10 Incredible WWE Hardcore Title Matches You Need To See

8. Mankind Vs. Ken Shamrock - Raw 1998

Mankind was the first WWF Hardcore Champion. He was awarded the title by Vince McMahon on the November 22nd edition of Raw for his achievements in hardcore wrestling. Mick Foley's hardcore exploits in WCW, Japan, ECW and the WWF were well-documented so it was a logical choice. The first ever Hardcore Championship match was Mankind defending the belt against 'The World's Most Dangerous Man' Ken Shamrock the week after McMahon awarded Mankind the belt. Mankind came out freshly-shaved and dressed in a tuxedo and tie signalling his 'corporate champion' status. The two men brawled around ringside and used the announce table, steel stairs and a steel chair. It was a very good back-and-forth match and demonstrated Shamrock's versatility. There were also a lot less gimmicks in this match than in future hardcore matches. Mankind took a full-on chairshot to the fead/head, something which we thankfully don't see in WWE today. The finish came when The Corporation's enforcer The Big Boss Man hit Shamrock with his nightstick. Mankind would lose the title to Boss Man after a 28 day reign.