10 Longest reigning WWE Hardcore Champions
If you were a follower of WWE during the Attitude Era, you probably have very fond memories of the Hardcore Championship – a 24/7 title that could be won and lost in any place at any time, just as long as a referee was there to count the pinfall.
The unique championship was introduced in November 1998 by Vince McMahon, who awarded it to Mankind on an episode of Monday Night Raw, and it changed hands seven times in its first five months on WWE television, which was not uncommon for any of WWE’s titles during that era.
Follow Sportskeeda for the latest WWE news, rumors and all other wrestling news.
Then, from mid-1999 onwards, the number of title changes became hilariously farcical, with the highlights – or lowlights, depending on how you look at it – coming at WrestleMania 2000 (10 title changes) and WrestleMania X8 (five title changes).
In total, the title changed hands on 240 occasions, including live events, in its four-year history before it was unified with Rob Van Dam’s Intercontinental Championship in August 2002.
Some of the most famous Superstars in WWE history held the title, ranging from The Undertaker and The Big Show to Kane and Kurt Angle, and many of them had longer reigns with the pass-the-parcel championship than you might think.
In this article, let’s take a look at the 10 longest-reigning Hardcore champions of all time.
#10 Rhyno (34 days)
Two weeks on from one of the most high-profile Hardcore Championship matches of all time (Raven vs. Kane vs. The Big Show at WrestleMania X-Seven), Rhyno ended Kane’s 16-day reign with the title by defeating him on an episode of SmackDown in April 2001.
The ECW legend went on to retain the title against Superstars including Spike Dudley, Chris Jericho, Bradshaw and Crash Holly, while he even won PPV matches against Raven at Backlash and Test & The Big Show at Judgment Day.
However, 34 days into his first reign with the title, Rhyno was defeated by The Big Show on Monday Night Raw in May 2001.