The , originally known as the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship, is a defunct championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The championship was designed for wrestlers under 100 kg (220 lb) before the creation of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. The title existed from 1965 through 1985, when the IWGP belt was introduced a year later.
History
The championship was created in 1965 by the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, later WWF) and was defended in the promotion's Pittsburgh and New England affiliates, before being vacated and abandoned in 1972. The championship was reintroduced by the WWF in 1978 and control over the championship was given to the WWF's Japanese promotional partner New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The championship was retired for a final time on October 31, 1985, when the WWF and NJPW ended their working relationship.
In April 1994, the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship belt was used as a trophy for the first ever NJPW Super J-Cup, which was won by Wild Pegasus.
Reigns Over the championship's 20-year history, there were 20 reigns between 11 champions. Johnny De Fazio has the most reigns at four times. Tatsumi Fujinami's second reign it the longest at 789 days, while Ryuma Go's reign was the shortest at two days. The Cobra and Les Thornton were the final champions, simultaneously billed as such by New Japan Pro-Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, respectively, in 1985.WWF World Light Heavyweight Title - Wrestling-Titles
See also IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
Footnotes
References
External links Wrestling Information Archive: WWF World Junior Heavyweight Title History Wrestling-Titles: WWF Junior Heavyweight Title