Listing of professional wrestling champions for the European Championship
The WWE European Championship is a former professional wrestlingtitle competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The title was created on February 26, 1997.[1] The first champion was The British Bulldog who defeated Owen Hart in a tournament final.[2] The title was retired briefly in April 1999 by then-champion Shane McMahon, who wanted to retire as an "undefeated champion". McMahon reintroduced the championship two months later and gave it to Mideon, who saw the title belt in Shane's travel bag and asked if he could have it.[3][4] The title was finally retired on July 22, 2002, when WWE Intercontinental ChampionRob Van Dam defeated European Champion Jeff Hardy to unify the European title into the Intercontinental title.[5] Throughout the five year, four month, and 26 day history of the title, there were 27 recognized champions and 37 distinct championship reigns. This is a chronological list of wrestlers that have been WWE European Champion by ring name.
Michaels was ordered to defend the title against Helmsley by WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter. Michaels intentionally lost the match, because he also held the WWF World Heavyweight Championship having won that title on November 9, 1997. Aired December 22. WWE recognizes Triple H's reign as beginning on December 22, when the episode aired on tape delay.
Defeated The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust, who was dressed as Triple H. Commissioner Slaughter awards the title to Hart considering Goldust as a substitution for Triple H. WWE recognizes Hart's reign as beginning on January 22, when the episode aired on tape delay.
Defeated X-Pac in a tag team match with Shane McMahon and Kane vs. Triple H and X-Pac. WWE recognizes McMahon's reign as ending on April 4, when the episode aired on tape delay.
WWE recognizes Regal's reign as beginning on March 21, when the episode aired on tape delay. The championship became exclusive to Raw when Regal was drafted to the Raw brand on March 26, 2002.
This was a unification match for Van Dam's WWE Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match. The reign is not recognized in WWE's official European Champion listings, but his wwe.com profile and the official WWE encyclopedia list him as European Champion.
^Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 18, 1998). "WWF In Your House 25: Judgment Day". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
^Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 15, 1999). "WWF RAW is WAR #299". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved November 27, 2020.