8 Best WCW Cruiserweight Championship Matches

This week, it was announced that a new cruiserweight division would become exclusive property of Raw in the aftermath of the brand split.

On the live Smackdown draft special, eligible cruiserweight wrestlers Neville, Sin Cara, Enzo Amore and the Shining Stars were drafted to the red show where they will surely be joined by some of those competing in the current Cruiserweight Classic (and perhaps one or two more fresh faces) in the weeks and months to come.

The return of the cruiserweight division (which has a 205lb weight limit) is welcome news to fans of fast-paced, high-flying action. Before WWE tarnished the belt with irrational, destructive booking decisions and apathy, the Cruiserweight Title was the highlight of many a Smackdown episode or pay-per-view in the early 2000s.

Of course, cruiserweight wrestling really came to the fore in WCW. In the mid-90s, Eric Bischoff began assembling a roster of lightweight standouts to compete in the division, cherry-picking the best talents from Mexico, America, Japan and beyond. WCW's cruiserweight division was truly revolutionary and helped popularised a style already well-established in other countries.

On shows that were dominated by the nWo and an ageing main event force, the Cruiserweight Title and division stood out as a beacon of hope for the pure wrestling fan. With the recent reveal that the cruiserweight division is coming back to WWE Raw, I've line up 8 outstanding matches from the WCW days to help get you excited.

WWE Network at the ready, dear reader...

The first match on our list is actually two matches, taking place at Starrcade - WCW's equivalent of WrestleMania.

Juventud Guerrera, Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman, three men who had been fighting over the cruiser strap for the majority of the year, kicked things off in style with a breathless, action-packed triple threat match that was the best thing on the show by a country mile.

For fifteen minutes, Rey Rey, BK and The Juice weaved a seamless blend of lucha and American style cruiserweight wrestling, with intricate spots and big moves galore. Of particular note were Rey and Kidman nailing stereo dropkicks on a mid-air Guerrera, Juventud pulling off a wild springboard frankensteiner on Rey, who was seated on Kidman's shoulders and some beautiful dives, including a massive Asai moonsault and an SSP to the floor. Just insane.

After the requisite trading of finishers, Kidman came out on top when Luchador World Order leader Eddie Guerrero's interference backfired. Furious with Rey and Juventud's failure to upend their foe, Eddie challenged Kidman to a match right there and then.

The two proceeded to have a solid ten-minute match, with Eddie controlling the pace by wearing down a knackered Kidman. Overcoming the odds (with a little help from Mysterio), Kidman got the win with his Shooting Star Press. It was a phenomenal performance from Kidman, who capped off a breakthrough year with two excellent outings back-to-back.