Taka Michinoku vs Christian (WWF, 10-18-1998)

WWF Judgment Day, Rosemont, IL

Christian is new to the WWF, a Brood member accompanied by Gangrel. This is for Taka’s WWF light heavyweight championship, which he’s held since winning the tournament in December 1997, a full 10 months because the WWF fully gave up on the belt about three or four months in. Taka is heel now, accompanied by Yamaguchi-san.

JR doesn’t “know a lot about the gothic lifestyle that Gangrel and Christian lead.” This is Christian’s first one-on-one matchup on WWF TV. Christian with some kicks, whip to the corner, Taka kicks up and over and lands some shots of his own.

They do that again, but Christian stops short, goes for a German, Taka lands on his feet and hits a spinning heel kick, then clotheslines Christian out to the floor. Taka wants some noise, won’t get it, but gets some on a top-rope springboard plancha to the floor. Edge is way up in the crowd watching his “younger brother,” but they can’t get a decent camera shot of it.

Taka drops a knee over Christian’s head with Christian coming back into the ring, gets a two count. Side headlock from Taka. Christian backs him to the corner for a break, and drives shoulders into the midsection. JR would like to see more of the light heavyweights. Lawler wants to see more of Brian Christopher.

Taka with a boot up in the corner, but he runs into a kick and an inverted DDT from Christian. Gangrel is pleased at ringside. Dropkick from Christian to Taka’s head. Christian with a snap suplex, hangs on and rolls with it, another snap suplex, and then a front layout suplex, sitting out with it. Cover gets two.

Snapmare from Christian, then a kick to the back. Taka elbows out of a chinlock, hits the ropes, and Christian low bridges him, sending Taka taking a violent spill to the floor. Springboard dive from the second rope from Christian, all the way outside. Christian sends Michinoku back into the ring.

Christian with a layout power bomb, cover gets two. Scoop slam from Christian, then he chokes Taka for a moment. Christian out to the apron, then up to the top rope. He misses a flying splash. Christian with a forearm, as he gets up first, then another one. Lawler: “Those shirts, are those, like, gothic shirts or something — what is GOTHIC anyway?”

Taka gets popped up but hits a dropkick, then a baseball slide dropkick with Christian on the floor. Asai moonsault and a beauty from Taka! Back into the ring and Taka lands two hard chops in the corner. He calls for one more and hits it. Yamaguchi-san is pleased.

Christian whipped to the corner, but he backdrops Taka to the apron. Taka slips but gets up fast, climbs up top, and hits a flying crossbody, but Christian rolls through for two. Taka runs Christian to the ropes for a rollup, doesn’t get it, but goes back to it for two. They do that in reverse with Taka holding on, then a basement dropkick for two.

Taka whips Christian to the corner, then the other corner, then Christian blocks one and hits a nice Russian legsweep for two. Taka slaps Christian after a power bomb attempt is blocked, then hits a tornado DDT from the second rope. Taka calling for the finish, then signals for the Michinoku Driver. Christian counters with a cradle and gets the pin to win the light heavyweight title.

Rating: 2.5/5. The work is solid, the match is fine. The crowd’s never into it save for a couple dives and the three count to end the match. This reign lasted a month before Vince decided to take a legitimate shit on the division and put the belt on Duane Gill for several months. It got a small resurgence in the spring of 2000 with Dean Malenko winning the belt twice, and again in 2001 after the WCW purchase, but the division never really had a chance. It was something they introduced because WCW had a strong run with the cruiserweights, so the WWF, in peril in 1997, decided to try their own version. But McMahon never cared about or actually wanted it on his show, so it never got any momentum. They had a lot of talented wrestlers over the years who were part of the LHW and later CW divisions, but they were never really allowed to flex their muscles fully, either.