Hardcore Hak.

[jimmyjackezekiel]

I feel like an idiot it took me over 20 years to get the joke.

They took one of ECW's biggest homegrown stars and renamed him "The Hardcore Hack."

Did anyone else catch onto this rib at the time? How old were you? I was twelve at the time of this gimmick, and I knew next to nothing about ECW.

[cjh]

"Hak" is a nickname he's had since he was a kid.  Raven usually calls him that in interviews rather than Sandman.

[jimmyjackezekiel]

Oct 15, 2022 23:18:25 GMT -5 cjh said:

"Hak" is a nickname he's had since he was a kid.  Raven usually calls him that in interviews rather than Sandman.

I did not know that.

Even so, I can't help but think the name change was in some part a rib on the guy.

[Squirrel Master]

I remember being psyched to see Sandman in WCW and hoping he would form a tag team with The Kwee Wee.

[Psicofreak667]

As one of the very few people who actually liked Mongo McMichael, I hated how they recycled his theme for Hardcore Hak because I'd start to get happy that Mongo was back and no it's just boring old hak.

[The Legendary Ring Troll {BLM}]

Oct 15, 2022 23:22:04 GMT -5 jimmyjackezekiel said:

Oct 15, 2022 23:18:25 GMT -5 cjh said:

"Hak" is a nickname he's had since he was a kid.  Raven usually calls him that in interviews rather than Sandman.

I did not know that.

Even so, I can't help but think the name change was in some part a rib on the guy.

I remember an interview where he said he was told to come up with a new name the same night he debuted and that’s what he chose.

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

If anything it's more a play on Hogan. 'Hollywood Hulk' - 'Hardcore Hak'.

[thegatewaydrug]

Oct 15, 2022 23:22:04 GMT -5 jimmyjackezekiel said:

Oct 15, 2022 23:18:25 GMT -5 cjh said:

"Hak" is a nickname he's had since he was a kid.  Raven usually calls him that in interviews rather than Sandman.

I did not know that.

Even so, I can't help but think the name change was in some part a rib on the guy.

The rib may have been making him Raven's rich neighbor, Jim.

[XIII]

Oct 15, 2022 23:26:57 GMT -5 Squirrel Master said:

I remember being psyched to see Sandman in WCW and hoping he would form a tag team with The Kwee Wee.

That is random as hell…and likely would have been hilarious.

[Hypnosis]

Oct 16, 2022 7:00:11 GMT -5 XIII said:

Oct 15, 2022 23:26:57 GMT -5 Squirrel Master said:

I remember being psyched to see Sandman in WCW and hoping he would form a tag team with The Kwee Wee.

That is random as hell…and likely would have been hilarious.

Hey, a comedy tag team pairing worked for another deathmatch-style ECW wrestler:

[Big BosskMan]

And there's a Hak's (ahem) "gentleman's establishment" on route 13 north going into Wilmington,DE, that was rumored to ve affiliated with him.

It's become a nuisance property of sorts for local law enforcement.

[Deleted]

All I remember from his run is him facing Brian Knobbs and Bam Bam Bigelow like 674123 times. And every match was the same.

[thegame415]

A perfect example of something working for ECW, but not another company.

[salz4life]

Oct 15, 2022 23:35:38 GMT -5 Psicofreak667 said:

As one of the very few people who actually liked Mongo McMichael, I hated how they recycled his theme for Hardcore Hak because I'd start to get happy that Mongo was back and no it's just boring old hak.

Just here to say that I LOVED Mongo as well!

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

Oct 16, 2022 17:53:25 GMT -5 Big BosskMan said:

And there's a Hak's (ahem) "gentleman's establishment" on route 13 north going into Wilmington,DE, that was rumored to ve affiliated with him.

It's become a nuisance property of sorts for local law enforcement.

I thought it was weird when a stripper hit me with a kendo stick.

[chazraps]

I remember that they debuted him on a Nitro in Minneapolis - which never aired ECW on television anywhere in the state at that point. WCW, everybody.