What if WWE brings back the Hardcore Championship

The Hardcore Championship was a staple of the Attitude Era. Mostly mid-card talent waged war for the right to be called champion, first in a falls count anywhere matches built to showcase the more violent and over the top tendencies of that period in wrestling history.

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The 24/7 rule took matters to the next level, as the title was deemed to always be on the line leading to backstage attacks, and impromptu matches in unconventional settings far from a wrestling ring.

It made sense enough for WWE to do away with the Hardcore title. The Attitude Era was behind the company, and while the world hadn’t become as concussion conscious and averse to headshots as it would become soon after, WWE was already dialing back its more over violence.

On top of everything, the constant Hardcore Matches and the 24/7 defenses had started to feel played out, and the oddball rules associated with title had truly taken it from a meaningful championship to more of a gag prop.

The title has been gone for nearly two decades now—plenty of time for what’s old to become new again, and after a whole new cast of weapons and wild spots have been introduced to wrestling fans. And so this article considers: what if WWE brings back the Hardcore Championship?

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#5 Dean Ambrose reigns

Dean Ambrose would be a natural fit for a relaunched hardcore division.

If there’s one star of the current generation who would clearly have made more sense in the Attitude Era than today, it’s Dean Ambrose.

The Lunatic Fringe’s more crazed behavior has largely been played for laughs throughout his singles tenure in WWE, and it’s telling that such a natural heel’s only time spent as a heel singles performer quickly became such a farce and demanded that he turned back.

Whether it’s as a face or heel, a Hardcore division would be a proper platform to showcase the hardcore tendencies Ambrose displayed as Jon Moxley pre-WWE, and that he has hinted at from time to time in WWE.

It’s unclear if Ambrose will end up re-signing with WWE, or if he really will be gone within a couple months’ time. If he is on his way out the door, becoming the first champion of the Hardcore division’s new era would be a nice early boost to the title’s credibility.

If he sticks around, he could readily flow in and out of the title’s ranks for months, if not years to come.

#4 The title changes hands on social media

The Hardcore division could offer new ways of pushing WWE's social media empire.

The Internet was a fledgling thing when WWE’s original Hardcore Championship was on the line.

YouTube was still over two years away from launching the last time the title was defended, and most people weren’t yet on Facebook or any other contemporary social media platform at that point in time.

The Hardcore division was still fun in those times, but the most outlandish exploits associated with it were mostly handled via pre-tapes backstage.

New technology could be a boon for the Hardcore title, as individual wrestlers could now stream title challenges and even title changes live on Twitter from all over the place.

Particularly as WWE leans into social media with feuds like Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch arguably getting more heated on Twitter than in the ring, and WWE could likely draw even more of its desired more social media engagement via the Hardcore Championship.

Moreover, various title attempts could be ready material for a WWE Network compilation.

#3 A Hall of Fame Ceremony match

A Hardcore Championship defense could be a fun diversion during the Hall of Fame proceedings.

The annual WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony was only getting started as a tradition when the Hardcore Championship was last defended.

Partly based on timing, and partly based on WWE trying to establish the gravity of the new Hall, we never saw a Hardcore title defense at the black-tie affair.

To be fair, WWE still might err away from disrupting the relatively serious annual event, for fear it would distract from or diminish the accomplishment of the legends being honoured.

However, most wrestling legends seem to recognize that entertainment comes first wrestling. Moreover, the ceremony has lost some of its appeal with the explosion of wrestling podcasts offering more in-depth discussions with legends on a weekly basis.

Injecting the fun of a hardcore match in tuxedos (or evening gowns) mid-way through the show could be a fun way to freshen up the presentation.

#2 Returning legends

The Hardcore division would offer a platform for legends to make some novel appearances.

While Attitude Era mid-carders like Crash Holly, The Road Dogg, and Maven are typically most synonymous with the legacy of the Hardcore Championship, it’s worth noting that legends like Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco also took their turns with the strap.

Indeed, part of the fun of the title was that the rules facilitated unlikely champions, and at its best, the title struck the balance between feeling like a legitimate championship but also being a bit of a joke that no one could take too seriously.

Nearly two decades removed from the Monday Night War era, WWE has a deep pool of legends at its disposal, and even if All Elite Wrestling does offer something resembling competition, there are still a number of past stars who will sign their Legends deals and remain loyal to Vince McMahon.

Much like the Royal Rumble has seen its share of old timers come out to pop the crowd and work for a minute or two, a new era for the Hardcore Championship could offer fun cameo opportunities for stars from yesteryear.

#1 Something for underused talent to fight for

Superstars like R-Truth may feel out of place in traditional title pictures, but the Hardcore title opens more possibilities.

Even with a roster split in place between Raw and SmackDown, as well as 205 Live and NXT representing their own distinct crops of talent, there remain those WWE talents who struggle to get TV time, or get more than cameo spots or losing squash matches when they do get onto a show.

Indeed, no one was surprised when Tye Dillinger asked for his release, given how sparingly and inconsistently he had been used since his move up to the main roster.

The Hardcore Championship would offer an additional and a distinctive objective for lower card talent looking to make some headway.

Indeed, consider the example of R-Truth. The guy has been wildly entertaining in recent months, particularly in his partnership with Carmella.

Still, when WWE placed the US title on him, it felt out of place for the prestige of that title and how it had been used with fringe main event talent leading up to that point.

Pursuing the Hardcore Championship would make a lot more sense for a talent like Truth to give him a reasonable goal, and to further showcase his comedic sensibilities.