5 Offshoots Of The WWE Hardcore Championship
One company has had a version of the Hardcore Title for 18 years!
The Hardcore Championship defined the landscape of the Attitude Era. Capturing the zeitgeist perfectly, the unique approach of 24/7 matches, multi-man brawls and quick fire reigns made the WWE Hardcore Championship one of the most influential and beloved belts in history.
In honor of the title’s 20th anniversary, I have decided to take a look at five titles that were all inspired by the WWE Hardcore Championship. Interestingly, the title had worldwide appeal, with some of these championships still being defended today!
Also, for those who are interested, this list was built upon two simple rules:
- I have only chosen championships established after the inception of the WWE Hardcore Championship, so no pre-1998 titles.
- All the titles have either “Hardcore” in their title or some link to the championship’s stipulations, so this is not an exercise in just listing gimmick titles.
As always, if you wish to leave me any comments or feedback, you are more than welcome to through the website or on Twitter (@Stejay215).
WCW Hardcore Championship
(Established November 1999 – Retired January 2001)
It is a well-known fact that WCW was trying just about everything to keep up with its competitors at the end of the 20th century. They say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” but in the case of the WCW Hardcore Title, it was pretty much a disaster from the start.
Nobody was buying into the company’s hardcore division, let alone a WCW Hardcore Championship, when it was compared with WWE’s offering. Plus, compared with the WWE’s innovative design, the WCW belt was very unattractive and sadly quite bog-standard. Sixteen men (including Norman Smiley and even Terry Funk) held the gold between 1999 and 2001. Unfortunately, the matches were nothing more than a series of forgettable brawls that unsuccessfully mimicked the WWE style that worked so well.
DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship
(Established June 2000 – Currently Active)
Although it doesn’t have the word “hardcore” in its name, the DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship is notorious for being inspired by the over-the-top and outlandish antics of tWWE’s hardcore division. Although the title is still defended under 24/7 rules, the belt is actually a parody of the WWE Hardcore Championship. As such, the scope for potential champions and challengers is endless. Men, women, cats, love dolls and even Vince McMahon’s Walk of Fame Star have all held the championship at some point over the past 18 years…and over a staggering 1,300 reigns (and counting)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8px3BpTEKw
GHC Openweight Hardcore Championship
(Established April 2004 – Retired/Inactive since December 2009)
Now I think we can all agree that if there is one thing Pro Wrestling NOAH is not known for, it’s hardcore wrestling. But a leopard can always change its spots and in 2004, the GHC Openweight Hardcore Title (also known as the Global Hardcore Crown) was formed to bring a bit of variety to the formulaic NOAH product.
Original stipulations included the championship being able to change hands via count out and when a smaller challenger lasted 15 minutes in the match with the current champion, the belt was given to them by default. Plus, to add to the belt’s uniqueness, the title was briefly turned into the GHC Openweight Tag-Team Championship in 2007, but like the rest of the title’s run, it was nothing to write home about. Despite a few notable wrestlers such as 2 Cold Scorpio held the championship, the legacy of the GHC Openweight Hardcore Championship is not a very memorable one.
CZW Inter-promotional Hardcore Championship
(Established March 1999 – Retired May 2000)
It is amazing to think that during the late ‘90s and early 2000s, somehow CZW and ECW were running side by side in the Northeast. Inspired by ECW and Japanese deathmatch promotions, Combat Zone Wrestling became an internet sensation in its early days, with many highlight packages presenting gruesome and gory bloodfests. It’s no surprise then that CZW would create a Hardcore Championship to match its wrestling philosophy. So, in March 1999, the CZW Inter-promotional Hardcore Championship was born.
Scouring the depths of the internet, I have not found much information about this elusive belt and even when I have, a lot of the information is highly contradictory. But what we do know is that the title debuted at an inter-promotional event called “Break the Barrier,” and there were only two champions (Justice Pain and Lobo). I have not seen any of the championship matches associated with this belt and unfortunately, none of them are freely available online. My advice with this particular championship is if you are a fan of hardcore wrestling, definitely investigate it further!
wXw Hardcore Championship
(Established August 2001 – Retired August 2006)
Based in Germany, Westside Xtreme Wrestling has become one of the most successful independent promotions in Europe. Primarily based around traditional singles and tag team matches, the promotion has dabbled in stipulation matches from time to time. The most notable example of this is hardcore matches – back in August 2001, around 18 months after the inception of wXw, the wXw Hardcore Championship was born.
For the next five years, 16 different men would hold the championship at different points in its history including Necro Butcher, Ian Rotten and Sandman. Much like the WWE Hardcore Championship, the belt was fought under 24/7 rules, and the vast majority of the reigns lasted less than one day. Although finding the title’s matches is difficult, definitely try and check this championship out as it is a significant part of German pro wrestling history.
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