Steve Blackman vs. Shane McMahon for the Hardcore Championship at SummerSlam 2000The WWE Hardcore Championship was introduced on November 2, 1998. Extreme Championship Wrestling was the pioneer of hardcore wrestling in the '90s and paved the way for WWE to bring that style to the mainstream audience.Eventually, the championship had a 24/7 rule, meaning it could be won anytime, anywhere as long as a referee was present. This led to several chaotic and comedic moments in WWE. The title was retired in 2002 but was briefly brought back for a storyline involving Edge and Mick Foley in 2006.Looking back at its four-year run, let's take a look at the top five WWE Hardcore Champions in history.#5 Big Boss Man was the longest-reigning WWE Hardcore ChampionAdam Huish@RealAdamHuishBig Boss Man's Hardcore title run is underrated 🤷🏼‍♂️07:04 AM · Mar 15, 2020112Big Boss Man's Hardcore title run is underrated 🤷🏼‍♂️ https://t.co/R3B5xUsSOhThe Big Boss Man was a powerhouse in WWE during the Attitude Era. Before this, he had wrestled all over the world for promotions such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling.Boss Man re-signed with Vince McMahon's company in 1998 and was Vince's bodyguard at first. Eventually, he transitioned into becoming a hardcore wrestler fighting for the Hardcore Championship.Wearing his tactical SWAT-style wrestling gear, his first reign as Hardcore Champion came on Monday Night RAW after winning a Ladder Match. He went on to have four title reigns in total, with his fourth being his longest, lasting 97 days.Racing and Wrestling Moments@HoursofRacingOn this day in 1999, The Big Boss Man won the WWF Hardcore Championship for the 4th and final time #WWE #Smackdown #HardcoreTitle11:50 AM · Oct 14, 2021On this day in 1999, The Big Boss Man won the WWF Hardcore Championship for the 4th and final time #WWE #Smackdown #HardcoreTitle https://t.co/GP4WGVHQt6His most memorable run with the title came during his feud with Al Snow, which also involved Snow's pet chihuahua. The feud peaked at SummerSlam 1999 where they brawled all over the arena, with Al Snow taking the title from Boss Man by pinning him on a pool table.There was one point in the feud that Big Boss Man almost forced Al Snow to eat his chihuahua. Al Snow told Wrestling Inc. that it was inspired by a real-life incident involving WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Fuji:"That was inspired by Mr. Fuji, who had in real life apparently did that to a neighbor’s dog he didn’t like. Art imitates life," Al Snow said. (h/t TPWW)Sadly, Big Boss Man passed away in 2004. The Hall of Famer will forever be known as the longest-reigning Hardcore Champion in WWE history.