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WCW Hardcore Championship
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| WCW Hardcore Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() The Hardcore belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Details | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Promotion | World Championship Wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date established | July 11, 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date retired | January 21, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Hardcore Championship was a title in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that was active from July 11, 1999 to January 21, 2001.[1] The title was defended in Hardcore matches, in which there were few rules and restrictions and weapons were allowed. Eventually, the rules were changed so that matches began in the backstage area but would only end by pinfall in the ring, but later were changed back to 'Falls Count Anywhere' rules. The belt was created in response to the growing popularity of hardcore wrestling in North America.
The WCW Hardcore Title was a continuation from the WCW Hardcore Trophy that Fit Finlay won in the Junkyard Battle Royal that took place at the 1999 Bash at the Beach pay-per-view. Shortly after the PPV, the trophy was seized by Eric Bischoff and removed from television. Afterwards Norman Smiley was crowned first official WCW hardcore champion.
History
[edit]The title lasted from 1999 to 2001. During Bash at the Beach (1999), Fit Finlay won a "junkyard invitational" to be crowned "WCW Hardcore Champion". However, this would end up being a trophy and thus unrecognized in the lineage of the championship. The first recognized WCW Hardcore champion was Norman Smiley, who defeated Brian Knobs in Toronto, Ontario, at the WCW pay-per-view Mayhem on November 21, 1999. Other notable champions are: 3 Count, who won and defended the belt as a trio; Brian Knobbs, who held the belt a record three times and was the one to defeat 3 Count at Uncensored 2000; and Terry Funk, a three-time champion who also held the title for a period of almost two months, from April to June 2000, when he was defeated by Eric Bischoff at a WCW Monday Nitro in Atlanta, Georgia. Bischoff later awarded the title to Big Vito as a reward for helping him take it from Funk. In 2000, as part of a storyline where he renamed singles titles that he had won, Lance Storm won the Hardcore Championship and, as he had done with the Cruiserweight and U.S. titles (renaming them the 100 Kilos and Under and Canadian championships), changed the name of the title to the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title (or S.H.I.T for short).
The final hardcore champion in WCW was Meng, who defeated Crowbar and reigning champ Terry Funk at WCW Sin on January 14, 2001. It was largely abandoned after Meng left the company to return to the WWF. Meng presented the championship to Barbarian as a gift at an independent wrestling event on January 21, 2001. The belt was not defended again nor was it featured on the final episode of Nitro which was also known as "Night of Champions". The title belt was handed over formally to the WWF upon the purchase of WCW. The title is now displayed in WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
Reigns
[edit]Norman Smiley held the record for the longest official reign at 51 days. The shortest reign was that of Carl Ouellet, who was awarded the title after Lance Storm gave it up but lost it 38 minutes later to Norman Smiley. Brian Knobbs and Funk hold the record for most reigns with three each and Smiley holds the record for most cumulative days as champion.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]- WCW Hardcore Championship, at Wrestling-Titles.com
- WCW Hardcore Championship, at Online World of Wrestling.com
WCW Hardcore Championship
View on GrokipediaOverview
Creation and Inception
In the late 1990s, amid the competitive landscape of the Monday Night Wars, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) began incorporating hardcore wrestling elements into its programming, heavily influenced by the growing popularity of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which emphasized extreme violence, weapons, and fan interaction.[1] This shift aimed to attract a broader audience by blending traditional wrestling with edgier, more chaotic content, as WCW sought to counter the evolving styles of its rivals.[3] The inaugural foray into formalized hardcore competition occurred at Bash at the Beach on July 11, 1999, with the Junkyard Invitational—a multi-man battle royal held in an actual junkyard, featuring participants including Fit Finlay, Ciclope, Jerry Flynn, Hardcore Hak, Horace Hogan, Brian Knobbs, Hugh Morrus, La Parka, Lord Steven Regal, Mikey Whipwreck, and others.[1] The match involved improvised weapons like tires, steel chairs, and car parts, culminating in explosions and vehicular chaos, with aerial footage captured by helicopter. Fit Finlay emerged victorious by climbing over the surrounding chain-link fence to escape, earning a trophy that symbolized hardcore prowess but was not initially recognized as an official championship belt.[1] WCW officially established the Hardcore Championship on November 21, 1999, at the Mayhem pay-per-view event, crowning its first champion through a tournament final where Norman Smiley defeated Brian Knobbs in a no-holds-barred match.[4] Designed as a mid-card title, it provided a platform for underutilized talent to engage in weapon-heavy, unstructured bouts, helping to fill programming slots as WCW grappled with declining ratings and attendance that year.[5][6]Rules and Stipulations
The WCW Hardcore Championship was defended exclusively in hardcore matches, characterized by no disqualifications, the legal use of weapons such as chairs, tables, and trash cans, and falls permitted anywhere within the arena or venue.[1] These stipulations emphasized chaotic, unrestricted brawls that often spilled beyond the ring, distinguishing the title from standard singles championships in WCW.[7] Over time, the format evolved to incorporate explicit "Falls Count Anywhere" rules in many defenses, enabling pinfalls or submissions outside the ring without time limits or count-outs, while occasionally requiring matches to begin in the backstage area before concluding in the ring.[8] Similar to the WWF's Hardcore Championship, WCW adopted a 24/7 rule in 2000, allowing constant challenges and title changes anywhere with a referee present, though it was not as strictly enforced or prominent as in WWF; the title frequently saw impromptu defenses and transitions during weekly programming on WCW Monday Nitro and WCW Thunder.[8] The physical belt featured a traditional design with brass plates engraved with "WCW Hardcore Champion" lettering attached to a black or red leather strap, crafted by belt designer Mathew Balk; it underwent no significant aesthetic changes throughout its existence, aside from a brief renaming to the "Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title" (S.H.I.T.) by Lance Storm on July 24, 2000, as part of his Team Canada storyline.[9][10]Historical Development
Early Championship Era (1999–2000)
The WCW Hardcore Championship was introduced on November 21, 1999, at the Mayhem pay-per-view event, where Norman Smiley defeated Brian Knobbs in the finals of a tournament to become the inaugural champion.[11] Smiley's 51-day reign emphasized his comedic, reluctant persona as a technical wrestler thrust into hardcore matches, often defending the title while clad in protective gear such as hockey pads or football equipment to shield himself from the violence.[1] His defenses highlighted a humorous contrast to the division's brutality, with Smiley frequently screaming in fear and attempting to avoid confrontation, yet inadvertently retaining the belt through chaotic circumstances.[12] Smiley lost the title to Brian Knobbs on January 12, 2000, during an episode of WCW Thunder in Erie, Pennsylvania, marking the start of Knobbs' first reign as the hardcore brawler solidified his role in the division.[11] Knobbs, known for his aggressive street-fighting style as a member of The Nasty Boys, held the championship for 26 days before dropping it to Bam Bam Bigelow on February 7, 2000, at WCW Monday Nitro in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[11] Bigelow's brief 13-day reign ended at SuperBrawl 2000 on February 20, 2000, in San Francisco, California, when Knobbs reclaimed the title, beginning his second reign of eight days and underscoring his prominence as the division's most frequent champion.[11] The championship saw an innovative twist on February 28, 2000, during WCW Monday Nitro in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the boy band stable 3 Count—consisting of Shane Helms, Evan Karagias, and Shannon Moore—defeated Knobbs in a falls count anywhere match to win the title collectively.[1] Under the Freebird Rule, any member could defend on behalf of the group, allowing the trio to share the reign for 19 days and introducing tag-team dynamics to the singles-oriented hardcore format.[11] Knobbs captured the belt for a record third time on March 19, 2000, at Uncensored in Miami, Florida, by pinning one member of 3 Count after overwhelming the group.[11] On April 10, 2000, at WCW Monday Nitro in Denver, Colorado, executive vice presidents Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff announced a company reboot, vacating all WCW championships, including the Hardcore title, to refresh the roster and storylines amid declining ratings.[13] The title was quickly reactivated at Spring Stampede on April 16, 2000, in Chicago, Illinois, where Terry Funk defeated Norman Smiley in a hardcore match for the vacant title to claim his first reign, lasting 36 days.[11] Funk, a veteran hardcore icon, brought legitimacy to the division with intense defenses, such as a 2-on-1 handicap match against Harlem Heat (Big T and Stevie Ray) on the May 10, 2000, episode of WCW Thunder, where he retained the title in just over three minutes despite the odds.[14] After losing to Shane Douglas on May 22, 2000, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Funk regained the championship the following night on May 23, 2000, at WCW Thunder in Saginaw, Michigan, for a second reign that lasted until early June and featured similarly unorthodox brawls extending beyond the ring.[11] Funk lost the title to Eric Bischoff on June 5, 2000, at Nitro in Atlanta, who held it for one day before it was awarded to Big Vito and Johnny the Bull (The Mamalukes) on June 6 at Thunder in Knoxville under the Freebird Rule. On June 19, 2000, at Nitro in Billings, Montana, Vito defeated Johnny the Bull to become the sole champion, holding the title until July 24.Later Reigns and Retirement (2000–2001)
In mid-2000, as WCW continued to experiment with its midcard titles amid creative shifts, Lance Storm defeated Big Vito to win the WCW Hardcore Championship on the July 24 episode of Monday Nitro in Cleveland, Ohio, beginning his 21-day reign.[2] Shortly after the victory, Storm, leading the Team Canada stable, renamed the title the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title (S.H.I.T.), a deliberate satirical jab at perceived slights against Canadian wrestlers and WCW's booking decisions.[10] On the August 14, 2000, episode of Nitro in Kelowna, British Columbia, Storm immediately awarded the championship to fellow Team Canada member Carl Ouellet, who became its shortest-reigning holder at just 38 minutes before losing it later that night to Norman Smiley in the final of a single-night tournament.[15] Smiley's second reign, which emphasized his comedic "Screamin'" persona from earlier defenses, lasted 42 days until September 27, 2000, when the title was vacated to set up a new tournament.[16] The subsequent tournament concluded on the October 2, 2000, Nitro in San Francisco, where Reno emerged victorious after WCW Commissioner Mike Sanders overturned Sgt. AWOL's pinfall win in the final match, awarding Reno the title to start his 37-day reign.[17] Crowbar then captured the championship from Reno on the November 8 episode of Thunder, holding it for 39 days in a reign marked by intense brawls reflective of the division's chaotic style.[16] At Starrcade on December 17, 2000, Terry Funk secured his third reign by defeating Crowbar in a brutal hardcore match, lasting 28 days and highlighting Funk's veteran resilience during WCW's turbulent period.[2] Funk dropped the title to Meng in a triple threat match also featuring Crowbar at Sin on January 14, 2001, in Indianapolis, Indiana, beginning Meng's final 7-day reign.[18] The championship was deactivated on January 21, 2001, just one week into Meng's tenure, after Meng's WCW contract expired and he signed with the WWF, compounded by WCW's escalating financial woes that culminated in its sale to the WWF in March 2001.[2] The physical belt, a symbol of the promotion's short-lived hardcore experiment, is now housed at WWE headquarters.[19]List of Champions
Individual Reigns
The WCW Hardcore Championship saw 19 individual reigns distributed among 14 champions (counting shared reigns by tag teams or stables as collective entities where applicable), beginning with an unrecognized trophy win and concluding with the title's deactivation amid WCW's decline.[20][21] The following table summarizes all title changes chronologically, including win dates, events, locations, reign lengths, and pertinent notes.| # | Champion(s) | Reign # | Date Won | Event | Location | Days Held | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fit Finlay | 1 | July 11, 1999 | Bash at the Beach | Daytona Beach, FL | 29 | Unrecognized trophy win via Junkyard Invitational battle royal; vacated due to leg injury.[22][11] |
| — | Vacant | — | August 9, 1999 | Nitro | Boise, ID | — | Vacated by WCW President Eric Bischoff due to Finlay's injury. |
| 2 | Norman Smiley | 1 | November 21, 1999 | Mayhem | Toronto, ON, Canada | 51 | Defeated Brian Knobbs in tournament final to become inaugural official champion.[20][2] |
| 3 | Brian Knobbs | 1 | January 11, 2000 | Thunder | Erie, PA | 27 | |
| 4 | Bam Bam Bigelow | 1 | February 7, 2000 | Nitro | Tulsa, OK | 13 | |
| 5 | Brian Knobbs | 2 | February 20, 2000 | SuperBrawl IX | San Francisco, CA | 8 | |
| 6 | 3 Count (Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, Evan Karagias) | 1 | February 28, 2000 | Nitro | Minneapolis, MN | 20 | Shared reign under Freebird Rule; won in handicap match. |
| 7 | Brian Knobbs | 3 | March 19, 2000 | Uncensored | Miami, FL | 23 | Title vacated April 10, 2000, on Nitro in Denver, CO, as part of WCW reboot. |
| 8 | Terry Funk | 1 | April 16, 2000 | Spring Stampede | Chicago, IL | 36 | Won vacant title in battle royal. |
| 9 | Shane Douglas | 1 | May 22, 2000 | Nitro (taped May 18) | Grand Rapids, MI | 1 | |
| 10 | Terry Funk | 2 | May 23, 2000 | Nitro | Saginaw, MI | 13 | |
| 11 | Eric Bischoff | 1 | June 5, 2000 | Nitro | Atlanta, GA | 1 | Non-wrestler WCW executive; awarded himself the title. |
| 12 | Big Vito & Johnny the Bull (The Mamalukes) | 1 | June 6, 2000 | Thunder (taped May 31) | Knoxville, TN | 13 | Shared reign under Freebird Rule; awarded by Bischoff. |
| 13 | Big Vito | 1 | June 19, 2000 | Thunder (taped June 13) | Billings, MT | 35 | Defeated tag partner Johnny the Bull to become sole champion. |
| 14 | Lance Storm | 1 | July 24, 2000 | Nitro | Cleveland, OH | 21 | Renamed title "Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title" upon winning. |
| 15 | Pierre Carl Ouellet | 1 | August 14, 2000 | Nitro | Kelowna, BC, Canada | <1 | Awarded the title by Lance Storm. |
| 16 | Norman Smiley | 2 | August 14, 2000 | Nitro | Kelowna, BC, Canada | 42 | Title vacated September 25, 2000, on Nitro in Uniondale, NY, by Mike Sanders. |
| 17 | Reno | 1 | October 2, 2000 | Nitro | San Francisco, CA | 35 | Won in tournament; initial decision against Sgt. AWOL reversed by Sanders. |
| 18 | Crowbar | 1 | November 6, 2000 | Thunder (taped Oct 31) | Chicago, IL | 41 | |
| 19 | Terry Funk | 3 | December 17, 2000 | Starrcade | Washington, DC | 28 | |
| 20 | Meng | 1 | January 14, 2001 | Sin | Indianapolis, IN | 7 | Won in three-way match; final champion before title deactivation on January 21, 2001, upon Meng's departure to WWF.[20][21] |

