IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Championship
IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Championship | |||||||||||
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Details | |||||||||||
Promotion | International Wrestling Revolution Group | ||||||||||
Date established | July 27, 1997[2] | ||||||||||
Current champion(s) | Demonio Infernal | ||||||||||
Date won | January 1, 2020[1] | ||||||||||
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The IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Championship (Campeonato Intercontinental de Peso Medio IWRGL in Spanish) is a professional wrestling championship promoted by the Mexican wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG). The official definition of the Middleweight weight class in Mexico is between 82 kg (181 lb) and 87 kg (192 lb), but the weight limits are not always strictly adhered to.[a][3] Because Lucha Libre puts more emphasis on the lower weightclasses, this division is considered more important than the normally more prestigious heavyweight division of the promotion.[4]
The current champion is Demonio Infernal, having defeated Fuerza Guerrera, Nueva Generacion, Pasion Cristal, Ave Rex, Emperador Azteca, El Hijo del Alebrije in a Steel cage match for the "Briefcase of Glory" and the vacant title. on January 1, 2020 at IWRG's Cinco Luchas en Jaula show, to win the championship. Imposible is the 41st overall champion and the 22nd person to win the championship, and the wrestler to have won the championship the most time with the most recent victory being his seventh reign. The first champion was Pantera, who defeated Tony Rivera in Naucalpan, Mexico on July 27, 1997 in the finals of a tournament.[2] It has since been defended throughout Mexico, but primarily in Naucalpan which is the IWRG's "home ground". In November 2007 Negro Casas, who was under contract with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) but worked for IWRG under a talent sharing agreement between IWRG and CMLL, won the title. The talent sharing agreement ended in 2008 but the Middleweight championship was not declared vacant even though Negro Casas was not able to defend it. After four years of inactivity, the title was vacated and put up in a tournament in May 2012 and has been active in IWRG since.
As it is a professional wrestling championship, the championship was not won not by actual competition, but by a scripted ending to a match determined by the bookers and match makers.[b] On occasion the promotion declares a championship vacant, which means there is no champion at that point in time. This can either be due to a storyline,[c] or real life issues such as a champion suffering an injury being unable to defend the championship,[d] or leaving the company.[e]
Championship tournaments
Details of the initial tournament in July 1997 has not been verified only that Pantera II defeated Tony Rivera in the finals of an eight-man tournament.[2]
November 2007 Championship tournament
IWRG stripped Pentagón Black of the championship and started an eight-man, single elimination tournament on October 15, 2007. The final match took place on November 1, 2007 at IWRG's annual El Castillo del Terror tournament.[9]
Quarter-finals | semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||||||
1 | Ultraman, Jr. | W | ||||||||||||
8 | Oficial Fierro | [9] | ||||||||||||
Ultraman, Jr. | [9] | |||||||||||||
Negro Casas | W | |||||||||||||
4 | Nitro | [9] | ||||||||||||
5 | Negro Casas | W | ||||||||||||
Negro Casas | W | |||||||||||||
Villano III | [9] | |||||||||||||
2 | Villano III | W | ||||||||||||
7 | El Felino | [9] | ||||||||||||
Villano III | W | |||||||||||||
Damian 666 | [9] | |||||||||||||
3 | Bogeman | [9] | ||||||||||||
6 | Damian 666 | W |
May 2012 Championship tournament
The Middleweight Championship had been inactive since late 2007 until May 1, 2012 when IWRG officially announced that the championship was vacated and would be decided in an eight-man tournament that was the focal point of their May 6, 2013 Caravan de Campeones show.[10]
Quarter-finals | semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||||||
1 | The Mummy | W | ||||||||||||
8 | Tony Rivera | [10] | ||||||||||||
The Mummy | [10] | |||||||||||||
Oficial AK-47 | W | |||||||||||||
4 | Oficial Spartan | [10] | ||||||||||||
5 | Oficial AK-47 | W | ||||||||||||
Oficial AK-47 | W | |||||||||||||
Veneno | [10] | |||||||||||||
2 | Veneno | W | ||||||||||||
7 | El Hijo del Diablo | [10] | ||||||||||||
Veneno | W | |||||||||||||
Super Nova | [10] | |||||||||||||
3 | Dr. Cerebro | [10] | ||||||||||||
6 | Super Nova | W |
Title history
No. | Overall reign number |
---|---|
Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
Days | Number of days held |
N/A | Unknown information |
(NLT) | Championship change took place "no later than" the date listed |
† | Championship change is unrecognized by the promotion |
+ | Current reign is changing daily |
No. | Champion | Championship change | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | ||||
1 | Pantera II | July 27, 1997 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | [f] | Won an 8-man tournament by defeating Tony Rivera to become first champion. | [2] |
2 | El Hijo del Gladiador | Unknown | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | [g] | [2] | |
3 | Magnum Tokyo | July 5, 1998 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 91 | [2] | |
4 | Mr. Niebla | October 4, 1998 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 98 | [2] | |
5 | Bombero Infernal | January 10, 1999 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 147 | [2] | |
6 | Mr. Niebla | June 6, 1999 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 2 | 140 | During this reign Mr. Niebla is unmasked and begins to work under the ring name Mr. Mexico. | [2] |
7 | Bombero Infernal | October 24, 1999 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 2 | 53 | [2] | |
8 | Último Vampiro (III) | December 16, 1999 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 24 | [2] | |
9 | Black Dragon | January 9, 2000 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 315 | [11][12] | |
10 | Bombero Infernal | November 19, 2000 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 3 | 126 | [12][11] | |
11 | Último Vampiro (III) | March 25, 2001 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 2 | 246 | [13] | |
12 | Bombero Infernal | November 25, 2001 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 4 | 13 | [13] | |
13 | Último Vampiro (III) | December 2, 2001 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 3 | 53 | [13] | |
14 | Pantera | January 24, 2002 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 2 | 49 | Defeated Último Vampiro in a "title vs. mask" triangle match that also included Pentagón Black. | [14][15] |
15 | Bombero Infernal | March 14, 2002 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 5 | 136 | [14] | |
16 | Tony Rivera | July 28, 2002 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 28 | [14] | |
17 | Último Vampiro (V) | August 25, 2002 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 569 | A different wrestler had taken over the Último Vampiro character, but the reign was recognized as uninterrupted. | [14] |
— | Vacated | March 16, 2004 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated when Último Vampiro left the promotion | |
18 | Fantasy | March 18, 2004 | Rey del Ring | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 66 | Won the championship by winning the annual IWRG Rey del Ring tournament. | [16] |
19 | Cerebro Negro | May 23, 2004 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | [h] | [16] | |
20 | Matrix | 2004 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 6 | [i] | Previously won the title under the name Bombero Infernal. | [16] |
21 | Veneno | January 13, 2005 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 147 | [17] | |
22 | Black Dragon | June 9, 2005 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 2 | 7 | [17] | |
23 | Veneno | June 16, 2005 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 2 | 35 | [17] | |
24 | Cyborg | July 21, 2005 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 143 | [17] | |
25 | Veneno | December 11, 2005 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 3 | 231 | [17] | |
26 | Pantera | July 30, 2006 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 3 | 71 | [18] | |
27 | Nitro | October 9, 2006 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 6 | [18] | |
28 | Pentagón Black | October 15, 2006 | IWRG show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 365 | [18] | |
— | Vacated | October 15, 2007 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated when Pentagón Black left the promotion. | [9] |
29 | Negro Casas | November 1, 2007 | El Castillo del Terror | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 1,643 | Defeated Villano III in the finals of an eight-man tournament to win the vacant title. | [9] |
— | Vacated | May 1, 2012 | — | — | — | — | Championship officially vacated due to inactivity. | |
30 | Oficial AK-47 | May 6, 2012 | Caravana de Campeones | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 154 | Defeated Veneno in the finals of an eight-man tournament to win the vacant title. | [10] |
31 | El Ángel | October 7, 2012 | Live event | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 186 | This was a ten-man steel cage match, also involving Carta Brava, Jr (IWL), Carta Brava, Jr., El Hijo del Dr. Wagner, El Hijo de Pirata Morgan, El Hijo de Máscara Año 2000, Oficial Factor, Veneno and Violencia, Jr.. | [19] |
32 | Eterno | April 11, 2013 | Live event | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 49 | [20] | |
33 | El Hijo de Pirata Morgan | April 11, 2013 | Live event | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 668 | [21] | |
34 | Veneno | March 29, 2015 | Live event | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 4 | 210 | [22] | |
35 | Heddi Karaoui | October 25, 2015 | Live event | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 315 | [23] | |
36 | Imposible | September 4, 2016 | La Hora de la Verdad | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 140 | [24] | |
37 | Relámpago | January 22, 2017 | IWRG House show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 238 | [25] | |
38 | Eterno | September 17, 2017 | Caravana de Campeones | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 2 | 14 | [26] | |
39 | Bombero Infernal | October 1, 2017 | IWRG House show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 7 | 324 | [27] | |
40 | Dr. Cerebro | January 21, 2018 | IWRG House show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 231 | ||
41 | Imposible | September 9, 2018 | Caravana de Campeones | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 2 | 479 | [1] | |
— | Vacated | January 1, 2020 | — | — | — | — | ||
42 | Demonio Infernal | January 1, 2020 | Cinco Luchas en Jaula | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 1 | 1,765+ | Demonio Infernal defeated Fuerza Guerrera Nueva Generacion, Pasion Cristal, Ave Rex, Emperador Azteca, El Hijo del Alebrije in a Steel cage match for the "Briefcase of Glory" and the vacant title. | [28] |
Combined reigns
As of October 31, 2020.
† | Indicates the current champion |
¤ | The exact length of at least one title reign is uncertain, so the shortest possible length is used. |
+ | Indicates that the date changes daily for the current champion |
Rank | Wrestler | No. of reigns |
Combined days |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Negro Casas | 1 | 1,643 |
2 | Bombero Infernal/Matrix | 7 | 675¤ |
3 | El Hijo de Pirata Morgan | 1 | 668 |
4 | Veneno | 4 | 623 |
5 | Imposible | 2 | 619 |
6 | Último Vampiro (V) | 1 | 569 |
7 | Pentagón Black | 1 | 365 |
8 | Black Dragon | 2 | 322 |
9 | Heddi Karaoui | 1 | 315 |
10 | Último Vampiro (III) | 3 | 280 |
11 | Demonio Infernal † | 1 | 1,765+ |
12 | Relámpago | 1 | 240 |
13 | Mr. Niebla | 2 | 238 |
14 | Dr. Cerebro | 1 | 231 |
15 | El Ángel | 1 | 186 |
16 | Oficial AK-47 | 1 | 154 |
17 | Cyborg | 1 | 143 |
18 | Pantera / Pantera II | 3 | 121¤ |
19 | Magnum Tokyo | 1 | 91 |
20 | Fantasy | 1 | 66 |
20 | Eterno | 2 | 63 |
21 | Tony Rivera | 1 | 28 |
23 | Nitro | 1 | 6 |
24 | El Hijo del Gladiador | 1 | N/A |
Cerebro Negro | 1 | N/A |
Footnotes
- ^ One example the weightlimits not being strictly enforced is Mephisto winning the CMLL World Welterweight Championship, a championship with a 78 kg (172 lb) upper limit despite weighing 90 kg (200 lb).
- ^ Hornbaker (2016) p. 550: "Professional wrestling is a sport in which match finishes are predetermined. Thus, win/loss records are not indicative of a wrestler's genuine success based on their legitimate abilities – but on now much, or how little they were pushed by promoters"[5]
- ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 271, Chapter: Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [World Class, Adkisson] "Championship held up and rematch ordered because of the interference of manager Gary Hart"[6]
- ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 20, Chapter: (United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) NWA/WCW TV Title "Rhodes stripped on 85/10/19 for not defending the belt after having his leg broken by Ric Flair and Ole & Arn Anderson"[7]
- ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 201, Chapter: (Memphis, Nashville) Memphis: USWA Tag Team Title "Vacant on 93/01/18 when Spike leaves the USWA."[8]
- ^ The exact date Pantera lost the Championship is not known placing the title reign between 1 and 342 days.
- ^ The exact date Hijo del Gladiador won the Championship is not known placing the title reign between 1 and 342 days.
- ^ The exact date on which Cerebro Negro lost the title is not documented, which means the title reign lasted between 1 and 222 days.
- ^ The exact date on which Matrix won the title is not documented, which means the title reign lasted between 13 and 234 days.
References
- Hornbaker, Tim (2016). "Statistical notes". Legends of Pro Wrestling - 150 years of headlocks, body slams, and piledrivers (Revised ed.). New York, New York: Sports Publishing. ISBN 978-1-61321-808-2.
- Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, ON: Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b Lizarraga, Alfonso (September 10, 2018). "Mr. Electro continúa como campeón, Cuervo y Escoria llegan a Naucalpan". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "MEXICO: IWRG Intercontinental World Middleweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 402. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Arturo Montiel Rojas (2001-08-30). "Reglamento de Box y Lucha Libre Professional del Estado de Mexico" (PDF). Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 30, 2006. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
Articulo 242: "Super welter 82 kilos / Medio 87 kilos"
- ^ Madigan, Dan (2007). ""Okay... what is Lucha Libre?"". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publisher. pp. 29–40. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
- ^ Hornbaker 2016, p. 550.
- ^ Duncan & Will 2000, p. 271.
- ^ Duncan & Will 2000, p. 20.
- ^ Duncan & Will 2000, p. 201.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "2007 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). December 26, 2007. issue 244. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Los campeones, firmes en sus tronos en IWRG; AK-47, nuevo campeón de peso medio". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). May 7, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "SLAM! Wrestling International -- 2000: The Year-In-Review Mexico". Slam Wrestling!. Canoe. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ a b "2000 Especial". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 9, 2001. pp. 2–20. issue 2488.
- ^ a b c "2001: Los Campeones". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 13, 2002. pp. 15–17. issue 2540.
- ^ a b c d "2002: considerar detrás". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 19, 2003. 2593.
- ^ Hoops, Brian (January 24, 2020). "Pro wrestling history (01/24): WWF Royal Rumble 1999". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Número Especial - Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2004". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 24, 2005. 91.
- ^ a b c d e "2005 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). January 3, 2006. issue 140.
- ^ a b c "Lo Mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana duranted el 2006". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). December 23, 2006. issue 192. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
- ^ "El Ángel, nuevo campeón de peso medio". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). October 8, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
- ^ "Sigue la guerra entre Toscano y Máscara Año Dos Mil jr". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
- ^ Eguiluz, Diego Mejía (April 12, 2013). "Sigue la guerra entre Toscano y Máscara Año Dos Mil jr" (in Spanish). The Gladiatores. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^ Eguiluz, Diego Mejía (March 30, 2015). "Pese a ser una pareja disfuncional, Negro Navarro y Pirata Morgan salieron con el brazo en alto" (in Spanish). The Gladiatores. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^ Eguiluz, Diego Mejía (October 26, 2015). "Con ayuda de un capo, el francés Karaoui es el nuevo campeón de peso medio" (in Spanish). The Gladiatores. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^ Reyes Ruiz, Eduardo (September 4, 2016). "Canis Lupus pierde la máscara, su verdugo, el Trauma Primero". Estrellas del Ring (in Spanish). Retrieved September 5, 2016.
- ^ Mejía Eguiluz, Diego (January 23, 2017). "Relámpago destronó al Imposible". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Lizárraga, Alfonso (September 18, 2017). "Los Warriors continúan como campeones de parejas en Naucalpan". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved September 19, 2017.
- ^ Lizárraga, Alfonso (October 2, 2017). "Bombero Infernal nuevo campeón Intercontinental Medio de IWRG". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ^ https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=251338