CMLL World Welterweight 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.

CMLL World Welterweight Championship
Record four-time champion Máscara Dorada with the title belt in August 2015
Details
PromotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre[1]
Date establishedFebruary 15, 1992[2]
Current champion(s)Titán
Date wonDecember 8, 2019[1]

Overall there has been a total of 34 official championship reigns, shared between 22 different wrestlers. Titán is the current champion, having defeated Soberano Jr. in the finals of a tournament for the vacant championship. Máscara 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

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, América 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 América, 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 Asesoría y Administración (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 Máscara Mágica defeated El Felino in the final to become the seventh official CMLL World Welterweight Champion. Máscara Mágica 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 Máscara 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 Máscara Dorada lost the championship to Bushi, which was officially acknowledged by CMLL.[10]

Reigns
Mephisto, a two-time champion, whose first reign from 2004 to 2007 lasted 1,141 days
Main article: List of CMLL World Welterweight Champions

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 Olímpico 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.[lower-alpha 1] 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]

Titán 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

1992

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  
América  
El Khalifa W

1996
Rey Bucanero who was eliminated in the second round.

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 Máscara Mágica defeated El Felino to become the seventh champion.[2]

Round of 16   Quarterfinals   Semifinals   Final
                           
Rey Bucanero W  
Fantastik       Rey Bucanero    
Black Panther W   Black Panther W  
Olimpico         Black Panther    
Astro Rey Jr. W       Máscara Mágica W  
Atlantico       Astro Rey Jr.  
Máscara Mágica W   Máscara Mágica W  
Guerrero Maya         Máscara Mágica W
Karloff Lagarde Jr. W       El Felino  
Ultimatum       Karlof Lagarde Jr.    
Ciclón Ramírez W   Ciclón Ramírez W  
Yone Genjin         Ciclón Ramírez  
El Felino W       El Felino W  
Alacran de Durango       El Felino W
Ángel Azteca W   Ángel Azteca    
Zumbido    

2014-2015
Místico, who was forced to vacate the championship in 2014

On May 2, 2015, then-reigning CMLL World Welterweight Champion Místico 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 Místico was unable to compete. During a press conference on November 19, 2014, Místico 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 Máscara Dorada outlasted the other eight competitors; Delta, Fuego, Kamaitachi, Pólvora, Rey Cometa, Sangre Azteca, Titán and Tritón. A week later Máscara Dorada defeated Negro Casas to become the 29th CMLL World Heavyweight Champion.[22]

Torneo cibernetico order of elimination
# Eliminated Eliminated by
1 Sangre Azteca Tritón
2 Rey Cometa Pólvora
3 Tritón Delta
4 Fuego Kamaitachi
5 Delta Titán
6 Kamaitachi Negro Casas
7 Pólvora Máscara Dorada
8 Titán Negro Casas
9 Winner Negro Casas
9 Winner Máscara Dorada

2019
The tournament winner and 34th champion Titán.

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 Titán 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 Titán defeated Sobreano Jr. two falls to one, to become the 34th CMLL World Welterweight Champion.[1][26]

Torneo cibernetico order of elimination
# Eliminated Eliminated by[25]
1 DroneTBD
2 FugazTemplario
3 Rey CometaDulce Gardenia
4 FuegoStar Jr.
5 TemplarioNegro Casas
6 Dulce GardeniaTBD
7 AudazSoberano Jr.
8 Negro CasasStar Jr.
9 Star Jr.Titán
10 WinnersTitán and Soberano Jr.

Footnotes
  1. Madigan (2007) p. 115: "Traditionally the heavyweight division was not considered the biggest draw, nor the most important division in Mexico"[13]
gollark: They're probably expensive because of high material cost (AND likely energy input) in making bombs.
gollark: How much energy do you get per nuke anyway?
gollark: What could POSSIBLY go wrong?
gollark: Besides, the price would just slowly go up over time as supply drops.
gollark: That is apparently not a likely issue versus climate change problems from oil.

References

Madigan, Dan (2007). Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. New York, New York: HarperColins Publisher. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

  1. Dark Angelita (December 9, 2019). "CMLL: Titán, nuevo campeón mundial Welter". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  2. 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.
  3. Ocampo, Ernesto, ed. (January 24, 2005). "Número Especial – Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2004". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV. ISSN 1665-8876. 91.
  4. Manuel Rivera (April 24, 2007). Ocampo, Ernesto (ed.). "Difícil semana para Místico". Súper Luchas. Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV. pp. 3–5. 202. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  5. Manuel Flores and Manuel Rivera (March 23, 2009). Ocampo, Ernesto (ed.). "Cayó la máscara de Villano V". Súper Luchas. Mexico City, Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV. pp. 3–7. ISSN 1665-8876. 307.
  6. Reducindo, Miguel (February 17, 2014). "Resultados - Domingo 16 de Febrero '14". Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 17, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  7. 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.
  8. Ocampo, Ernesto, ed. (December 26, 2007). "2007 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Impresos Camsam, SA de CV. ISSN 1665-8876. 244. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  9. "NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2015". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  10. "Road to Tokyo Dome". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  11. Arturo Montiel Rojas (2001-08-30). "Reglamento de Boy Y Lucha Libre Professional del Estado de Mexico" (PDF) (in Spanish). Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 30, 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-03. Welter77 kilos
  12. Chia, Juan, ed. (November 2007). "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Olímpico (in Spanish). Naucalpan, State of Mexico: Editorial Mina S.A. de C.V. p. 37. Tomo V.
  13. Madigan 2007, p. 115.
  14. "NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2016". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Zellner, Kris (May 4, 2014). "Mistico breaks leg in motorcycle crash: The Lucha Report". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  20. "Místico 'La Nueva Era' sufrió un accidente y fue operado". MedioTiempo (in Spanish). May 4, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  21. Dark Angelita (November 19, 2014). Ocampo, Ernesto (ed.). "CMLL: Conferencia de prensa de Infierno en el Ring". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Impresos Camsam, SA de CV. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  22. Reducindo, Miguel (January 3, 2015). "Resultados Arena México Viernes 2 de Enero '15". Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  23. "Rush, Dragon Lee y Bestia del Ring quedaron CMLL". MedioTiempo (in Spanish). September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  24. VideosOficialesCMLL (November 20, 2019). "CMLL Informa 20 de Noviembre de 2019" (in Spanish). YouTube. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  25. Dark Angelita (December 3, 2019). "CMLL: Titán y Soberano Jr. tras el Campeonato Mundial Welter". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  26. Rosas Plata, Arturo (December 9, 2019). "Titán nuevo rey Welter". Ovaciones (in Spanish). Retrieved December 11, 2019.
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