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8 most unbelievable Hardcore Championship Matches: photos
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Shane McMahon emerged as one of WWE's most unlikely daredevils.3 U7 L8 P1 Q' l; p6 L
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At SummerSlam 2000, Shane and Steve Blackman competed in a Hardcore Championship Match that rose to dangerous heights.+ D4 Z. m6 W: v* C$ i" z i, w+ o, T
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Attempting to escape Blackman, The Boy Wonder climbed the massive scaffolding of the set and plunged to the floor below.
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i+ ~. X! k6 n0 ?1 L( POne night after No Way Out 2001, Big Show defended the Hardcore Championship in a Triple Threat Match against The Rock and Kurt Angle.9 `3 u8 f5 [% y7 a
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$ X- H$ V5 Q: ^% p/ p7 bThe bout was The Rock's very first Hardcore Title opportunity.
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! q$ ~3 N o- M% U+ L3 t8 WThe battle became a chaotic scene when a host of other Superstars inserted themselves into the scuffle.
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The match ended backstage when Big Show pinned Essa Rios on the arena wall.
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At WrestleMania X-Seven, Big Show, Kane and Raven battled in a chaotic scene that moved to the Reliant Astrodome's backstage area.& Y- m' g0 j7 H( `
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8 R8 T5 w" C. O* I' F0 jThe match ended back on the entrance stage when Kane won his first Hardcore Title.) M; u+ b. a3 d& F
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" m$ r) b5 `; m- wAt Backlash 2000, Crash Holly defended the Hardcore Championship against five men including his cousin Hardcore Holly.
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- X9 \3 N9 i W7 k. u; yThe match's competitors, including Tazz and both Hardy brothers, started in the ring but soon moved to the massive swinging hooks of the show's set.8 {0 O+ ?0 b0 s. I; d. r
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$ y& n( j+ A% \$ n: iBy the end of the night, Crash had somehow held on to the title.
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. x, `8 u. ~, gIn late 1998, Road Dogg shifted his attention away from tag team competition and focused on the hardcore ranks.
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4 u8 u( y3 m' e% K. L1 bOn the same edition of Raw that saw Mick Foley's emotional WWE Championship victory, Road Dogg and Al Snow battled for the Hardcore Title in a blizzard.
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One of the Hardcore Championship's most memorable 24/7 moments was when The Headbangers attacked Crash Holly at indoor amusement park Fun Time USA.
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4 j5 a$ a: z, d0 }- eThe impromptu bout saw the diminuative Holly cousin brawl with Mosh & Thrasher in a ball pit.
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In the end, The Houdini of Hardcore managed to escape with his title.6 A5 c* l3 l! l/ v' N7 U
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% g8 Y- f* X4 x. q) X1 S& VPerhaps the most bizarre matchup during the Hardcore Championship's run was the Evening Gown Match between Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco at King of the Ring 2000.+ j3 c' c$ T) s" b5 o. R* T3 P
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For some reason, these two WWE Hall of Famers pounded on each other while wearing wigs and dresses.9 D5 R) j) h: f/ ^
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" t; ^& z7 e) K' ?: ~Eventually, Crash Holly put the fans out of their misery and pinned the first-ever Intercontinental Champion to win the Hardcore Title.9 v" } U5 ^( g) ], d
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; @# L. V( Z! DAt St. Valentine's Day Massacre, former JOB Squad allies Hardcore Holly and Al Snow brawled for the Hardcore Title that set the bar for what Hardcore Matches are capable of.
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- S! k4 ]! Z: ?2 B- q( mAfter brawling all over The Pyramid in Memphis,Tenn., the two competitors ended up outside.
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Eventually, the Holly tossed the demented Snow into the Mississippi River.
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