Licuria, Robert (June 15, 2001). "7th Annual RATTY Awards Nominations". For the very first time, the Hardcore Championship was contested in a ladder match in 2001 at SummerSlam the place Rob Van Dam defeated Jeff Hardy. At the commence of the Attitude Era, next Shawn Michaels' critical back again personal injury and subsequent retirement from wrestling in 1998, Triple H assumed leadership of D-Generation X.