J-Crown

J-Crown
Details
Promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date established August 5, 1996
Date retired November 5, 1997

The J-Crown (also known as J-Crown Octuple Unified Championship) was formed originally by New Japan Pro Wrestling as a way of unifying eight junior heavyweight and cruiserweight titles from several different organizations. The J-Crown tournament was held in August 1996.

History

The J-Crown was the unification of eight different championship belts from five different organizations, including ones from both Japan and Mexico.[1] The tournament to crown the first champions was held over four nights, from August 2 to August 5, 1996, the same New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual G1 Climax event took place, promoting two major tournaments on one tour.[1] Jushin Thunder Liger is credited with coming up with the idea for the J-Crown.[1] The inaugural champion was The Great Sasuke.[1]

The J-Crown was defended for just over a year. While Ultimo Dragon was champion, the titles appeared on World Championship Wrestling programming, as Dragon also held the WCW Cruiserweight Championship and the NWA World Middleweight Championship at the time.[1] When Liger was champion, he lost the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship to Yuji Yasuraoka on June 6, 1997 in Tokyo, Japan. Liger, however, continued to defend the J-Crown with seven titles instead of eight.

Five months later, as the World Wrestling Federation was getting ready to introduce a new Light Heavyweight title, they became aware that the original Light Heavyweight Championship belt was no longer in their possession. (The physical belt had long since been in use in Mexico for the Universal Wrestling Association and in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling.) WWF demanded that Shinjiro Otani, the current J-Crown Champion at the time, return the belt to them immediately. He did so on November 5, 1997. On the same day, he also vacated all of the remaining titles, except for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, effectively ending the J-Crown.

Championships

Championship Promotion Held by
British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship Michinoku Pro Wrestling Jushin Thunder Liger
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship New Japan Pro Wrestling The Great Sasuke
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship National Wrestling Alliance Masayoshi Motegi
NWA World Welterweight Championship Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Negro Casas
UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship Universal Wrestling Association Shinjiro Otani
WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship Wrestle Association R Último Dragón
WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship World Wrestling Association Gran Hamada
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship World Wrestling Federation El Samurai

Tournament

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
Masayoshi Motegi Pin
Great Sasuke 11:50
The Great Sasuke Pin
El Samurai 16:25
Gran Hamada Pin
El Samurai 12:38
The Great Sasuke Pin
Último Dragón 13:56
Jushin Thunder Liger Pin
Último Dragón 2:38
Último Dragón Pin
Shinjiro Otani 16:04
Negro Casas Pin
Shinjiro Otani 11:34

Title history

# Wrestler Reign Date Days
held		 Location Event Notes
1 Great Sasuke 1 August 5, 1996 67 Tokyo, Japan House show Defeated Último Dragón in a tournament final to become the first champion.
2 Último Dragón 1 October 11, 1996 85 Osaka, Japan Osaka Crush Night

(Wrestling Association R event)

 During his reign, Último Dragón captured the NWA World Middleweight Championship and the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, making him the most decorated wrestler in recorded history as he was the active reigning and defending champion of ten titles, a record which still stands.
3 Jushin Thunder Liger 1 January 4, 1997 183 Tokyo, Japan Wrestling World 1997 Lost the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship to Yuji Yasuraoka on June 6, 1997, in Tokyo, Japan; from that point on, the J-Crown is represented by seven championship belts.
4 El Samurai 1 July 6, 1997 35 Sapporo, Japan House show
5 Shinjiro Otani 1 August 10, 1997 87 Nagoya, Japan House show
— Abandoned — November 5, 1997 — N/A N/A The World Wrestling Federation demanded that Shinjiro Otani return the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship to them immediately. On the same day Otani also returned the remaining belts except for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Clevett, Jason (November 4, 2004). "The legend of Jushin "Thunder" Liger". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
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