WCW Hardcore Championship

Details

Promotion

Date established

November 21, 1999

Date retired

March 26, 2001

Statistics
Most reigns	Brian Knobbs & Terry Funk (3 reigns)
First champion(s)	Norman Smiley
Longest reign	Norman Smiley (51 days)
Shortest reign	Carl Ouellet (c. <1 day)
Oldest champion	Terry Funk (56 years)
Youngest champion	Shannon Moore (with 3 Count) (20 years)
Heaviest champion	Bam Bam Bigelow (360 lb (160 kg))
Lightest champion	Shannon Moore (with 3 Count) (181 lb (82 kg))

The World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Hardcore Championship was a title in World Championship Wrestling. 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. The belt was created in response to the growing popularity of hardcore wrestling in North America.

The title lasted from 1999 to 2001. The very first WCW Hardcore champion was Norman Smiley who defeated Brian Knobbs 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 WCW Uncensored 2000. Terry Funk (a two time hardcore champ) also held the title for a period of almost two months, from April–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. Lance Storm later won the title and renamed it the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title (or S.H.I.T.). The final competitive 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 awarded the belt to Barbarian as a gift on an episode of Thunder, which was Meng's final appearance on WCW television. The title belt was handed over formally to the WWF upon the purchase of WCW. The title is now displayed in WWE headquaters in Stamford, Connecticut.

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 oficial WCW hardcore champion.

World Championship Wrestling championships

World	World Heavyweight (Reigns) (1991–2001) · International World Heavyweight (Reigns) (1993–1994)

Secondary	World Television (Reigns) (1991–2000) · United States (Reigns) (1991–2001)

Tag Team	World Tag Team (Reigns) (1991–2001) · World Six-Man Tag Team (Reigns) (1991) · United States Tag Team (Reigns) (1991–1992) · Cruiserweight Tag Team (Reigns) (2001)

Divisional	Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight (Reigns) (1991–1992; 1996–2001) · Women's (Reigns) (1996–1997) · Women's Cruiserweight (Reigns) (1997)

Other	Hardcore (Reigns) (1999–2001) · Triple Crown

WCW Hardcore Champions

Norman Smiley · Brian Knobbs · Bam Bam Bigelow · Shane Helms (joint holder) · Evan Karagias (joint holder) · Shannon Moore (joint holder) · Terry Funk Eric Bischoff · Big Vito · Jonny the Bull (joint holder) · Lance Storm · Carl Ouellet · Reno · Crowbar · Meng · Barbarian

WCW Hardcore Championship

See also