In September 1995, WCW debuted WCW Monday Nitro on TNT. Initially, the decision to go head to head with WWE was scoffed at by many. For years, WCW had been perceived to be lesser than WWE, and "too Southern." However, in just two years, WCW would overtake WWE as the top promotion in the country.

RELATED: 10 Best WCW Cruiserweight Champions Of All Time

Aside from the obvious mainstream appeal of The nWo, it was WCW's Cruiserweight Division that helped the show differentiate itself from Monday Night Raw. Unfortunately, by the tail end of the promotion, the Cruiserweight Division had lost a lot of its luster. Though most of these wrestlers were talented in their own way, not all made for good champions.

10 Daffney

WCW was always notorious for making questionable booking decisions. High on that list was putting the WCW Cruiserweight Championship on Daffney. Surprisingly, Daffney wasn't the first woman to hold the prestigious championship, but she would be the last. On the May 15, 2000, edition of WCW Monday Nitro, Daffney and Crowbar defeated Chris Candido and Tammy Lynn Sytch to become co-champions.

The following week, Daffney and Crowbar would face off to determine the undisputed WCW Cruiserweight Champion. After interference from Chris Candido, Daffney shockingly defeated Crowbar to claim sole possession of the title. Luckily, she would not hold on to the title for very long.

9 Crowbar

Crowbar was an interesting figure in the final days of WCW. After an enhancement talent run with WWE, Crowbar found himself in WCW in 1999. He would soon be thrown into a faction with David Flair and Daffney, where all three members acted mentally unstable. To get his gimmick over, Crowbar would often attempt dangerous maneuvers during his matches.

During his run with WCW, Crowbar would enjoy moderate success, winning the WCW Hardcore, Tag Team, and Cruiserweight Championships. The latter came alongside his stablemate, Daffney. Unfortunately, Crowbar's run as co-WCW Cruiserweight Champion only lasted one week.

8 Mike Sanders

To many fans, Mike Sanders was the embodiment of WCW's final tumultuous year. After beginning his pro wrestling training in mid-1998, Sanders was added to WCW's main roster in October of that same year. He would spend most of 1999 as an enhancement talent, rightfully so. However, in mid-2000, Sanders began receiving a surprisingly strong push which saw him eventually reach the heights of on-air WCW Commissioner.

During that same run, Sanders would claim the WCW Cruiserweight Championship with the help of Kevin Nash. Sanders was a decent hand and a slightly above-average promo, but he was an obvious step down from some of the former WCW Cruiserweight Champions. Needless to say, when WCW closed down, Sanders never sniffed that level of success again.

7 The Artist FKA Prince Iaukea

When Prince Iaukea first debuted in WCW in 1996, he showed some real promise. With a unique character and a background in submission wrestling, the sky was seemingly the limit for the Hawaiian-born newcomer. Iaukea was positioned as a loveable underdog and was even given a run with the WCW World Television Championship.

RELATED: The 5 Best (& 5 Worst) WCW Television Champions

Unfortunately, like many other WCW prospects, Iaukea ultimately didn't live up to his promise. He would attempt to right the ship by turning heel and changing his name to The Artist Formerly Known As Prince Iaukea. The move brought him the WCW Cruiserweight Championship but didn't do much for him in the way of long-term success.

6 Chris Candido

In March 2000, after a three-year run in ECW, Chris Candido made his WCW debut. Upon his arrival, Candido was immediately thrust into the Cruiserweight spotlight. At Spring Stampede 2000, Candido competed in a six-man match for the vacant WCW Cruiserweight Championship. Candido would go on to pin The Artist after interference from Tammy Lynn Sytch to be crowned the WCW Cruiserweight Champion.

Candido was certainly a deserving champion, but by the time he got the title, it had lost a lot of its meaning. Candido's time in WCW wouldn't last long. He departed the promotion in June 2000.

5 Elix Skipper

By the time Elix Skipper got his opportunity in WCW, the writing was on the wall for the promotion. Despite that, Skipper was able to enjoy some success in the dying promotion. After joining Team Canada and helping Lance Storm defeat Mike Awesome, Skipper was handsomely rewarded. Lance Storm would give Skipper the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which he had renamed the "101 Kilos and Under Title."

Skipper would hold the championship until October 2000, when he dropped it to Mike Sanders. After leaving Team Canada in 2001, Skipper and partner Kid Romeo were crowned the inaugural WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions. WWE would purchase WCW shortly after.

4 Shane Helms

Before Shane Helms donned a mask and cape as The Hurricane in WWE, he was a heartthrob member of a boy band in WCW. Helms was one-third of 3 Count, along with Evan Karagias and Shannon Moore. Despite the group's comedic parody, all three members were exceptional competitors. Helms would go on to be the breakout star of the group, winning the WCW Cruiserweight Championship at WCW's final pay-per-view, Greed.

When WWE purchased WCW in March 2001, Helms' contract was picked up by WWE. He would go on to enjoy great success in WWE as his superhero alter ego.

3 Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Chavo Guerrero Jr

Not many families in pro wrestling are as respected as the Guerrero Family. That should come as no surprise with such legendary names as Gory, Hector, and Eddie Guerrero all in the family tree. Though normally an asset, it can be argued that in Chavo Guerrero Jr.'s case, his last name was a liability. Despite being a great wrestler in his own right, Chavo Jr. was unfortunately always overshadowed by his uncle Eddie, and the rest of his family's legacy.

RELATED: Eddie Guerrero's 5 Best WWE Matches (& His 5 Best From WCW)

However, in June 2000, Chavo did his best to step out of his family's shadow when he won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. He would win the championship for a second time in December 2000, ultimately dropping the title to Shane Helms shortly before WCW was purchased.

2 Billy Kidman

Billy Kidman embracing the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

By the time WWE purchased WCW in March of 2001, Billy Kidman was one of the few young, promising prospects in the promotion. He had gone toe to toe with Hulk Hogan on three occasions and had already been a multiple-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion.

Before it was all said and done Kidman would add another reign to his resume. Despite Shane Helms being the WCW Cruiserweight Champion when WWE purchased the promotion, Billy Kidman is technically the last WCW Cruiserweight Champion. He defeated Shane Helms on an episode of SmackDown to win the title for the 4th time. After that, WWE began to integrate the title into their promotion, making it no longer exclusive to WCW competitors.

1 Lance Storm

Lance Storm WCW

The last days of WCW can be accurately described as disastrous. Despite that, a few bright spots were able to shine through during that time. One of those bright spots was Lance Storm. At one point, Lance storm simultaneously held the WCW Hardcore, Cruiserweight, and United States Championships.

He would rename all of them, giving them more Canadian-friendly names. This included renaming the WCW Cruiserweight Championship the "101 Kilos and Under Title." Lance Storm managed to do some of the best work of his career while WCW crumbled around him. Storm was never defeated for the "101 Kilos and Under Title," he instead gifted the championship to fellow Team Canada member, Elix Skipper.

NEXT: The 10 Worst WCW Cruiserweight Champions Of All Time