some of these wrestlers get over more.


Just really looking into this division across the world their tons of talents that I never seen or heard of. But I bet the WWE could make money off this division since its in the PG era now. Plus give the smaller wrestlers something to do but then again WWE will still mess it up.

Some of these guys do deserve to main event here and there but not really winning the big one. Of course Jericho, Mysterio, Benoit, Hardy, and few others have done so. Did the deserve because they have been in the business long enough sure why not but most of the time after the win it. No one cares as much when they end up losing the titles because they end up somewhere in the midcard or uppercard of matches.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

The First Cruiserweight I think of is Rey Mysterio. Rey was a Phenomenal cruiserweight in WCW was a 5 time cruiserweight champ there and another 3 times in the WWE. Rey was one of the first people to bring that style of wrestling in the US and he was just phenomenal in his earlier years he was fast and so innovative he was doing things at the time that I have never seen before. the other two people that think about are Eddie Guerrero and Mister Dean Malenko.

 

[mrbrownstone]

I think when it comes to Cruiserweights it is hard to look past Rey Mysterio Jr. He had a overall total of eight reigns with the belt, the most reigns ever, with 5 coming in WCW and 3 in WWE.

During these reigns he had legendary feuds with the likes of Dean Malenko, Juvi, Eddie, Ultimo Dragon, Psychosis, Billy Kidman (who all get honourable mentions in this category by the way) amongst others. These feuds featured some of the greatest matches ever seen and were at least part of the reason WCW stayed afloat for al long as they did as no matter how much shit went on you could always rely on Rey to go out there and tear the house down with an awesome match.

Rey basically brought the high flying style into the mainstreams eyes. He came in and completely revolutionised what it meant to be a high flyer, as back then a high flyer was a guy who did a missile drop kick and a cross body block. Then Rey came along and starts doing Moonsaults and top rope Hurricanranas and Seated Sentons and completely blew peoples minds. He was basically the first mainstream cruiserweight.

 

[King Patrick Star]

When I think of the WCW / WWE Cruiserweight Championship, the Superstars that come to mind are Brian Pillman for being the first Cruiserweight (Light Heavyweight) Champion, Rey Mysterio for winning the Title 8 times, and Gregory Helms for holding the Title for a combined 532 days, under three different “names”.

 

[nightmare]

dean malenko & mysterio will always stand out in my mind. two of the best in the sport & their matches thru the years should be shown to anyone who wants to learn the style. purely fantastic. speed, techincal ability, wow.

now helms comes to mind based on length of tenure, but at that point in the wwe he didnt have alot of competition. so im going with a tie- mysterio\malenko.

 

[Trivia247]

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.

Ok I have to take issue with the Funaki in this list. I can understand Spike Dudley not helping the title for the basic reason that Spike wrestled like a heavy weight, and is part of his persona. Funaki despite how American audience perceive him as some comedic announcer/jobber wrestler, was a skilled wrestler for many years before enterting the WWE in 1998 with the Kaientai stable...before it was reduced to just him and Taka.

Shoichi Funaki was apart of the Super J Cup 1994 tournament (Which I highly recommend to anyone who likes Junior heavyweight wrestling, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Black Tiger (Eddie Guerrero) Super Delfin, Great Sasuke, Shinjiro Ohtani, Jushin Liger awesomeness)

Sho Funaki and Kai en tai was a staple of Michinoku Pro wrestling. However as it happens too any talent that goes to the WWE, whatever awesome skill set or wrestling ability you come into, you are relegated to what the WWE wants you to do including limiting your movesets if needs be.

 

[shultz51]

The Cruiserweight Division was my all time favorite division in wrestling. I look back at some great Cruiserweight champions and I see three names as the greatest cruiserweight champions of all time. I believe that Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, and Jamie Noble were the greatest. Dean Malenko was the man of 1000 holds was a more technical cruiserweight and i liked that. Jericho was a mix between a Technical wrestler and a high flyer. he had the quickness and he was very technically sound which made him a great wrestler in that division. Jamie Noble was another great technical wrestler he was a "pitbull" in the ring. he was very relentless. i wish they would bring this division back so they would have a place for the smaller competitors (I.E, Kaval, Chavo, Byran, Mysterio, etc.)

 

[Freddy4190]

The first Cruiserweight that popped into my head was Billy Kidman. I wasn't familiar with anything from his WCW run, and didn't really get into wrestling til' about 2001. He was a kick-ass Cruiserweight Champion on Smackdown, was always exciting, played his character well, and had a sick Shooting Star Press. What's not to like?

 

[Tastycles]

For some reason, one of my only lasting memories of WCW is watching Kidman feud with a range of wrestlers of Mexican origin, and it was the first time I enjoyed the actual fights in wrestling rather than just the storylines. Kidman was a big part of the WCW Cruiserweight programme, and then again in its WWE infancy. He's probably not the greatest wrestler to ever wear the title, but he was certainly a part of the division for a long time, and embodied much of what it was about.

 

[jaceynightheat]

I think of a few different guys.

Ultimo Dragon. Rey Mysterio. Eddie Guerrero. Chris Jericho. Dean Malenko. Tajiri. For a while WCW using the title was really amazing, I considered it to be on par with the WCW World Title to be honest.

I wish WWE did more with the Lighter guys.