For many sports entertainment fans, the WWE Hardcore Championship was the pinnacle of hardcore wrestling. The creative ways performers used weapons and the 24/7 rule which forced champions to defend their titles at anytime and anywhere kept the division fresh.
These are the best WWE Hardcore Champions of all time:
#10: Mankind
Mick Foley’s Mankind was the first WWE Hardcore Champion and will always be considered as a hardcore legend even though he only held the title once. His title reign lasted 28 days and he set the tone for the division. After the division folded, Foley was awarded the belt as the “Eternal Champion.”
#9: Bradshaw
Bradshaw held the WWE Hardcore Championship belt on 17 separate occasions for a total of 56 days. He once renamed the belt the WWE Texas Hardcore Championship and then lost it 11 days later. His time in the division impressed the WWE elite and paved the way for his future Hall of Fame runs as the major baddie in the company.
#8: The Undertaker
The Dead Man only held the title once, but he held if for 58 consecutive days which was the fifth longest reign in the history of the division. Many of the Undertaker’s hardcore matches were won when his opponents gave up after locking eyes with him. “The most intimidating gaze” was one of his major weapons against opponents.
#7: Hardcore Holly
Hardcore Holly would attack his opponents everywhere and use any objects around to bring them down. A memorable match of his took place inside of a fraternity house during a rush party. The biggest loser of the match was the demolished house. He held the title six times for a total of 58 days.
#6: Al Snow
One of the regulars in the division was Al Snow and he was awarded for his efforts with six separate title wins. He held the title for 129 combined days making him the fourth longest overall title holder. His battles with the Big Boss Man in the earlier days of the division are legendary.
#5: Crash Holly
Hardcore Holly’s storyline brother made his mark in sports entertainment history by holding the WWE Hardcore Championship 22 times which places him in second for number of title wins. Even though he was one of the smallest guys in the division, he held the belt for 108 combined days. His opponents learned to not underestimate him due to his short stature.
#4: Rob Van Dam
“Mr. Monday Night” donned the belt four times during 134 nonconsecutive days. He retired the title by unifying it with the European Championship. Many fans became very discouraged when the title was taken off of WWE programming and I have heard fans, who have forgotten how wrestling is scripted, blast Van Dam for taking their favorite belt away.
#3: Raven
Raven was at the top of the division for 94 days during 26 separate title reigns. He has the record for the most championship wins in the division and those championships place him in the top ranks of most awarded performers in WWE history. He was the man who defeated former champion Steve Blackman and ended one of the longest title streaks in the division’s history.
#2: The Big Boss Man
He may have had the favor of Vince McMahon at the time, but the Big Boss Man held the WWE Hardcore Champion for a total of 154 days. The longest reign in title history was when BBM hoisted the belt for 97 consecutive days. This brutal competitor possessed the belt four times.
#1: Steve Blackman
The Master of the Martial Arts once defended the belt for 89 straight days, but it is not the most impressive point in his resume. He ranks as having the WWE Hardcore Championship for the most nonconsecutive days at 172. “The Man Without Remorse” had six title wins and they were among the most amazing days of the division. Foley might be the Eternal Hardcore Champion and the Hardcore Legend, but Blackman was the best hardcore champion the sports entertainment company ever offered fans.
This article used WWE.com for statistics
L. Vincent Poupard has been following the wrestling industry, as well as the characters and storylines, for almost 30 years.
