10 Most Essential WWE European Title Matches

10. British Bulldog vs. Owen Hart (WWE Raw 1997)

When delving into the rich history of the WWF European Championship, there’s no better place to start than where it all began on European soil in Germany.

The culmination of a week-long tournament, the final match in the series would come down to two men who were very familiar with each other both inside the ring and out. Reigning WWF Tag Team Champions, Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith, would find themselves in opposite corners on this night, as the close-knit family members would collide to crown the inaugural WWF European Champion – the first new WWF championship in 20 years.

Fending off competition from high-profile competitors the likes of Mankind, Vader, The Rock, Triple H and even older Hart brother, Bret; the collision between Owen and Davey was an organic story that told itself. Two men bound by family ties and driven by friendship would wage war in the spirit of competition and the pursuit of gold. No gimmicks needed; just pure pro wrestling storytelling at its most basic.

Unusually for the WWF, the match took place in Berlin on a rare an edition of Monday Night Raw emanating from outside of North America; which added immediate legitimacy to the newly created European Title. The show itself was also a stacked card – that also featured match-ups like Bret Hart vs Triple H, Vader vs The Rock for the IC Title and Sid vs Mankind for the WWF Championship – so the pressure was on for show-closers, Owen and Davey, to step up when they climbed into the ring for the main event. They did NOT disappoint.

A throwback to the tech-based grappling of the old World of Sport days, the match is a great pure wrestling contest with 18 minutes of technical mastery. A must-see match in anyone’s book, it’s an awesome reminder of what two skilled performers can achieve when given the time and freedom to create without being hindered by gimmicks and distractions.

Despite Owen defiantly kicking out of Bulldog’s famous Running Powerslam finisher (executed via a beautiful reversal of the Tombstone Piledriver), Davey Boy would eventually pick up the victory with a classic reversal of the Victory Roll – a fittingly technical finish to technically sound match. Bulldog would go on to become the longest reigning European Champion in WWF history; holding the gold for a record-setting 206 days before relinquishing the belt to Shawn Michaels on home soil later that year.