Editing Gregory Helms (section)

==== Cruiserweight Champion (2006–2007) ====
At the [[Royal Rumble (2006)|Royal Rumble]] on January 29, Helms participated in an Open Invitational match for the Cruiserweight Championship and won, even though he was a ''Raw'' superstar and the championship was defended solely on ''SmackDown!''.<ref name=pwi119 /><ref name="cruiser2" /> As a result, he moved to the SmackDown! brand to start a feud with [[James Maritato|Nunzio]], [[Kid Kash]] and the other cruiserweights. During this time, Helms defeated Nunzio in a one-on-one match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/02/10/1435575.html|title=Smackdown: Henry escapes The Dead Man|date=February 10, 2006|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|archive-date=July 22, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722191159/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/02/10/1435575.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> The next week, he was supposed to defend against Kid Kash, but Kash was away on a family emergency, so [[Scotty 2 Hotty]] took his place. Helms defeated him and declared that he was better than all the other cruiserweights. As a result, all the cruiserweights at the show invaded the ring and attacked Helms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/02/17/1448428.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716203636/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/02/17/1448428.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 16, 2012|title=Smackdown: Dead Man shocks Angle|date=February 27, 2006|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> It was later announced by SmackDown! [[Professional wrestling authority figures#General Managers 2|General Manager]] [[Theodore Long]] that at [[No Way Out (2006)|No Way Out]] on February 19, Helms would face all the cruiserweights in a match for the title. Helms was able to retain the championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/02/20/1452718.html|title=Main events salvage No Way Out|date=February 20, 2006|last=Sokol|first=Chris|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|archive-date=July 16, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716035054/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/02/20/1452718.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Later, Long mandated that Helms had to defend his title against a cruiserweight each week on ''SmackDown!'' to prove that he truly was better than all the cruiserweights. Helms' first defense under this new rule was against [[Psicosis]] of [[The Mexicools]]; Helms retained by cheating.<ref name=pwi119 />

[[File:HelmsCruiserChampion.jpg|thumb|left|alt=|Helms has the longest reign in [[WWE Cruiserweight Championship (1991–2007)|WWE Cruiserweight Championship]] history, holding the championship for 13 consecutive months in 2006 and 2007.]]
In early March, Helms suffered a broken nose. After complaining to Long about having to wrestle on the March 10 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Long told Helms that he did not have to defend his title, but put Helms in a champion versus champion match against the [[WWE United States Championship|United States Champion]], [[Chris Benoit]]. During the match, Helms attempted to leave, but was blocked by other cruiserweights who threw Helms back into the ring, resulting in Helms losing the match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/03/10/1481542.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715193106/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/03/10/1481542.html |archive-date=July 15, 2012 |title=Smackdown: The bell tolls for Henry|date=March 10, 2006|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=SLAM! Wrestling|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> Helms underwent successful surgery on his nose and was expected to miss five to six weeks. During this time ''SmackDown!'' announcers stated that Helms had a no-compete clause in his contract allowing him to waive the thirty-day title defense rule due to any injury. Helms returned to the ring on the April 28 episode of ''SmackDown!'', teaming with [[MNM (professional wrestling)|MNM]] to face [[Super Crazy]], [[Paul London and Brian Kendrick|London and Kendrick]] in a six-man tag team match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/04/28/1555122.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629143619/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/04/28/1555122.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 29, 2012|title=Smackdown: Angle-Mysterio do it again|date=April 28, 2006|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> Helms continued to defend his belt during pay-per-views,<ref>{{cite news|author=PWI Staff|title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts|work=Wrestling’s historical cards|publisher=Kappa Publishing|year=2007|page=121}}</ref> but he made more regular appearances on ''SmackDown!'''s sister show, ''[[WWE Velocity|Velocity]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/smackdown/060519.html|title=Velocity – 19 May 2006 Results|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|access-date=May 10, 2007|archive-date=October 1, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001005518/http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/smackdown/060519.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Helms continued defending his title against other cruiserweights, while on occasion facing off against SmackDown!'s other title holders in champion versus champion matches. Helms faced [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002–2013)|World Heavyweight Champion]] [[Rey Mysterio]] on June 16 and United States Champion [[Bobby Lashley]] on July 7 but lost both matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/16/1636328.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719053712/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/16/1636328.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 19, 2012|title=Smackdown: King Booker gets crowned|date=June 16, 2006|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/07/07/1672951.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716103945/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/07/07/1672951.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 16, 2012|title=Smackdown: The Animal returns|date=July 7, 2006|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> Eventually, Helms became the longest cruiserweight champion in WWE history, as well as the longest reigning champion of any kind in ''SmackDown!'' history.<ref name="wwebio" /> For much of late 2006, he feuded with Matt Hardy, with whom Helms exchanged several victories in matches on ''SmackDown!''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/02/1795814.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714024152/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/02/1795814.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 14, 2012|title=Smackdown: Mr. Kennedy captures gold|date=September 2, 2006|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/16/1848935.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716200248/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/16/1848935.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 16, 2012|title=Smackdown: The King's court divided?|date=September 16, 2006|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/23/1884584.html|title=Smackdown: SuperShow Part Deux|date=September 23, 2006|last=Kamchen|first=Richard|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|archive-date=July 15, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715095343/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/23/1884584.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> In Helms' hometown of [[Raleigh, North Carolina]], at [[No Mercy (2006)|No Mercy]] on October 8, Hardy beat Helms.<ref name=pwi122>{{cite news|author=PWI Staff|title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts|work=Wrestling’s historical cards|publisher=Kappa Publishing|year=2007|page=122}}</ref> The two rivals also joined opposing teams at [[Survivor Series (2006)|Survivor Series]] on November 26, where Helms was in [[Rated-RKO|Team Rated-RKO]], and Hardy was a member of [[D-Generation X|Team DX]]; Team Rated-RKO lost the match.<ref name=pwi122 />

Helms went on to feud with [[James Yun|Jimmy Wang Yang]] over the Cruiserweight Championship, after a tag team match in which Matt Hardy and Yang defeated Helms and [[Sylvain Grenier|Sylvan]] on the November 10 episode of ''SmackDown!''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/11/11/2314778.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720034635/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/11/11/2314778.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 20, 2012|title=Smackdown: Survivor Series takes shape|date=November 11, 2006|last=Waldman|first=Jon|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> The feud ended after Helms defeated him to retain the title at [[Armageddon (2006)|Armageddon]] on December 17.<ref name=pwi122 /> In 2007, Helms once again feuded with the entire Cruiserweight division on ''SmackDown!''. During this feud, Helms' reign as Cruiserweight Champion came to an end at [[No Way Out (2007)|No Way Out]] on February 18, when he was unable to win a Cruiserweight open invitational, which saw [[Chavo Guerrero Jr.|Chavo Guerrero]] win the championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/02/19/3645387.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717093630/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/02/19/3645387.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 17, 2012|title=No Way Out an exercise in monotony|date=February 19, 2007|last1=Plummer|first1=Dale|last2=Tylwalk|first2=Nick|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> Shortly after losing the championship, Helms formed a tag team with Guerrero, but they did not win any matches as a team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/04/07/3944064.html|title=Booker's kingdom continues to crumble|date=April 7, 2007|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|archive-date=July 15, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715134411/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/04/07/3944064.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/04/21/4091669.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721022157/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/04/21/4091669.html |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |title=Smackdown: Kennedy and Finlay run wild|date=April 21, 2007|last=McNamara|first=Andy|access-date=September 27, 2009|work=SLAM! Wrestling|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref>

On May 18, WWE reported that Helms had broken two [[vertebra]]e in his neck, one of which was pressing on his spinal cord.<ref name=neck>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/helmsnecksurgery|title=Neck surgery for Gregory Helms|last=Dee|first=Louie|access-date=May 19, 2007|date=May 18, 2007|publisher=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|archive-date=May 20, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520054310/http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/helmsnecksurgery|url-status=live}}</ref> He underwent surgery with Dr. [[Lloyd Youngblood]] to repair them approximately a week later. Following the surgery, Helms was announced to be out for a year and a half due to the injury.<ref name=neck /><ref name=matt>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/smackdown/matthardy/willnotdieariesarchive/willlnotdiearies052907|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070531083129/http://www.wwe.com/superstars/smackdown/matthardy/willnotdieariesarchive/willlnotdiearies052907|archive-date=May 31, 2007|title=Will Not Die-aries: Thoughts on rival Gregory Helms|date=May 29, 2007|last=Hardy|first=Matt|access-date=May 29, 2007|publisher=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]}}</ref>