List of WCW Hardcore Champions

File:WCWhardcorechampbelt.JPG

The WCW Hardcore Championship belt

The WCW Hardcore Championship was a professional wrestling Hardcore Championship contested for in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). During late—1999, WCW promoted various Hardcore matches, bouts where there were no disqualifications or countouts, that mainly involved Norman Smiley and Brian Knobbs. The developing rivalry between the two wrestlers led WCW to announce the creation of the WCW Hardcore Title in November 1999. In January 2001, the champion Meng signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) after his WCW contract expired. Before WCW was able to crown a new champion, the promotion filed for bankruptcy and the WWF purchased all assets of WCW, and as a result, all WCW Championship copyrights were also sold to the WWF. After the purchase, the WWF used the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and WCW World Tag Team Championship in the The Invasion storyline, in which former WCW wrestlers feuded with original WWF wrestlers before WCW's purchase, however, other WCW titles, including the WCW Hardcore Title, were not used. After The Invasion narrative, the WWF deactivated the WCW World Championship and the WCW Tag Team Championship, but World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the WWF's successor, adopted the WWE United States and Cruiserweight Championships, two former WCW titles. The WCW Hardcore Title, however, was not adopted because during this time, WWE operated its own Hardcore Championship.

Title reigns were determined by professional wrestling hardcore match types with wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripts feuds, plots and storylines or were awarded the title due to scripted circumstances. Wrestlers were portrayed as either villains or fan favorites as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a hardcore wrestling type match or series of matches for the championship. The inaugural champion was Norman Smiley, who defeated Brian Knobbs at WCW Mayhem (1999). Before the promotion's purchase, the title was vacant, though, Meng was the final wrestler to hold the championship. The title was won in Canadian municipalities and in American states. Smiley held the title the longest at 51 days, and at less than one day, Carl Oullete has the shortest title reign. Terry Funk and Knobbs have won the title on 3 occasions, the most in the championship's history; this also ties with the amount of times the title was vacated. Overall, there have been 17 reigns.

History

#	Wrestler	Reigns	Date	Location	Event	Notes
1	Norman Smiley	1	November 21, 1999	Toronto, Ontario	Mayhem (1999)
2	Brian Knobbs	1	January 12, 2000	Erie, PA	Thunder	This title change aired on tape delay
3	Bam Bam Bigelow	1	February 7, 2000	Tulsa, OK	Nitro
4	Brian Knobbs	2	February 20, 2000	San Francisco, CA	SuperBrawl (2000)
5	Shane Helms, Evan Karagias and Shannon Moore	1	February 28, 2000	Minneapolis, MN	Nitro	Helms, Karagias, and Moore, known as the 3 Count stable, defeated Knobbs simultaneously in a match, and as a result, WCW allowed the freebird rule in which all three wrestlers were able to defend the title.
6	Brian Knobbs	3	March 19, 2000	Miami, FL	Uncensored (2000)
—	Vacated	1	April 10, 2000	Denver, CO	N/A	WCW Presidents Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff vacated every WCW championship during WCW's reboot.
7	Terry Funk	2	May 24, 2000	Saginaw, MI	Spring Stampede (2000)
8	Eric Bischoff	1	June 5, 2000	Atlanta, GA	Nitro
9	Big Vito and Johnny the Bull	1	June 6, 2000	Knoxville, TN	Thunder	WCW President awarded Vito and Johnny the title, and he announced that the freebird rule was in effect for this title reign, allowing both wrestlers to defend the title. This title reign aired on tape delay.
10	Big Vito	2	June 6, 2000	Billings, MT	Thunder	WCW named Vito the sole champion.
11	Lance Storm	1	July 24, 2000	Cleveland, OH	Nitro	Storm renames championship "Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title" shortly after winning it.
12	Carl Ouellet	1	August 14, 2000	Kelowna, British Columbia	Nitro	Storm awarded Ouellet the title.
13	Norman Smiley	2	August 14, 2000	Kelowna, British Columbia	Nitro
—	Vacated	2	September 25, 2000	Uniondale, NY	Nitro	The title was vacated by WCW Commissioner Mike Sanders.
14	Reno	2	October 2, 2000	San Francisco, CA	Nitro	Sgt. AWOL originally defeated Reno to win the title in a tournament final, however, Mike Sanders reversed the decision and awarded Reno the title.
15	Crowbar	1	November 8, 2000	Chicago, IL	Thunder	This title change aired on tape delay
16	Terry Funk	3	December 17, 2000	Washington, D.C.	Starrcade (2000)
17	Meng	1	January 14, 2001	Indianapolis, IN	Sin
—	Vacated	3	January 21, 2001	New Orleans, LA	N/A	WCW vacated the championship after Meng signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and after his WCW contract expired.

Kaoz

West Newton Pa Feb 7 2009

List of individual reigns

Wrestler	Days Held	Date Won	Date Lost
Norman Smiley	51	November 21, 1999	January 11, 2000
Norman Smiley	42	August 14, 2000	September 25, 2000
Terry Funk	36	April 16, 2000	May 22, 2000
Big Vito	35	June 19, 2000	July 24, 2000
Reno	35	October 2, 2000	November 6, 2000
Crowbar	31	November 6, 2000	December 17, 2000
Terry Funk	28	December 17, 2000	January 14, 2001
Brian Knobbs	27	January 11, 2000	February 7, 2000
Brian Knobbs	22	March 19, 2000	April 10, 2000
Lance Storm	21	July 24, 2000	August 14, 2000
"3 Count" (Evan Karagias, Shannon Moore & Shane Helms)	20	February 28, 2000	March 19, 2000
Bam Bam Bigelow	13	February 7, 2000	February 20, 2000
Terry Funk	13	May 23, 2000	June 5, 2000
"The Mamalukes" (Johnny the Bull & Big Vito)	13	June 6, 2000	June 19, 2000
Brian Knobbs	8	February 20, 2000	February 28, 2000
Meng	7	January 14, 2001	January 21, 2001
Shane Douglas	1	May 22, 2000	May 23, 2000
Eric Bischoff	1	June 5, 2000	June 6, 2000
Carl Ouellet	<1	August 14, 2000

List of combined reigns

Rank	Wrestler	# Of Reigns	Combined Days
1.	Norman Smiley	2	93
2.	Terry Funk	3	77
3.	Brian Knobbs	3	57
4.	Big Vito	2	48
5.	Reno	1	35
6.	Crowbar	1	31
7.	Lance Storm	1	21
8.	Evan Karagias	1	20
8.	Shane Helms	1	20
8.	Shannon Moore	1	20
11.	Bam Bam Bigelow	1	13
12.	Johnny the Bull	1	13
13.	Meng	1	7
14.	Shane Douglas	1	1
14.	Eric Bischoff	1	1
14.	Carl Ouellet	1	<1

See also

• WCW Hardcore Championship
• World Championship Wrestling

References

General

• "WCW Hardcore Championship History". Wrestling Title Histories by Royal Duncan and Gary Will. Solie.org.

Specific

External links

• Wrestling-Titles.com
• Online World of Wrestling.com