![Light Heavyweight Championship Light Heavyweight Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xl/public/championship/Header/Lightweight_Championship.jpg 1125w)
![Universal Championship Universal Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2019/11/Universal_Championship_SD--384d68e1f2cff0dc98447b52a360bd0c.png 768w)
![WWE Championship WWE Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2024/04/TITLE_04192023gd_0062_Fin--b4ea60da7626c3ce7fe770d2f0955917.png 768w)
![World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2023/05/WWE_World_Championship--3f7deec341d4257875929ee8ab140834.png 768w)
![Intercontinental Championship Intercontinental Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2019/11/_Intercontinental_Title_Belts_1920x1080_updated--7d94c38bf0d90f5cb2f3bad36490dd70.png 768w)
![United States Championship United States Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2020/10/WWE_US_Championship--8a7032700a1cafff3403b6192157f15c.png 768w)
![WWE Women’s Championship WWE Women’s Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2023/06/TITLE_04192023gd_0036_Fin--9e463b392bb67de44f5449c0c1103ccc.png 768w)
![Women's World Championship Women's World Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2023/06/TITLE_04212023gd_0006_Fin--39727c5972135200bd8983992c1424e3.png 768w)
![World Tag Team Championship World Tag Team Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2024/04/TITLES_03282024gd_0349_cropped_Fin_revisedA--4e2365ba0473f4c396c17b990a1950c5.png 768w)
![WWE Tag Team Championship WWE Tag Team Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2024/04/TITLES_03212024gd_0025_crop_Fin_(2)--03ef24470e34bc0f7065611873d7e8df.png 768w)
![WWE Women's Tag Team Championship WWE Women's Tag Team Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2019/02/Womens_Tag_Team_Championship1--ddc29f86d386b1d56cc2cdbc8c876e15.png 768w)
![NXT Cruiserweight Championship NXT Cruiserweight Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2020/01/NXT_Cruiserweight_Championship--93709dbac373421a2e0cefba9b1dd78c.png 768w)
![24/7 Championship 24/7 Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2019/05/20190522_24_7_Championship--1c479c2914b3c902f344686fbbd5e98d.png 768w)
![NXT Championship NXT Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2022/04/NXT_Championship--7d8ea4d925fe43df5a8f0df6f0ba7e3d.png 768w)
![NXT Women's Championship NXT Women's Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2022/04/NXT_WomensChampionship--f61b92a1be288ebb84fac3dcd4c9391e.png 768w)
![NXT Tag Team Championship NXT Tag Team Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2017/04/NXT_Tag_Team--ff5b24fcb35964613e5d0cb6f7e82e8a.png 768w)
![NXT Women's Tag Team Championship NXT Women's Tag Team Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2021/03/TITLE_03042021gd_0067--479dca17038fc67295a8555d24760469.png 768w)
![NXT North American Championship NXT North American Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2018/04/NXT_North_American_Championship--ce0883c1531cfc9330a5a50c8e82b44d.png 768w)
![Million Dollar Championship Million Dollar Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2021/07/Million_Dollar_Title_06152021cg_004_Crop_(1)--ec0511481c4c937f38ab3c9f0e3e4e3e.png 768w)
![NXT United Kingdom Championship NXT United Kingdom Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2020/01/WWE_UK_Championship_Belt--b3a1d48e34e1a2d6571fc8d81138eb94.png 768w)
![NXT UK Women's Championship NXT UK Women's Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2018/11/NXTUK_womens_Championship--da94d368c9a8275fe186f87b1435e806.png 768w)
![NXT UK Tag Team Championship NXT UK Tag Team Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2019/01/UK_Tag_Championship_Belt--d4b911589e8c86957f0c28fce14090cc.png 768w)
![NXT Heritage Cup NXT Heritage Cup](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/all/2020/12/UK_Heritage_Cup--3d9643eed932bafc351491aa269c0449.png 768w)
![World Heavyweight Title World Heavyweight Title](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/WWE_Heavyweight.png 768w)
![Divas Championship Divas Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt/Divas_Championship.png 768w)
![World Tag Team Championship World Tag Team Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/WWE_World_Tag_Team_Championship.png 768w)
![European Championship European Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/WWE_European_Championship.png 768w)
![Light Heavyweight Championship Light Heavyweight Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/WWE_Light_Heavyweight_Championship.png 768w)
![Cruiserweight Championship Cruiserweight Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/WWE_Cruiserweight_Championship.png 768w)
![WWE Women's Championship WWE Women's Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/Womens_Champion.png 768w)
![Hardcore Championship Hardcore Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/WWE_Hardcore_Championship.png 768w)
![WCW World Championship WCW World Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/WCW_Heavyweight.png 768w)
![ECW Championship ECW Championship](/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xs/public/championship/Belt_Retired/ECW_World_Heavyweight_Championship.png 768w)
The now-defunct WWE Light Heavyweight Championship has one of the shortest histories in WWE. It got its start in late 1997 when a tournament was held to crown the first-ever Light Heavyweight Champion. In the end, it was Taka Michinoku defeating Brian Christopher for the title. Over the next three years, the Light Heavyweight Championship changed hands 13 times, totaling 11 different champions, including Christian, Jeff Hardy and X-Pac. The title was abandoned in 2001 when WWE finally put the WCW/ECW Alliance out of business. WWE then adopted the WCW Cruiserweight Championship as its version of the Cruiserweight Championship.
Championship Holders over time
445 days†
(reign began in previous decade)
9 days
Champion | Date of Reign | | Time Held |
---|---|---|
X-Pac | Aug 19, 2001 - Nov 18, 2001 | 91 days |
Tajiri | Aug 6, 2001 - Aug 19, 2001 | 12 days |
X-Pac | Jun 25, 2001 - Aug 6, 2001 | 41 days |
Jeff Hardy | Jun 7, 2001 - Jun 25, 2001 | 17 days |
Jerry Lynn | Apr 29, 2001 - Jun 7, 2001 | 38 days |
Crash Holly | Mar 15, 2001 - Apr 29, 2001 | 44 days |
Dean Malenko | Apr 27, 2000 - Mar 15, 2001 | 321 days |
Scotty 2 Hotty | Apr 17, 2000 - Apr 27, 2000 | 9 days |
Dean Malenko | Mar 13, 2000 - Apr 17, 2000 | 34 days |
Essa Rios | Feb 10, 2000 - Mar 13, 2000 | 31 days |
Gillberg | Nov 19, 1998 - Feb 8, 2000 | 445 days† (reign began in previous decade) |
445 days†
(reign ends in next decade)
29 days
Champion | Date of Reign | | Time Held |
---|---|---|
Gillberg | Nov 19, 1998 - Feb 8, 2000 | 445 days† (reign ends in next decade) |
Christian | Oct 18, 1998 - Nov 17, 1998 | 29 days |
Taka Michinoku | Dec 7, 1997 - Oct 18, 1998 | 314 days |