10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About The Hardcore Title

6. It Was The First Real Shot Fired In The Invasion

Mike Awesome
WWE

Instead of seeing Hollywood Hogan invade Raw or Goldberg smash Stone Cold, fans eagerly anticipating what the WWF vs. WCW war would bring were left reeling when Mike Awesome won the Hardcore Title in June 2001. Worse, the WWF passed this off as the first shot fired during the product-devouring 'Invasion' angle.

Things may not have been so bad had announcers not tried to pass Awesome's Madison Square Garden win off as what fans had fantasised about. It's doubtful that this moment was quite up there in the dream match stakes when people salivated over cross-promotional warfare.

Most fans probably don't even remember Mike Awesome becoming Hardcore Champion at all, let alone the fact it took place on WWF turf at MSG. Winning such a low-level belt was hardly a shot across the bows from WCW either.

Couldn't they have targeted the WWF Heavyweight Title or something?

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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.