Levy returned to the WWF, as Raven, in 2000 at Unforgiven when he interfered in the Strap match between Tazz and Jerry Lawler, by hitting Lawler with a DDT. His previous run in the WWF as Johnny Polo was ignored by the company. He then started teaming with Tazz before they went their separate ways. He then moved on to the Hardcore division, where he would often bring out a shopping cart full of trash cans and other potential weapons during his entrances. On December 22, 2000 in Chattanooga, he defeated Steve Blackman for the Hardcore Championship, his first of a record 27 title reigns, though most of Raven's title reigns were short-lived. The Hardcore title at the time was contested under the "24/7" defense rule, leading to segments where one wrestler would win the title only to immediately lose it to another wrestler. At WrestleMania X-Seven, he competed in his only WrestleMania match, losing the Hardcore Championship to Kane in a triple threat match that also included Big Show. At Backlash, he lost to Hardcore Champion Rhyno in a hardcore match. A brief angle had an anonymous Black Ninja, who was later revealed to be his old valet from his Pacific Northwest days, Tori, aiding Raven in retaining the Hardcore Championship.