10 Wildest Wrestling Hoaxes Fans Actually Fell For

3. The Hardcore Title Was The Old WWF Title

WCW Sting Thumb
WWE

If you ignore the rank misogyny, gleeful homophobia, blackface, exploitation of alcoholism, countless vile unprotected chair shots to the head, ableist slurs, transphobia, underage love interests, sexual assault angles and the like, the WWF of 1998 boasted some genuine creative flair. 

The Hardcore title was an inspired creative decision and aesthetic choice. Launched in November ‘98, this was a long time away from the debuts of Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and the Radicalz. The young male demographic was less interested in “workrate” and more into “colossal silicone breasts”. Mick Foley was a superb worker, but his peers in the division ranged from washed-up to mediocre. Giving them some shaved-down baking trays to tw*t one another with was a minor masterstroke, really. That’s all they were good for, and that’s what the people came for. 

For years, many fans thought that the Hardcore title, a broken version of the old Winged Eagle designed to symbolise what Mr. McMahon thought of Mankind, was the authentic article - the actual belt that Mr. Perfect destroyed in 1990, repurposed. 

This is not the case, as was revealed by BeltFanDan several years ago. The belt Curt Hennig smashed quickly passed through the collector’s market. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!