Professional wrestling championship
The
CMLL World Welterweight Championship
(Spanish:
Campeonato Mundial de Peso Welter del CMLL
) is a
professional wrestling
world championship
in the
Mexican
professional wrestling promotion
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
(CMLL). The official definition of the
welterweight division
in Mexico is between 70 kg (150 lb) and 78 kg (172 lb) but the official weight limits are not always adhered to. As with other professional wrestling championships, it is not won or lost competitively but is instead scripted by the
bookers
of a wrestling promotion. The title is awarded after the chosen wrestler "wins" a match.
Overall there has been a total of 34 official championship reigns, shared between 22 different wrestlers.
Titan
is the current champion, having defeated
Soberano Jr.
in the finals of a tournament for the vacant championship.
Mascara Dorada
is the only wrestler to hold the championship four times. Mephisto's first reign was the longest individual reign, for 1,141 days from 2004 to 2007. The championship has been defended in Mexico and Japan, with three title changes in Japan. The championship has been vacated three times, and CMLL has held three
tournaments
for the championship.
History
[
edit
]
In the late 1980s, CMLL left the
National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) but retained control of the
NWA World Welterweight Championship
as their main championship of the
welterweight division
. They also promoted the
Mexican National Welterweight Championship
as a secondary title for the Welterweight division. In 1991 they decided to create a series of CMLL-branded world championships, one of which was for the welterweight division. They held a four-man tournament on February 15, 1992, to crown the first welterweight champion.
[2]
The participants were
Fuerza Guerrera
,
El Felino
,
America
and El Khalifa; in the finals, Fuerza Guerrera defeated El Khalifa to become the first champion.
[2]
On July 16, 1992, the Mexican National Welterweight Champion defeated CMLL Welterweight Champion America, vacating the Mexican National Welterweight Championship.
[2]
[7]
In 1993 control of the Mexican National Welterweight Championship was transferred from CMLL to rival promotion
Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion
(AAA).
[7]
In 1996 the championship was vacated after then-champion
El Pantera
lost the championship to
Super Delfin
while on tour in Japan.
[2]
Pantera left CMLL for AAA after the tour, and lost a match to Super Delfin in Japan, intending to surrender the championship to him. CMLL knew that Pantera was leaving and nullified the championship change, choosing not to vacate the title rather than recognizing the title change.
[2]
CMLL put together a 16-man tournament to crown a new champion, and
Mascara Magica
defeated El Felino in the final to become the seventh official CMLL World Welterweight Champion. Mascara Magica would later defeat Super Delfin to put an end to any questions about the lineage of the championship.
[2]
In 1998 the Mexican National Welterweight Championship was returned to CMLL, making it a tertiary title behind the CMLL and NWA branded world championships.
[7]
In 2010 CMLL returned the NWA World Welterweight Championship to the NWA but immediately replaced it with the
NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship
.
[8]
In early 2015 then-champion
Mascara Dorada
signed a contract to work for
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) for a year, with CMLL allowing him to take the championship with him to Japan.
[9]
During his tour of Japan Mascara Dorada lost the championship to
Bushi
, which was officially acknowledged by CMLL.
[10]
Reigns
[
edit
]
The championship is designated as a welterweight title, which means that the championship can officially only be competed for by wrestlers weighing between 70 kg (150 lb) and 78 kg (172 lb).
[11]
In the 20th century Mexican wrestling enforced the weight divisions more strictly, but in this century the rules have occasionally been ignored for some weight divisions. The heaviest welterweight champion on record is
Olimpico
who was announced as weighing 92 kg (203 lb), 14 kg (31 lb) above the maximum weight limit.
[12]
While the heavyweight championship is traditionally considered the most prestigious weight division in professional wrestling, CMLL places more emphasis on the lower weight divisions.
[a]
All title matches promoted in Mexico take place under
best two-out-of-three falls
rules, while championship matches promoted in Japan follow the local custom, decided by a single fall.
[14]
Titan
is the current champion after defeating
Soberano Jr.
at a CMLL show in
Arena Mexico
on December 8, 2019
[1]
He is the 34th overall champion. Mephisto has the longest combined reigns,2,191 days, divided over two separate reigns,
[2]
he also holds the record for the longest individual reign of all champions at 1,141 days from 2004 to 2007.
[3]
[4]
The first champion Fuerza Guerrera is also the person who has held the title the shortest time, 22 days, except possibly for Mascara Magica, whose second reign was shorter; no specific date for the start of the reign has been confirmed, so his reign may have been as short as 6 days.
[2]
Tournaments
[
edit
]
1992
[
edit
]
On February 15, 1992, CMLL held a one-night, four-man tournament to crown the first ever CMLL World Welterweight Champion.
[2]
The welterweight championship was the fifth CMLL branded world championship created after the
CMLL World Heavyweight
,
CMLL World Light Heavyweight
,
CMLL World Trios
and
CMLL World Middleweight Championship
.
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
In the tournament finals Fuerza Guerrera defeated El Khalifa to win the championship.
[2]
| Semifinals
| | | Final
| |
|
|
|
| | |
|
|
| |
| Fuerza Guerrera
| W
| | |
|
| El Felino
|
| |
| | Fuerza Guerrera
| W
| |
|
| |
| | | El Khalifa
|
| |
| America
|
| |
| |
| El Khalifa
| W
| |
1996
[
edit
]
In 1996 CMLL decided not to acknowledge that La Pantera had lost the CMLL World Welterweight Championship during a tour of Japan, declaring the title vacant instead. They held a 16-man tournament from May 7 to May 21, 1996, to crown a new champion.
[2]
In the finals Mascara Magica defeated El Felino to become the seventh champion.
[2]
2014-2015
[
edit
]
On May 2, 2015, then-reigning CMLL World Welterweight Champion
Mistico
crashed his motorcycle, breaking the
fibula
and
tibia
in his right leg. He had surgery the following day.
[19]
[20]
Due to the injury the Welterweight championship became inactive for several months, as Mistico was unable to compete. During a press conference on November 19, 2014, Mistico announced that he was not ready to return to the ring, which led to the CMLL World Welterweight Championship being declared vacant.
[21]
On December 26, 2014, CMLL held a 10-man
Torneo cibernetico
elimination match to determine the next champion.
Negro Casas
and Mascara Dorada outlasted the other eight competitors;
Delta
,
Fuego
,
Kamaitachi
,
Polvora
,
Rey Cometa
,
Sangre Azteca
,
Titan
and
Triton
. A week later Mascara Dorada defeated Negro Casas to become the 29th CMLL World Heavyweight Champion.
[22]
- Torneo cibernetico order of elimination
#
|
Eliminated
|
Eliminated by
|
1
|
Sangre Azteca
|
Triton
|
2
|
Rey Cometa
|
Polvora
|
3
|
Triton
|
Delta
|
4
|
Fuego
|
Kamaitachi
|
5
|
Delta
|
Titan
|
6
|
Kamaitachi
|
Negro Casas
|
7
|
Polvora
|
Mascara Dorada
|
8
|
Titan
|
Negro Casas
|
9
|
Winner
|
Negro Casas
|
9
|
Winner
|
Mascara Dorada
|
2019
[
edit
]
On September 27, 2019, CMLL fired then-reigning CMLL World Welterweight Champion
Dragon Lee
, but at the time did not mention any plans for the championship itself.
[23]
It was not until November that CMLL announced their plans, as they revealed a tournament to crown a new champion that would start on December 1, 2019.
[24]
The tournament started with a 12-man
torneo cibernetico
elimination match to determine the two finalists. The match saw
Soberano Jr.
and
Titan
outlast
Audaz
,
Negro Casas
,
Drone
,
Fuego
,
Fugaz
,
Dulce Gardenia
,
Rey Cometa
,
Star Jr.
,
Stigma
, and
Templario
to qualify for the finals the following week.
[25]
The following week Titan defeated Sobreano Jr. two falls to one, to become the 34th CMLL World Welterweight Champion.
[1]
[26]
- Torneo cibernetico
order of elimination
- ^
Madigan
(2007) p. 115: "Traditionally the heavyweight division was not considered the biggest draw, nor the most important division in Mexico"
References
[
edit
]
Madigan, Dan (2007).
Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling
. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
ISBN
978-0-06-085583-3
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Dark Angelita (December 9, 2019).
"CMLL: Titan, nuevo campeon mundial Welter"
.
Super Luchas
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
December 11,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "MEXICO: EMLL CMLL Welterweight Title".
Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present
. Pennsylvania, USA: Archeus Communications. p. 396.
ISBN
0-9698161-5-4
.
- ^
a
b
Ocampo, Ernesto, ed. (January 24, 2005). "Numero Especial ? Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2004".
Super Luchas
(in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV.
ISSN
1665-8876
. 91.
- ^
a
b
Manuel Rivera (April 24, 2007). Ocampo, Ernesto (ed.).
"Dificil semana para Mistico"
.
Super Luchas
. Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV. pp. 3?5. 202
. Retrieved
July 5,
2009
.
- ^
Manuel Flores and Manuel Rivera (March 23, 2009). Ocampo, Ernesto (ed.). "Cayo la mascara de Villano V".
Super Luchas
. Mexico City, Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV. pp. 3?7.
ISSN
1665-8876
. 307.
- ^
a
b
Reducindo, Miguel (February 17, 2014).
"Resultados - Domingo 16 de Febrero '14"
.
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
(in Spanish). Archived from
the original
on March 27, 2014
. Retrieved
February 17,
2014
.
- ^
a
b
c
Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Mexico: National Welterweight Title".
Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present
. Pennsylvania, USA: Archeus Communications. p. 392.
ISBN
0-9698161-5-4
.
- ^
Ocampo, Ernesto, ed. (December 26, 2007).
"2007 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana"
.
Super Luchas
(in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV.
ISSN
1665-8876
. 244
. Retrieved
July 11,
2009
.
- ^
"NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2015"
.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(in Japanese). Archived from
the original
on January 19, 2015
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
"Road to Tokyo Dome"
.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(in Japanese). Archived from
the original
on December 19, 2015
. Retrieved
December 19,
2015
.
- ^
Arturo Montiel Rojas (2001-08-30).
"Reglamento de Boy Y Lucha Libre Professional del Estado de Mexico"
(PDF)
(in Spanish). Comision de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on November 30, 2006
. Retrieved
2009-04-03
.
Welter77 kilos
- ^
Chia, Juan, ed. (November 2007). "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras".
Olimpico
(in Spanish). Naucalpan, State of Mexico: Editorial Mina S.A. de C.V. p. 37. Tomo V.
- ^
"NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2016"
.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(in Japanese). Archived from
the original
on January 27, 2016
. Retrieved
January 22,
2016
.
- ^
Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Mexico: EMLL CMLL Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre heavyweight Title".
Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present
. Pennsylvania, USA: Archeus Communications. p. 395.
ISBN
0-9698161-5-4
.
- ^
Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "MEXICO: CMLL EMLL Light Heavyweight Title".
Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present
. Pennsylvania, USA: Archeus Communications. p. 395.
ISBN
0-9698161-5-4
.
- ^
Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "MEXICO: EMLL CMLL Trios Title".
Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present
. Pennsylvania, USA: Archeus Communications. p. 396.
ISBN
0-9698161-5-4
.
- ^
Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "MEXICO: EMLL CMLL Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Middleweight Title".
Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present
. Pennsylvania, USA: Archeus Communications. p. 395.
ISBN
0-9698161-5-4
.
- ^
Zellner, Kris (May 4, 2014).
"Mistico breaks leg in motorcycle crash: The Lucha Report"
.
Pro Wrestling Insider
. Retrieved
May 4,
2014
.
- ^
"Mistico 'La Nueva Era' sufrio un accidente y fue operado"
.
MedioTiempo
(in Spanish). May 4, 2014
. Retrieved
May 5,
2014
.
- ^
Dark Angelita (November 19, 2014). Ocampo, Ernesto (ed.).
"CMLL: Conferencia de prensa de Infierno en el Ring"
.
Super Luchas
(in Spanish). Impresos Camsam, SA de CV
. Retrieved
November 19,
2014
.
- ^
Reducindo, Miguel (January 3, 2015).
"Resultados Arena Mexico Viernes 2 de Enero '15"
.
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
(in Spanish). Archived from
the original
on January 8, 2015
. Retrieved
January 3,
2015
.
- ^
"Rush, Dragon Lee y Bestia del Ring quedaron CMLL"
.
MedioTiempo
(in Spanish). September 28, 2019
. Retrieved
September 28,
2019
.
- ^
VideosOficialesCMLL
(November 20, 2019).
"CMLL Informa 20 de Noviembre de 2019"
(in Spanish).
YouTube
.
Archived
from the original on 2021-12-13
. Retrieved
December 2,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Dark Angelita (December 3, 2019).
"CMLL: Titan y Soberano Jr. tras el Campeonato Mundial Welter"
.
Super Luchas
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
December 11,
2019
.
- ^
Rosas Plata, Arturo (December 9, 2019).
"Titan nuevo rey Welter"
.
Ovaciones
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
December 11,
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]