WWE Hardcore Championship
| WWE Hardcore Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The WWF/WWE Hardcore Championship (circa 2002)
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| Details | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date established | November 2, 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date retired | August 26, 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other name(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| First champion(s) | Mankind |
| Final champion(s) | Rob Van Dam |
| Most reigns | Raven (27) |
| Longest reign | Big Boss Man (97 days) |
| Shortest reign | Terri Runnels (9 seconds) |
| Oldest winner | Pat Patterson (59 years, 152 days) |
| Youngest winner | Christopher Nowinski (23 years, 285 days) |
| Heaviest champion | Big Show (500 lb (230 kg)) |
| Lightest champion | Terri Runnels (100 lb (45 kg)) |
The WWE Hardcore Championship was a hardcore wrestling championship in WWE (formerly the World Wrestling Federation), which was contested under "hardcore" rules (no disqualifications, no countouts, and pinfalls count anywhere). In the latter part of the title's history, a rule was implemented allowing anyone to challenge the champion at any place or time, provided a referee was present (dubbed the "24/7 rule"). It was established on November 2, 1998 with Mankind as the inaugural champion. In 2002, it was unified with the WWE Intercontinental Championship by Rob Van Dam, the final Hardcore Champion.
Mr. McMahon awarded Mankind the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) Hardcore Championship on November 2, 1998. After Mankind lost the title to Big Boss Man, he never attempted to recapture it, mainly because of the main event push he received shortly afterward. At the time of conception, the idea was for the belt to be used in comedy segments to play on Mankind's reputation as a hardcore wrestler. However, as Mankind and hardcore wrestling became more popular with audiences, the Hardcore Championship became a more serious title. Its popularity led competitor World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to create its own Hardcore Championship, a move followed by numerous independent promotions.
When Crash Holly won the belt, he introduced the "24/7 rule" which said the belt was to be defended at all times, as long as a referee was present. This allowed for many comic relief moments, such as the belt changing hands while the champion was asleep, and The Headbangers chasing Crash Holly around an amusement park in Brooklyn (Holly eventually escaped from a ball pit and ran from the building, still the champion).
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