On this page, you find the full Title History for the WWF European Championship, with all Championship Info, Statistics, the Belt Design changes through the years, and the full list of Title Reigns, along with dates, events, and reign durations.
The WWF European Championship was contested in World Wrestling Entertainment, by men wrestlers.
The championship was first established on February 26, 1997, and the inaugural champion was The British Bulldog.
Introduced in 1997, the European Championship crowned its first title holder in a tournament. In the finals, appropriately right in the heart of Europe, in Berlin, Germany, the British Bulldog prevailed over Owen Hart. The championship didn't make regular appearances in the United States, however, until after Shawn Michaels defeated the British Bulldog in Birmingham, England at One Night Only. After Michaels won the title, the European Championship began being defended on U.S. soil more often.
The European Championship was retired on April 4, 1999, after Shane McMahon defeated X-Pac, but it was then brought back and awarded to Mideon in June of that same year. The European Championship became a coveted title and was strapped around the waists of some of the top WWE Superstars including the likes of Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero. But after Rob Van Dam defeated European Champion Jeff Hardy to unify the Intercontinental and European Championships, the European Championship was once again deemed inactive.
The WWF European Championship was retired on July 22, 2002, when it was unified into the WWE Intercontinental Championship, with the final champion being Rob Van Dam.
WWF European Championship: Title History
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Promotions History
Promotion from to Promotion WWF February 26, 1997 July 22, 2002 -
Defended With
- WWF Intercontinental Championship - WWF Euro-Continental Championship ( February 27, 2000 - April 1, 2000)
- WWF Intercontinental Championship - WWF Euro-Continental Championship ( July 26, 1999 - August 23, 1999)
-
Championship Names & Belt Designs
-
- WWF European Championship October 18, 1998 July 22, 2002
- WWF European Championship February 26, 1997 October 17, 1998
For the Title History of the championship in which this title was unified into, see the page for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
WWF European Championship: Title Reigns
-
N. Image Champion Reign Unified into the WWE Intercontinental Championship
- July 22, 2002
- Grand Rapids, MI
- | Raw
- 8178+ days
After Rob Van Dam unified the title into the Intercontinental Title defeating Jeff Hardy, the European Title was retired.37 Rob Van Dam 1
- July 22, 2002
- Grand Rapids, MI
- | Raw
- 0 days
Rob Van Dam unified the title into the Intercontinental Title defeating Jeff Hardy in a unification ladder match. While this reign is not listed in the WWE.com Title History, Rob Van Dam is listed as former European Champion on his WWE.com profile.0- days
36 Jeff Hardy 1
- July 8, 2002
- Philadelphia, PA
- | Raw
- 14 days
14- days
35 William Regal 4
- May 6, 2002
- Hartford, CT
- | Raw
- 63 days
63- days
34 Spike Dudley 1
- April 8, 2002
- Phoenix, AZ
- | Raw
- 28 days
The title was renamed WWE European Championship on May 5, 2002.28- days
33 William Regal 3
- March 21, 2002
- Ottawa, ON
- | SmackDown!
- 18 days
The title became exclusive to Raw when Regal was drafted to the Raw brand on March 26, 2002.18- days
32 Diamond Dallas Page 1
- January 31, 2002
- Norfolk, VA
- | SmackDown!
- 49 days
49- days
31 Christian 1
- November 1, 2001
- Cincinnati, OH
- | SmackDown!
- 91 days
91- days
30 Bradshaw 1
- October 22, 2001
- Kansas City, MO
- | Raw Is War
- 10 days
10- days
29 The Hurricane 1
- August 27, 2001
- Grand Rapids, MI
- | Raw Is War
- 56 days
56- days
28 Matt Hardy 1
- April 26, 2001
- Denver, CO
- | SmackDown!
- 123 days
123- days
27 Eddie Guerrero 2
- April 1, 2001
- Houston, TX
- | WWF WrestleMania X-Seven
- 25 days
25- days
26 Test 1
- January 22, 2001
- Lafayette, LA
- | Raw Is War
- 69 days
69- days
25 William Regal 2
- December 4, 2000
- East Rutherford, NJ
- | Raw Is War
- 49 days
49- days
24 Crash Holly 1
- December 2, 2000
- Sheffield, England
- | WWF Rebellion 2000
- 2 days
2- days
23 William Regal 1
- October 16, 2000
- Detroit, MI
- | Raw Is War
- 47 days
47- days
22 Al Snow 1
- August 31, 2000
- Fayetteville, NC
- | SmackDown!
- 46 days
46- days
21 Perry Saturn 1
- July 23, 2000
- Dallas, TX
- | WWF Fully Loaded 2000
- 39 days
39- days
20 Eddie Guerrero 1
- April 3, 2000
- Los Angeles, CA
- | Raw Is War
- 111 days
111- days
19 Chris Jericho 1
- April 2, 2000
- Anaheim, CA
- | WWF WrestleMania 2000
- 1 day
1- day
18 Kurt Angle 1
- February 10, 2000
- Austin, TX
- | SmackDown!
- 52 days
52- days
17 Val Venis 1
- December 12, 1999
- Sunrise, FL
- | WWF Armageddon 1999
- 60 days
60- days
16 The British Bulldog 2
- October 28, 1999
- Springfield, MA
- | SmackDown!
- 45 days
45- days
15 D'Lo Brown 4
- September 26, 1999
- Charlotte, NC
- | WWF Unforgiven 1999
- 32 days
32- days
14 Mark Henry 1
- August 23, 1999
- Ames, IA
- | Raw Is War
- 34 days
Jeff Jarrett gave the title to Henry as a gift for his assisting Jarrett in defeating D'Lo Brown at SummerSlam (Jarrett also won the Intercontinental Title).34- days
13 Jeff Jarrett 1
- August 22, 1999
- Minneapolis, MN
- | WWF SummerSlam 1999
- 1 day
1- day
12 D'Lo Brown 3
- July 25, 1999
- Buffalo, NY
- | WWF Fully Loaded 1999
- 28 days
28- days
11 Mideon 1
- June 21, 1999
- Memphis, TN
- | Raw Is War
- 34 days
Shane McMahon awarded Mideon the title after he found it in McMahon's travel bag.34- days
Deactivated
- April 4, 1999
- Uniondale, NY
- | Heat
- 78 days
Shane McMahon "retired as champion".10 Shane McMahon 1
- February 15, 1999
- Birmingham, AL
- | Raw Is War
- 48 days
48- days
9 X-Pac 2
- October 18, 1998
- Rosemont, IL
- | WWF Judgment Day 1998: In Your House
- 120 days
120- days
8 D'Lo Brown 2
- October 5, 1998
- East Lansing, MI
- | Raw Is War
- 13 days
13- days
7 X-Pac 1
- September 21, 1998
- Sacramento, CA
- | Raw Is War
- 14 days
14- days
6 D'Lo Brown 1
- July 20, 1998
- Binghamton, NY
- | Raw Is War
- 63 days
63- days
5 Triple H 2
- March 16, 1998
- Phoenix, AZ
- | Raw Is War
- 126 days
Defeated an injured Owen Hart in an impromptu match originally scheduled for WrestleMania XIV.126- days
4 Owen Hart 1
- January 22, 1998
- Davis, CA
- | Raw Is War
- 53 days
Defeated The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust / Dustin Rhodes, who was dressed as Triple H; however, Commissioner Slaughter awards the title to Hart considering Goldust / Dustin Rhodes as a substitution for Triple H.53- days
3 Triple H 1
- December 22, 1997
- Lowell, MA
- | Raw Is War
- 31 days
Michaels was ordered to defend the title against Triple H by WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter, and he intentionally lost the match, because he also held the WWF World Heavyweight Title.31- days
2 Shawn Michaels 1
- September 20, 1997
- Birmingham, England
- | WWF One Night Only
- 93 days
93- days
1 The British Bulldog 1
- March 3, 1997
- Berlin, Germany
- | Raw Is War
- 201 days
Defeated Owen Hart in a tournament final to become the first champion.201- days
WWF European Championship: Statistics
- Promotion World Wrestling Entertainment
- Gender Male
- Title Type Tertiary Title
- Date Established February 26, 1997
- Date Retired July 22, 2002
- Unified Into WWE Intercontinental Championship
- First ChampionThe British Bulldog
- Final ChampionRob Van Dam
Most Number of Reigns
Rank | Wrestler | Reigns |
---|---|---|
William Regal | 4 | |
D'Lo Brown | 4 | |
The British Bulldog | 2 | |
Triple H | 2 | |
Eddie Guerrero | 2 | |
6 | X-Pac | 2 |
Most Combined Days
Rank | Wrestler | Days |
---|---|---|
The British Bulldog | 246 | |
William Regal | 177 | |
Triple H | 157 | |
Eddie Guerrero | 136 | |
D'Lo Brown | 136 |
Longest Reigns
Rank | Wrestler | Reign | Days |
---|---|---|---|
The British Bulldog | March 3, 1997 - September 20, 1997 | 201 | |
Triple H | March 16, 1998 - July 20, 1998 | 126 | |
Matt Hardy | April 26, 2001 - August 27, 2001 | 123 | |
X-Pac | October 18, 1998 - February 15, 1999 | 120 | |
Eddie Guerrero | April 3, 2000 - July 23, 2000 | 111 |