Hardcore matches can be one of the most violent gimmick matches. Anything goes in hardcore matches, and tons of weapons are involved. Many wrestling fans salivate at hardcore matches because of the sheer brutality in some of them. Plenty of hardcore matches in WWE have taken place, especially when the WWE Hardcore Championship was in operation from November 1998-August 2002, WWE consistently put on hardcore matches on their programming.
Edge and Mick Foley's Hardcore match at WrestleMania 22, and Foley's violent encounter with Randy Orton at Backlash 2004 are hardcore matches that are spoken about in high regard. Moreover, the ones that are forgotten about were all not bad encounters by any stretch of the imagination, but they were overshadowed by other matches.
10 Mick Foley Vs. Terry Funk - Raw (5/4/98)
Mick Foley and Terry Funk have battled plenty of times over the years, and their encounter on the May 4, 1998 edition of Raw was another physical Hardcore match as expected. Both men have a high threshold of pain, and they are willing to put their bodies on their line and do crazy spots.
Funk was 53 years old at the time, and the match between the pair was a war of attrition. Neither man backed down, and Foley was in contention for a WWE Championship match with Steve Austin, so he continued his momentum with a win over his former tag team partner.
9 Alberto Del Rio Vs. Rob Van Dam - Battleground 2013
Alberto Del Rio had his hands full in his World Heavyweight Championship title defense against Rob Van Dam at Battleground 2013. RVD had the slight advantage considering the match was a hardcore match, which was a match that he excels in. Nevertheless, Del Rio and RVD had a credible match, which blew their Night of Champions encounter out of the water.
This was the curtain-raiser, and there was plenty of back and forth between the pair. RVD had his chances, but the Mexican Aristocrat put RVD out of his misery with a cross-arm breaker in the chair, leaving Van Dam no choice but to submit after being in a vulnerable position.
8 Steven Richards & Jazz Vs. Trish Stratus & Bubba Ray Dudley - Raw (5/13/02)
There was a unique mixed tag team match on the May 13, 2002 edition of Raw under "hardcore" rules. Steven Richards was the WWE Hardcore Champion and Jazz was the reigning WWE Women's Champion. They defended their respective titles against Trish Stratus and Bubba Ray Dudley. However, there was a caveat as it wasn't a winner-takes-all match.
Whoever scored the winning pinfall would retain or win that title. This was a decent match considering what was at stake. Since the Hardcore Championship was involved, many wrestlers got involved in proceedings. Nonetheless, Trish and Jazz were isolated, and Trish executed the Stratusfaction on Jazz which was enough to become a two-time Women's Champion.
7 Bob Holly Vs. Al Snow - St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House, 1999
The Hardcore division began to spice up in 1999, and Bob Holly and Al Snow are reasons why the hardcore division was a hit in the Attitude era. The pair both represented the J.O.B. Squad and their match was for the vacant Hardcore Championship. Of course, their match was never going to just take place in the arena.
They moved from the backstage area and continued to fight in the Mississippi River. Snow did himself no disgrace here but Holly captured the Hardcore Championship for the first time in his career.
6 Ivory Vs. Luna - Unforgiven 1999
Luna had been knocking on the door for quite some time to achieve her goal of becoming the WWE Women's Champion. She challenged Ivory in a hardcore match for the Women's Championship at Unforgiven 1999. The entirety of their match took place in the backstage area.
Weapons were used, and their battle spilled into the bathroom, and neither woman held back. Moreover, Tori interfered but Ivory easily dispatched her. Many would have fancied Luna to get the win over Ivory in a hardcore match but that failed to materialize with Ivory hitting Luna with a wooden pole, a couple of times to remain as WWE Women's Champion.
5 Rob Van Dam Vs. Tommy Dreamer - Raw (8/26/02)
The WWE Hardcore Championship ceased to exist on the August 26, 2002 edition of Raw, and Rob Van Dam's Intercontinental Championship as was Tommy Dreamer's Hardcore Championship featured in a title unification match. RVD and Dreamer produced a fantastic hardcore match which is no surprise since both are specialists in hardcore matches.
This was a competitive title bout, and both men gave it their all inside Madison Square Garden. Dreamer was a native of New York, and there was a usage of a ladder. Nevertheless, RVD prevailed with a Five-Star Frog Splash, and Dreamer showed his class afterward as he embraced Van Dam with tears in his eyes.
4 Lita Vs. Jacqueline - Raw (10/9/00)
Lita and Jacqueline were two women in the Attitude era that could wrestle. However, they found themselves battling over Lita's Women's Championship in a hardcore match on the October 9, 2000 episode of Raw. It was rare for women to compete in hardcore matches in the Attitude Era let alone involving the WWE Women's Championship.
Both may have been out of their comfort zone here, but they managed to have a watchable championship match. Jacqueline made life hard for Lita, but Lita hung tough and she retained her title in a hard-fought battle that is forgotten about.
3 Road Dogg Vs. Al Snow - Raw (1/4/99)
January 4, 1999, is a significant night in the wrestling industry as Mankind defeated The Rock for the WWE Championship in the main event which was spoiled on WCW programming, but backfired with many tuning in to watch it. Nonetheless, bouts like Road Dogg and Al Snow which happened on the show are overshadowed.
Dogg and Snow pulled out all of the stops to make this match entertaining and competitive. Snow had fallen, but that didn't detract both men from going outside. Road Dogg was victorious after he put Snow through a table with a piledriver.
2 Ivory Vs. Tori - Raw (9/6/99)
Ivory and Tori's hardcore match for the WWE Women's Championship on the September 6, 1999 edition of Raw was touted as the first women's hardcore match in WWE history. Neither woman wore their traditional and in-ring, and Ivory was in cruise control of the match.
She had a look in her eye, and she wanted to tear Tori apart. Ivory was sinister, and she smashed a mirror over Tori's head. Tori may have had glass in her feet, and Ivory pinned her en route to retaining the WWE Women's Championship.
1 Crash Holly Vs. Tazz Vs. Jeff Hardy Vs. Perry Saturn Vs. Matt Hardy Vs. Hardcore Holly - Backlash 2000
Crash Holly is the Houdini of Hardcore, and he lived up to that moniker in his Hardcore Championship title defense in a six-pack challenge. Tazz, Jeff Hardy, Perry Saturn, Matt Hardy, and Hardcore Holly were determined to end Crash's stranglehold on the Hardcore Championship.
There was no shortage of drama, and Jeff showcased his daredevil skills by executing a Swanton Bomb from the top of the ladder onto Crash. Despite the punishment he took, Crash proved why he was a fighting Hardcore Champion, and he once managed to retain his title.