8 WWE Champions Who Revived A Dying Title

8. William Regal - European Championship

The European Championship got off to a spectacular start in 1997, originally won by The British Bulldog after a stunning tournament final with Owen Hart in Germany. Its European flavour, both in champion and destination, made for an authentic introduction and furnished it with credibility from the very get-go.

Advertisement

Bulldog also lost the gold in prominent fashion to Shawn Michaels, in the main event of One Night Only from Birmingham, England. Michaels would even bring the gold with him for the first ever Hell in a Cell bout and the infamous WWF Championship match at Survivor Series '97.

Despite the stellar beginnings, the title would fall from grace dramatically in the years that followed, finding its way around the waists of Shane McMahon, Mideon and Mark Henry. While a number of great workers attempted to revive the title - including memorable runs from Kurt Angle and Eddie Guerrero - one man stood out above the rest.

William Regal won the European Championship from Al Snow in October 2000 and held it for 96 days (with a two day gap in the middle thanks to Crash Holly). As a patriotic Englishman, Regal was the perfect European Champ and took great pride in holding the title.

Restoring the title to it's European roots, Regal became synonymous with the title in its later years.

Advertisement