Did 24/7 Kill Hardcore Wrestling?

To capitalize on the enormous popularity of ECW, WWE introduced the Hardcore Championship in the late 1990s. The action often spilled all over the arena, with participants using everything that wasn’t nailed down as a weapon. It was a big hit in the bloodthirsty Attitude Era.

In early 2000, WWE decided to increase the unpredictability of hardcore matches. When Crash Holly became champion, he vowed to defend the title 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If booked correctly, the stipulation could have been a house show attraction. It also could have been another way to build up competitors for the main event.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

The title was booked as a joke, frequently changing hands multiple times in one night. Instead of representing warriors and bloodbaths, it became a comedic device. Jobbers like the Mean Street Posse, old geezers like Patterson and Brisco and even one of The Godfather’s Hos won the belt.

At a time when the main event scene was solidified, the Hardcore Championship should have been presented as a building block. While the Intercontinental Championship was revered as the worker’s title, the Hardcore Championship should have been presented as the scrappy, down and dirty fighter’s belt. Whoever held the gold should have displayed heart and grit, willing to take on all comers at literally any time. If given the opportunity and under different circumstances, Brian Pillman, Owen Hart, Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn all could have been ideal champions.

What makes this even more frustrating is having seen how other promotions have treated their version of the Hardcore Championship. For example, Defiant Wrestling in England showcased its hardcore division as battles between the best of the best. Instead of cold matches assigned to fill time or add a breather to Raw and SmackDown, Defiant inserted the Hardcore Title into a hot feud between BT Gunn and Primate. Gunn won the belt after repeatedly stomping Primate’s head, finally knocking the champion unconscious. Jimmy Havoc and Primate actually earned each other’s respect by fighting for the gold. Stories were told and wrestlers’ stock rose.

When it comes to the controversy of hardcore wrestling, here’s the deal. If it’s not just crash TV, hardcore wrestling can be the best storytelling that you will ever see. What gives it a bad name are people like Ian Rotten who do insane shit just for the sake of doing it. The problem with guys like this is there’s no effort in putting together an actual 15-20 minute match – they just want to break tables for a pop.

If done right, the 24-7 concept can keep hardcore wrestling alive. As a matter of fact, right now is the perfect time to reintroduce the title. With WWE producing so much content on multiple platforms, the Hardcore Championship could be a great opportunity to provide some unpredictable moments. Anything is possible in the digital age – championship matches could be streamed in real time from any location. WWE could create a Twitter account for fans to follow the action. Plus, WWE Network could interrupt its regularly scheduled programming to show matches in progress. Fans would constantly be checking in to see what was happening, wondering where the action will happen next.

Of course, the true test is balancing out spontaneity and credibility. If WWE was to resurrect the Hardcore Championship, it would have to treat the belt with more reverence than 20 years ago. No scrubs holding the title; they can challenge for it, sure, but not actually win the thing, only to lose it five minutes later. The matches would have to be presented in the best possible light, not regarded to the pre-show like the Cruiserweight Championship. And absolutely no P.G. restrictions on the action; in order for these wrestlers to be taken seriously, they have to fight like the warriors of yesteryear. Tell that referee to put his gloves away when the blood trickles down.

As with all things in pro wrestling, it all comes down to how something is presented. It wasn’t the 24-7 concept that watered down hardcore wrestling – it was the booking.