Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship Explained

Championshipname:Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship
Promotion:Wrestle-1
Created:February 25, 2015
Mostreigns:Andy Wu (4 reigns)
Firstchamp:Minoru Tanaka
Finalchamp:Seiki Yoshioka
Shortestreign:Seiki Yoshioka (days)
Longestreign:Kotaro Suzuki (days)
Oldest:Minoru Tanaka (42 years, days)[1]
Youngest:Andy Wu (– years)[2]
Heaviest:Mazada (87kg (192lb))[3]
Lightest:Seiki Yoshioka(77kg (170lb))
Titleretired:April 1, 2020

The is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Wrestle-1 (W-1) promotion. The title is meant for cruiserweight wrestlers and holds a weight limit of 200lb.

Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won as a result of a scripted match. There have been fifteen reigns shared among eight wrestlers.

History

When Wrestle-1 was founded in 2013, one of its main focuses was to build an openweight division, where its wrestlers would not be typecast as heavyweights or junior heavyweights, like in most Japanese promotions, but would be able to interact with each other across weight limits.[4] [5] However, on February 13, 2015, after Kaz Hayashi and Shuji Kondo had successfully defended the Wrestle-1 Tag Team Championship against Minoru Tanaka and Seiki Yoshioka, Hayashi announced he was interested in building a division for Wrestle-1's lighter wrestlers,[6] [7] [8] electing to call the proposed division a "cruiserweight" division instead of the "junior heavyweight" division, which is more common in Japanese puroresu, and reminiscing of Mutoh and Hayashi's stints in WCW in the 1990s.[9] This led to a match on February 22, billed as an "assessment match" to a possible cruiserweight division,[10] where Tanaka defeated Hayashi.[11] Following the match, Tanaka, Andy Wu, El Hijo del Pantera, Hiroshi Yamato, Rionne Fujiwara, Seiki Yoshioka and Yusuke Kodama voiced their support for a cruiserweight division in Wrestle-1.[12] [13] On February 25, Wrestle-1 officially announced the creation of a cruiserweight division and the promotion's third title, a cruiserweight championship.[14] [15] [16]

In May 2016, Kotaro Suzuki made the title's first international defenses by defeating Mark Haskins and Ultimo Tiger in England at events held by 4 Front Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Pride.[17]

Championship tournament

On March 9, 2015, Wrestle-1 officially presented the new title, naming it the "Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship". It was announced that the title holds a weight limit of 200lb that wrestlers need to make the day before a title match. Also announced was an eight-man single-elimination tournament that would culminate on May 5 with the crowning of the first champion.[18] [19] [20] The championship belt was officially unveiled on March 31 at a press conference, where all participants in the tournament underwent and passed a weigh-in.[21] [22] On May 5, Minoru Tanaka defeated Kaz Hayashi in the finals of the tournament to become the inaugural Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Champion.[23]

See also

References

General

Specific

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: http://www.w-1.co.jp/player/tanaka_minoru.php . https://web.archive.org/web/20150318065853/http://www.w-1.co.jp/player/tanaka_minoru.php . ja:田中 稔 . March 18, 2015 . dead . May 5, 2015 . . Japanese.
  2. Web site: http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/news/p-bt-tp0-20110124-728257.html . ja:水木千尋さん「酔拳」披露しただ１人合格 . January 24, 2011 . September 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  3. Web site: Mazada . https://web.archive.org/web/20161110204102/http://www.w-1.co.jp//player/mazada.php . November 10, 2016 . dead . December 9, 2016 . . Japanese.
  4. Web site: http://www.w-1.co.jp/news/detail.php?id=2211 . ja:10/6（日）初の後楽園に向け、カズ選手、近藤選手、田中選手がコメントを発表 . October 4, 2013 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  5. Web site: http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/prores/mens_prores/191355/ . ja:Ｗ－１初後楽園でジュニア戦士決起 . October 5, 2013 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  6. Web site: タッグV5カズがクルーザー級創設を提言 田中を撃破したKaiが武藤に挑戦表明 . February 13, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . Sports Navi . . Japanese.
  7. Web site: クルーザー級創設への序章！？カズ・ハヤシvs田中稔、大阪で一騎打ち決定！ . February 14, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  8. Web site: http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/prores/mens_prores/367278/ . ja:Ｗ―１タッグ王座 カズ＆近藤がＶ５ . February 14, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  9. Web site: 2月22日（日）大阪大会に向けて。カズ・ハヤシ選手が提唱する"クルーザーの世界"に対して。6選手がコメント。～2月20日（金）愛知・名古屋国際会議場大会 試合後コメント～vol.2 . February 20, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  10. Web site: http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/prores/mens_prores/368121/ . ja:Ｗ－１タッグ王者 近藤＆カズそれぞれの野望 . February 17, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  11. Web site: Wrestle-1 Tour 2015 West Side Story . February 22, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  12. Web site: http://www.w-1.co.jp/news/detail.php?id=3378 . ja:カズに血判状届く！動き出す“クルーザーの世界”！～カズ・ハヤシ選手、会見 . February 24, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  13. Web site: http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/prores/mens_prores/370953/ . ja:カズ「血判状」公開 Ｗ－１クルーザー級王座新設主張 . February 25, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  14. Web site: http://www.w-1.co.jp/news/detail.php?id=3381 . ja:クルーザー級王座新設決定のお知らせ . February 25, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . . Japanese.
  15. Web site: W-1がクルーザー級王座を新設することを正式に決定！3.8後楽園でW-1王座戦を行う武藤とKaiが心境を語る . February 25, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . Battle News . Japanese.
  16. Web site: http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/prores/mens_prores/371418/ . ja:Ｗ－１クルーザー級王座新設決定 . February 26, 2015 . February 26, 2015 . . Japanese.
  17. Web site: Matches By Year « Wrestle-1 Cruiserweight Championship . October 23, 2017 . Cagematch.
  18. Web site: http://www.w-1.co.jp/news/detail.php?id=3417 . ja:「Wrestle-1クルーザーディビジョン初代王者決定トーナメント」開催決定のお知らせ . March 9, 2015 . March 9, 2015 . . Japanese.
  19. Web site: http://battle-news.com/?p=6560 . ja:W-1クルーザーディビジョン初代王者決定トーナメントの開催＆4.1後楽園でKaivs.鈴木秀樹のW-1王座戦などが決定 . March 9, 2015 . March 9, 2015 . Battle News . Japanese.
  20. Web site: http://cf-origin-bitisle-www.nikkansports.com/battle/news/1444469.html . ja:クルーザー級出場者＆１回戦組み合わせ発表　Ｗ－１ . March 9, 2015 . March 9, 2015 . . Japanese.
  21. Web site: http://www.w-1.co.jp/news/detail.php?id=3478 . ja:Wrestle-1クルーザーディビジョンベルト公開会見&公開計量 . March 31, 2015 . March 31, 2015 . . Japanese.
  22. Web site: http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/prores/mens_prores/384057/ . ja:新設のＷ―１クルーザーディビジョン王座へカズ・ハヤシＶ宣言 . April 1, 2015 . April 1, 2015 . . Japanese.
  23. Web site: http://battle-news.com/?p=8665 . ja:W-1 5.5後楽園大会　鈴木秀樹vs.浜のW-1チャンピオンシップ、クルーザーディビジョン初代王者決定トーナメント準決勝〜決勝 . May 5, 2015 . May 5, 2015 . Battle News . Japanese.

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