WWE Lightweight Title History
| Wrestler | Date Won | Date Lost | Title Reign |
Defeated |
Event |
Location |
| Perro Aguayo | March 26, 1981 | September 9, 1981 | 167 | Gran Hamada in tournament finals | Shimizu, Japan | |
| Fishman | September 9, 1981 | October 1, 1981 | 22 | Perro Aguayo | Los Angeles, CA | |
| Perro Aguayo [2] | October 1, 1981 | October 18, 1981 | 17 | Fishman | Los Angeles, CA | |
| Chris Adams | October 18, 1981 | December 13, 1981 | 56 | Perro Aguayo | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Perro Aguayo [3] | December 13, 1981 | April 21, 1982 | 129 | Chris Adams | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Gran Hamada | April 21, 1982 | August 29, 1982 | 130 | Perro Aguayo | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Perro Aguayo [4] | August 29, 1982 | March 20, 1983 | 203 | Gran Hamada | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Villano III | March 20, 1983 | August 7, 1983 | 140 | Perro Aguayo | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Perro Aguayo [5] | August 7, 1983 | April 17, 1984 | 253 | Villano III | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Gran Hamada [2] | April 17, 1984 | May 20, 1984 | 33 | Perro Aguayo | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Villano III [2] | May 20, 1984 | August 24, 1986 | 822 | Gran Hamada | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Fishman [2] | August 24, 1986 | December 24, 1986 | 122 | Villano III | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Perro Aguayo [6] | December 24, 1986 | May 3, 1987 | 130 | Fishman | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| vacant | May 3, 1987 | June 17, 1987 | 45 | Title held up after a match against Villano III | ||
| Villano III [3] | June 17, 1987 | October 4, 1987 | 109 | Aguayo in rematch | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Rambo | October 4, 1987 | July 11, 1988 | 280 | Villano III | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Villano III [4] | July 11, 1988 | August 14, 1989 | 399 | Rambo | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Sangre Chicana | August 14, 1989 | October 15, 1989 | 62 | Villano III | ||
| Perro Aguayo [7] | October 15, 1989 | December 3, 1989 | 49 | Sangre Chicana | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Sangre Chicana [2] | December 3, 1989 | May 27, 1990 | 175 | Perro Aguayo | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Villano III [5] | May 27, 1990 | March 3, 1991 | 280 | Sangre Chicana | Naucalpan, Mexico | |
| Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit) | March 3, 1991 | September 13, 1992 | 559 | Villano III | Naucalpan, Mexico | |
| Villano III [6] | September 13, 1992 | January 1, 1993 | 110 | Pegasus Kid | Naucalpan, Mexico | |
| Signo | January 1, 1993 | July 18, 1994 | 563 | Villano III | Netzahualcoyoti, Mexico | |
| Villano III [7] | July 18, 1994 | January 1995 | 167 | Signo | Puebla, Mexico | |
| vacant | January 1995 | June 16, 1995 | 166 | Vacated after Villano III jumped to Promell | ||
| Aero Flash | June 16, 1995 | March 24, 1996 | 281 | Fighter | Netzahualcoyoti, Mexico | |
| The Great Sasuke | March 24, 1996 | June 22, 1996 | 90 | Aero Flash | Shirakawa, Japan | |
| El Samurai | June 22, 1996 | August 4, 1996 | 43 | The Great Sasuke | Naruko, Japan | |
| The Great Sasuke [2] | August 4, 1996 | October 11, 1996 | 68 | Defeats Samurai in the second round of J-Crown tournament; defeats Ultimo Dragon in the final of J-Crown tournament to become octuple crown champion. | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Ultimo Dragon | October 11, 1996 | January 4, 1997 | 85 | The Great Sasuke | Osaka, Japan | |
| Jushin Thunder Liger | January 4, 1997 | July 6, 1997 | 183 | Ultimo Dragon | Tokyo, Japan | |
| El Samurai [2] | July 6, 1997 | August 10, 1997 | 35 | Jushin Thunder Liger | Sapporo, Japan | |
| Shinjiro Ohtani | August 10, 1997 | November 5, 1997 | 86 | El Samurai | Nagoya, Japan | |
| vacant | November 5, 1997 | December 7, 1997 | 32 | Ohtani forced to vacate title | ||
| Taka Michinoku | December 7, 1997 | October 18, 1998 | 315 | Defeats Brian Christopher in tournament finals | In Your House | Springfield, MA |
| Christian | October 18, 1998 | November 17, 1998 | 30 | Taka Michinoku | In Your House | Chicago, IL |
| Duane Gill (Gillberg) | November 17, 1998 | February 8, 2000 | 449 | Christian Cage | Columbus, OH | |
| Esse Rios | February 8, 2000 | March 13, 2000 | 33 | Duane Gill | Austin, TX | |
| Dean Malenko | March 13, 2000 | April 17, 2000 | 35 | Esse Rios | Rutherford, NJ | |
| Scotty Too Hotty | April 17, 2000 | April 25, 2000 | 8 | Dean Malenko | State College, PA | |
| Dean Malenko [2] | April 25, 2000 | March 13, 2001 | 322 | Scotty Too Hotty | Charlotte, NC | |
| Crash Holly | March 13, 2001 | April 29, 2001 | 47 | Dean Malenko | Anaheim, CA | |
| Jerry Lynn | April 29, 2001 | June 5, 2001 | 37 | Crash Holly | Chicago, IL | |
| Jeff Hardy | June 5, 2001 | June 25, 2001 | 20 | Jerry Lynn | Grand Folks, ND | |
| X-Pac | June 25, 2001 | August 6, 2001 | 42 | Jeff Hardy | New York, NY | |
| Tajiri | August 6, 2001 | August 19, 2001 | 13 | X-Pac | Anaheim, CA | |
| X-Pac [2] | August 19, 2001 | April 1, 2002 (title no longer recognized) | 224 | Tajiri | SummerSlam | San Jose, CA |
Top Ten Accumulated Reigns