During his time as a Hardcore Champion, one thing became perfectly clear: This wasn't the Davey Boy Smith fans were accustomed to seeing with the Hart Foundation. And this was not a good thing. Bulldog flip-flopped between companies more than anyone else, and each time he returned to the WWE, he seemed to have lost a little something. (I suppose dealing with the politics of WCW will do that to a guy.) In his third return to the company, the jeans-wearing Bulldog had his sights set on the WWE Championship and began a feud with The Rock. But first he had to jump through some hoops for management, winning the Hardcore title from Big Boss Man. And then promptly forfeiting it to Al Snow later that night because this is what people thought of the Hardcore Championship. With that unsightly business out of the way, Davey Boy was free to pursue a legitimate title. But when nothing came of his feud with The Rock, he was right back to the mid-card and right back to the Hardcore division. He won the title once more from Crash Holly, then lost it the next week, then probably went to take a long, cold shower to wash away the ickiness of what he'd taken part in. Davey Boy obviously thought himself to be above this new title and although he may have been right, it certainly didn't make his matches any more entertaining.
