What exactly is a cruserweight?
 

So...I was watching Smackdown, and took note that Gregory Helms is actually taller than Benoit. Checking out their bios on WWE.com shows only a 5 pound difference between the two. I don't quite remember what the requirements for being a cruserweight actually are...but I suppose the only requirements in the WWE is that, a) they be a jobber to anyone outside their division, b) they have little to no air time (and therefor no heat with the crowd...), and c) win the Cruserweight title at least once before fading into obscurity (and Velocity). Why the WWE is so unfair to their talent, we may never know. Right now, the division is being moderately pushed, but is it just their way of giving fans of TNA's X-Division a reason to watch the WWE? And if so, are they just going to pull the plug on it after Wrestlemania (having pretended that they gave it a fair chance and it didn't get over)?

It doesn't mean anything anymore, really. It's just a tag for smaller guys who do a lot of aerial offense.

I think the weight limit in the WWE (when it was actually mentioned) was something like 230 or 235.

They should really change it's name or get rid of it alltogether.

The exact weight limit is 220lbs.

Yup, going back to th WCW times, it was always guys 220 or smaller.

Remember that time Disco Inferno went to compete for the cruiser title and he had to drop weight, but never really did? That's what I loved about WCW, comedy gimmicks that still resulted in good matches.

WWE ripped off the same angle with Matt Hardy I beleive.

But WWE uses a 230 threshold I think.

Yeah, but Matt actually lost the weight eventually.

The premise of the original angle was that Disco never lost the weight and had a huge advantage.

A midget.

Oh god. I remember that.

Foley: "You know, medical science has determined the quickest way to shed water weight is through the use of a rubber suit"
Christian: "Do you have one?"
Foley: "No, I don't have one, but I do have this"
And Foley puts on the head of Kurt's chicken suit over Christian's head. :love:

They have changed the weight requirements at least twice in the WWE.

Cruiserweight and Light Heavyweight (What the WWF championship was called before they bought WCW) are both weight designations in the style of real wrestling and boxing (Which is usually faker than a Hulk Hogan match). Weight classes have different championships/titles/divisions so that nobody has a real huge advatantage simply because of weight.

In wrestling, it doesn't matter, because you have cruisers with heavyweight title shots and a floating weight limit for whatever's convenient. It's optional in pro wrestling.

Not everyone who IS a cruiserweight is required to compete as one. For example, it's been reported for a while that Rey thinks he's bigger than the CW division.

The ironic thing is that Rey's actually smaller than it.

Actually, the WCW weight limit was 225 lbs., while the WWF's LightHeavyweight weight limit was 215 lbs., back in the days of the WWF LightHeavyweight Title.

As for the Disco Inferno thing, he allegedly DID lose the weight, but wore himself out in the process. WWF ran the same angle a bit later with Christian on an episode of Heat.

I miss the Light Heavyweight Title. Big time.

I think it looks 10 times better than the Cruiserweight belt.

Hmm, I thought that the WCW Cruiserweight Championship had a 230lbs limit. Chris Jericho held the belt when he was 231lbs. That was a good angle. I think they should bring back the 230lbs weight limit. Have guys like Matt Hardy and what would have been Christian competing for the belt in their downtime.

I always thought the WWE Light Heavyweight Championship was 225lbs. It was definately over 215lbs at one stage, as Jeff Hardy held the belt when he was billed as 218lbs.

The WWE Cruiserweight Championship limit is 220lbs. So technically, Carlito could compete as a cruiserweight. If 'Lito ever gets drafted to SmackDown!, I would love to see an angle like that. The most destinctive moments in "Weight Restriction Divisions" seem to have bigger guys step down and challenge for the belt. I really wouldn't mind it if Paul Burchill requested that he be able to challenge for the Cruiserweight Title, as he can wrestle their style, but he's got the pirate thing going on now.

Am I the only one who would mark out if Paul London (or someone) came out with the WWE Light Heavyweight Championship and the Cruiserweights all proclaimed to be Light Heavyweights, and chose to compete for the LHC.

Gregory Helms gets pissed off at this, as his title is kind of redundant without challengers, so he challenges Paul London (or whoever is Light Heavyweight Champion) to a Unifcation Match at WrestleMania. They can make a big deal out of how the Light Heavyweight Title was never unified with the Cruiserweight Title (I think X-Pac just retired with it).

It wouldn't matter who wins at WrestleMania, it just adds a story to the match, and the CW Title might get some more credibility. The WWE Cruiserweight Championship can then include all former Light Heavyweight Champions as Cruiserweight Champions. Sometimes title unifications can get messy, such as the US/IC Title unification in November 2001. It would have been so nice to see all IC Champions and US Champions referred to as common title holders, but a new name would have been needed for the belt, etc., so the US Title was just dropped. The Cruiserweight Championship seems to describe its title holders, rather than just be a noun they can possess. I think it would be easier to pass Dean Malenko off as as a four-time "Cruiserweight Champion" than as a former "Intercontinental Champion" because he once won the US Title.

As far as it being 230 in WCW and Jericho and all, they'd often kayfabe weights to let guys compete for that title. Same for the WWF LightHeavyweight Title. Brian Christopher was so over the limit it was ridiculous.

A cruiser weight is somebody that will rarly be given the spotlight.