From the off, the WCW Hardcore Title was pretty much a joke as a championship. Created solely to piggy-back on the success the then-WWF had experienced with their own Hardcore Title, WCW's version routinely featured in some of the most terrible, lifeless brawls that wrestling has ever witnessed. Oh, and Eric Bischoff once held the title briefly in June, 2000. Defeating Terry Funk on an episode of Monday Nitro, Bischoff didn't hold the strap for long, awarding the belt to both Big Vito and Johnny The Bull, who worked as co-champions before Big Vito would win it outright. Needless to say, fans sat on their hands throughout this whole saga, and crowning the non-wrestler Bischoff as the Hardcore Champion was just the tip of the iceberg for WCW in 2000. If there's any case for the defence of putting the title on Bischoff, it must be that he wasn't actually the worst champion the company would crown in the year 2000. A lot of fans rag on the fact that Vince McMahon became WWF Champion, but at least that seemed to serve a purpose in storyline, why didn't WCW just have Big Vito or Johnny The Bull defeat Funk for the Hardcore Title, instead of using Bischoff as the make weight?
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
