The Mexican National Lightweight Championship (Campeonato Nacional de Peso Ligero in Spanish) is a Mexicanprofessional wrestling singles championship created and sanctioned by Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. ("the Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling Commission" in Spanish). Although the Commission sanctions the title, it does not promote the events in which the title is defended. As it is a professional wrestling championship, it is not won legitimately; it is instead won via a scripted ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of a storyline. The official definition of the lightweight weight class in Mexico is between 63 kg (139 lb) and 70 kg (150 lb), but the weight limits for the different classes are not always strictly enforced.[Note 1][1] Since the title was brought back after being inactive for approximately four years it has been contested for in the Mini-Estrellas division exclusively. All title matches take place under two out of three falls rules as is tradition in Mexico.[2]
The Mexican National Lightweight Championship was created in 1934, making it one of the oldest wrestling championships still active today.[3]Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL; Spanish for World Wrestling Council) has the promotional control of the championship while the Commission only serves to approve the champions and supervise championship matches.[Note 2]Jack O'Brien was recognized as the first champion in 1934, after winning a tournament sanctioned by Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. and promoted by CMLL.[G1][G2][Note 3] The championship has been vacated on a number of occasions, most notably four times because the champion moved up a weight class, once because the champion was not a Mexican citizen and once because the reigning champion, Guerrero Samurai, was killed in a car accident.[G1][G2]
Rayo Metálico is the current champion in his first reign. He won the title by defeating Futuro at CMLL Noche de Campeones on September 27, 2024, in Mexico City, Mexico. He is the 52nd overall champion and the 42nd person to hold the title. Rodolfo Ruiz and Taro are tied for the most reigns as champion, with three in total; Mishima Ota has the shortest reign, at 1 day. Black Shadow holds the record for the longest individual reign, at over 1,901 days, while Juan Diaz held the championship 1,979 days divided over two reigns.
Mini Damián 666 one of 24 competitors in the 2008 tournament.
In 2008 the Mexican National Lightweight Championship was reintroduced after being vacant since 2005. CMLL held two Torneo cibernetico elimination matches, one on September 9 and one on September 16 to determine the finalists. Pierrothito won the first torneo cibernetico by eliminating Pequeño Olimpico in the end.[4]Mascarita Dorada won the second torneo cibernetico, eliminating Pequeño Black Warrior in the last fall.[5] On September 23, 2009, Pierrothito defeated Mascarita Dorada to win the championship, becoming the first Mini-Estrella to win the Mexican National Lightweight Championship.[6]
On June 24, 2013, CMLL announced that the Mexican National Lightweight Championship had been vacated, without stating specifically why previous champion Pierrothito had been stripped of the championship.[7] They also announced a 12-man tournament to determine a new champion that would start on July 30 with a six-man torneo cibernetico elimination match and a second six-man cibernetico the following week.[8][9] The winners of each block faced off on August 13, 2013, to determine the new champion. The finals saw Eléctrico defeat Pequeño Nitro to win the championship.[10]
^In this statement, "control" refers to the everyday use of the title, determining which storylines the title is being used in, who gets to challenge for the title and how to use it in a public relations sense.
^At the time CMLL was known as Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL), name changed in 1992
^ abThe exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means the title reign lasted between 626 and 842 days.
^ abThe exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means the title reign lasted between 1,901 and 2,265 days.
^ abThe exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means the title reign lasted between 599 and 626 days.
^ abThe exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means the title reign lasted between 425 and 455 days.
^ abThe exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means the title reign lasted between 177 and 207 days.
^ abThe exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means the title reign lasted between 537 and 901 days.
^ abThe exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means the title reign lasted between 1,156 and 1,183 days.
[G1] – Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Lightweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. p. 393. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Madigan, Dan (2007). "Okay... what is Lucha Libre?". Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. New York, New York: HarperCollins. pp. 29–40. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "19th Century and widely defended titles: NWA, WCW, WWF, AWA, IWA, ECW, NWA". Wrestling Title Histories. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 8–32. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
