The UWA World Lightweight Championship (Campeonato Mundial de Peso Ligero UWA in Spanish) is an inactive professional wrestlingchampionship promoted by the Mexican wrestling promotion Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) from 1975 until some time around 2000 when Kato Kung Lee, Jr. stopped defending it. 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 are not always strictly adhered to.[a][1] The first champion was El Matematico, winning the title in December 1975. When the UWA closed in 1995 the title was vacated, but 2 years later it was brought back as an Independent circuit title when Kato Kung Lee, Jr. won it.
As it was 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]
^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"[2]
^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"[3]
^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"[4]
^Duncan & Will (2000) p. 201, Chapter: (Memphis, Nashville) Memphis: USWA Tag Team Title "Vacant on 93/01/18 when Spike leaves the USWA."[5]
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrsDuncan & Will (2000) p. 398, Chapter: MEXICO: UWA World Lightweight Title [Flores, Mora] [6]
^The exact date on which Black Terry lost the championship is unknown, placing the title reign between 823 and 853 days.
^The exact date on which negro Casas won the championship is unknown, placing the title reign between 271 and 301 days.
^The exact date on which El Hijo del Santo vacated the championship is unknown, placing the title reign between 975 and 1,005 days.
^The exact date on which the championship was is unknown, placing the title reign between 101 and 465 days.
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.