10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About The Hardcore Title
2. Gerald Brisco & Pat Patterson Held It
To this day, Gerald Brisco must be one of the only challengers to pin a champion when he was sleeping. In June 2000, dropping the Hardcore Title to one of Mr. McMahon's Stooges was Crash Holly's fate. Later, Brisco would drop the title to another in Pat Patterson.
Credit must go to both Patterson and Brisco for hamming it up to the best of their abilities long after they were serious pro wrestlers. They were expected to act as bumbling fools during backstage segments, also performing ludicrous run-ins and winning titles. Still, WWE probably don't want fans remembering this sort of lunacy, drenched in homophobia as it was.
Great Hardcore Champions were few and far between, but names like Mankind, The Big Boss Man, and even Crash himself were superior to the WWF's idea of putting the thing on ageing extras who hadn't wrestled a match in years.
At least both reigns were short.