I'm not sure where to put this. On one hand, it's a WWE topic, but the title hasn't been used since August 2002, and it's still not very old. I also ruled out "General" because it's specifically a WWE topic, but a little out dated.

Short and Sweet: Keep more move where it fits best.


Anyway, I was watching the "Hardcore" DVD released in the Spring of 2001 (watch out for a review), and noticed just how horrible it was... the DVD, not the title. It completely focused on some of the belts lowest points and ignored any good matches with it involved. I was wondering how everyone felt on it.

I'd say the following were the best periods for the belt...

1. Road Dogg's reign from the Winter of 1999. Sure, he wasn't a great wrestler, but he put on some good brawls with the title, and competed over it like it meant something.

2. Crash Holly's from February-April 2000. The 24/7 stipulation added some nice humor to the broadcasts and made matches interesting until it went too far over the top by having 4-5 title changes in a span of 3 minutes, and generally making the title a bigger joke.

3. Raven's from late 2000-early 2001. Like Road Dogg, he had some good brawls over the title to try and reestablish it from the comedy aspect used during Holly's reigns. Also challenged for it in one of the best Hardcore Title defenses at Backlash 2001 against Rhyno.

Worst Periods...

1. May-June 2000... Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco were involved with it, including the horrible evening gown match at King of the Ring which saw Patterson stuff pads in Briscos face and took a banana from his pants.

2. Steve Blackman's reign of death. The guy sucked, so he kept the title for a good 3 months without really doing much but bore everyone to sleep.

3. Any time from 2002. The title changed hands probably 1000 times. Tommy Dreamer tried pulling a Raven, but the title was too far beyond being helped and the title was disolved into the IC Title after SummerSlam 2002.

I actually liked Steve Blackman's time with the belt and loved watching him beat up Shane McMahon at Summerslam 2000.

Blackman and the title made a good fit IMHO.

He was bland, and the match usually consisted of him using his 3 big moves using various types of martial arts sticks. I admit after a while he got entertaining, but by then he dropped the title to Raven.

When Dreamer had it, it seemed like they finally had found a home for both him and the title. Dreamer was doing his "jackass" gimmick--where he would do gross stuff like shave his tongue or drink Undertaker's chew, but he seemed to drop that when he had the title.

No mention of Shaft's involvement with the title? I think that was over the summer of 2000, when Patterson, Brisco and Crash were messing around. Crash went to a club and got Samuel L. Jackson, in character as "Shaft", to protect him. Just proves that even though he's Samuel L. Muthafuckin Jackson, not everything he does is cool.

Also, wasn't there a clown who ambushed Crash around that time? I remember the clown saying in a high-pitched voice: "hey, you're Crash Holly! The only champion who defends 24/7!" Maybe it was Pete Gas in disguise one time, but I think it was a "normal" clown at first.

How about 2 demerits for Bradshaw's reign? When he customized it and put steer horns on it.

:lol: at Crash being jumped by the clown. I remember watching that and thinking it was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen.

The Headbangers attacking Crash at the arcade was classic too.

I'm sure the clown was 1 of the MSP. They were the ones who attacked him at the circus, so I'm pretty sure 1, of not all, were in disguise. The Arcade one is on the DVD, and damn is it funny. I still crack my shit up seeing the slide gag where the camera man follows Crash down.

Dreamers also had a customized belt, fassioned with a NYC license plate. N-Y-C! N-Y-C! N-Y-C! He put on a few fun matches for the belt, including match of him versus Justin John Hawk Blackjack Bradshaw Layfield I just saw from July(?) 2002 that was kinda fun. No more garbage brawls makes me sad.

Once the title lost any prestige it (could) have had, the segments are very entertaining. The title became a joke, so at least the WWE caught on made the segments funny.

The title never had prestige. It either was "a piece of shit" or a prop, much like the European Title was. Once Bulldog lost the Euro-title to Michaels, it was useless, and once he lost it to HHH in a joke match, it was a bigger pile of dog crap than the Hardcore title ever was.

Yea, considering the Euro title's first three holders were Davey Boy Smith, Shawn Michaels, and HHH, it really went down the crapper quickly.

My favorite Hardcore title match was actually prolly Tommy and RVD unifying it with the IC. Which reminds me, RVD's run with it was pretty great, especially the match with Taker.

There was a kick-ass RVD/Jerry Lynn Hardcore title match on Heat once, during the summer of 2001.

Also, when Undertaker had the belt, he made the title seem important.

RVD/Lynn on WWF TV?! God dammit. I knew I should've started watching the C-Shows earlier. :( I watched Jakked for like 2 months, but all I saw was Too Cool v. Lo Down matches and gave up on them. :(

Don't worry, most people missed all of Lynn's cup of coffee in the E.

I saw his 4 title defenses on Raw/SD, him jobbing the title, and appearing randomly in the background of APA speeches during the Invasion with Haku and Essa Rios.

One time on Raw/Smackdown, Jerry Lynn teamed up with the Radicalz in a six-man tag match. At the time, I was wondering if he might become the fourth member, after Benoit ditched them.

When was this, like pre WMX7?

No, but soon after. Jerry Lynn made his debut on the Sunday Night Heat before Backlash 2001. This match probably took place sometime in May, before Eddie Guerrero was no longer associated with Saturn and Malenko.

Wait, Lynn came in April? I could have sworn he had a match at the WWF Fan Access thing on WretleMania weekend.

It's possible that he did, considering the event was untelevised. But I do remember he made his official WWE debut by defeating Crash Holly for the Light-heavyweight title on the Sunday Night Heat before Backlash.

Yes, I certainly remember that. And I marked like a little bitch.

Yes, it's a shame that he had to drop the title to Jeff Hardy just a month or so later.

Yea, and then they did nothing with him and he got fired. I've heard that before.

He was on-air from April to August in 2001. Although he signed in November 2000 and wasn't released until late 2001 after his surgery in August.