Weight classes.

[samoth]

Can someone explain the weight class system to me? I'd like to know order and weight qualifications for each. I'm talking about the following classes:

Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, as well as things like Junior Heavyweight and Cruiserweight if they actually apply as anything other than LT HVY.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Heavyweight
Basically an open/unlimited weight division.
Under the rules of Japan Pro-Wrestling Commission as of 1980, anyone over 99.88kg was considered as heavyweight.

Junior Heavyweight
When the NWA created the world title for this division back in the '40s, the limit was 190ld.
"Mid-Heavyweight" in Britain (209ld) and Calgary.
"Cruiserweight" in WCW/WWF (225ld) and for National title in Mexico.
Under the rules of Japan Pro-Wrestling Commission as of 1980, weight limit was 99.88kg.
"Cruiserweight" (190ld) in boxing.

Light Heavyweight
175ld weight limit in the old National Wrestling Association.
225ld in the current WWF (commonly mixed up with junior heavyweight by the promoters in the US)
Under the rules of Japan Pro-Wrestling Commission as of 1980, anyone under 86.28kg was considered as light heavyweight, so the old WWF light heavyweight title probably had the same limit.
175ld in boxing.

Junior Light Heavyweight
National Wrestling Association recognized a world title in 1940s.
"Super Middleweight" in Universal Pro.
"Heavy Middleweight" in Britain (187ld)
"Super Middleweight" (168ld) in boxing.

Middleweight
160ld weight limit in the old National Wrestling Association. I believe the version has an actual lineage to the existing NWA World Middleweight title in Japan.
176ld in UK.
160ld in boxing.

Junior Middleweight
"Super Welterweight" in Universal Pro and Michinoku.
National Wrestling Association recognized a world title in 1930s.
154ld in boxing.

Welterweight
165ld in UK.
National Wrestling Association recognized a world title in 1920s-40s.
There are several world titles in this division today: NWA, UWA, WWA.
Comision de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. also recogizes a National title.
147ld in boxing.

Junior Welterweight
140ld in boxing. Not sure if any pro-wrestling title ever existed.

Lightweight
154ld in UK.
There were world titles in the US around 1920s and by the UWA in Mexico until the '90s.
Comision de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. still recogizes a National title.
135ld in boxing.

Junior Lightweight
130ld in boxing. Not sure if any pro-wrestling title ever existed.

Featherweight
There were world titles in the US around 1920s and by the UWA in Mexico until the '90s.
There was also a National title in Mexico. Not sure if it still exists.
126ld in boxing.

As far as I know, featherweight is/was the lightest weight division in pro-wrestling.

Boxing also has the following weight divisions (and more):
Junior Featherweight: Limit - 122 pounds
Bantamweight: Limit - 118 pounds
Junior Bantamweight: Limit - 115 pounds
Flyweight: Limit - 112 pounds
Junior Flyweight: Limit - 108 pounds
Strawweight: Limit - 105 pounds

[RoaringElbow25]

If I am not mistaken WCW's Crusierweight limit was 235 lbs. and under and origionally the WWF LightHeavyweight was 215 lbs. and under

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Oh, ok... I got those numbers for WCW and WWF from another post on this forum.

[DangerousBD]

actually, I believe that WCW's Cruiserweight limit was 225 lbs. I am pretty sure because Chris Jericho was 225 lbs when he was Cruiserweight Champion. He then moved up to 231 lbs, and competed as a heavyweight. Also, Bret Hart was 235 lbs, and was never considered a Cruiserweight (but he was a junior heavyweight in Japan)

[Luds]

WCW's cruiserweight was set to 225. I remember an episode of Nitro/Thunder where Disco Inferno had to loose weight in order to be 225 and legal against Kidman who was champ back then. During the entire night, they showed him on the bike... And when he finally made it to 225, he didn't have anything left and Kidman got the win with a quick rollup. That was pretty funny...

[TheE-ster]

NWA's junior heavyweight limit used to be 235, back when it was basically a jobber title defended by Nelson Royal against Kendall Windham while we were finding our seats. Then invariably there's always a guy sitting in em with a big plate of nachoes and a extra large diet coke. When you tell him that's your seat, he acts like your the [word removed by administrator. please follow the rule.] for asking to sit in your seat and makes a big production out of picking up his nachoes and soda. Then by the time you sit down, everyone keeps asking who the hell those two are in the ring. And you know the skinny kid is Kendall but your not sure about the other schmuck but...oh, sorry, anyway yeah it was 235.

[Luds]

Darn! I hope this nacho guy ain't sittin' in my seat on Smackdown on the 19th!

[RoaringElbow25]

I am a huge BRet Hart mark and he weighed more around 240 or so than 135 and even if he was 235 that doesnt mean he had to compete as a crusierweight, if Im not mistaken didnt Rey Mysetrio Jr get a shot at the WCW Heavyweight title on a spring break edition of Nitro when El Dandy won the lottery for the title shot but couldnt compete, so he gave REy Rey his number and Mysterio came very close to stealing the strap from Ric Flair if IM not mistaken. and La Parka Im pretty sure was 235 and he competed in the crusierweight division

[TheE-ster]

There's always one Luds, there's always one.

[Famine]

Let's all try and remember that weightclass means little to nothing these days. Remember it was Chris Jericho who felt that he would not be taken as a serious competitor if left in WCW's cruiserweight division. True, the lighter weight class is pushed aside in the states, but even Jushin Lyger took a run at the IWGP Heavyweight Title. . . and won.

[El Gran Kurtisimo]

The last great lightweight/cruiserweight/junior heavyweight tome in America would have to be during the salad days of WCW in the mid nineties. With all those great luchadores, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Juventud Guererra, Rey Mysterio Jr. how could you not have a great Cruiserweight division?

True, it was basically used to warm up the crowd, but it was still great none the less. The WWF should have let Dean Malenko book their Light Heavies, like he booked WCW. Then it would have done better I believe.

[Luds]

It's true, these great cruiserweight matches were great in WCW... If only WWF could have matches...

I'm guessing that they will have the cruiserweight division running after the split. After all, they have X-Pac, Kidman, Tijiri, Spike, Helms, Moore, Saunders and others...

[El Gran Kurtisimo]

I'm hoping Dean Malenko will become an active wrester again after the split. I think he retired to being an agent because he wasn't happy with the direction he was going in the WWF. If anyone has seen the promo he gave when he left ECW, you know he has very high principles when it comes to wrestling.

[samoth]

"but even Jushin Lyger took a run at the IWGP Heavyweight Title. . . and won."

News to me. I remember him getting a shot, but I know for a fact he's never held the heavyweight title.