10 Most Essential WWE European Title Matches
7. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H (Raw 1997)
An anomaly on this list of essential matches, the Shawn Michaels/Triple H encounter for the European Championship in late ’97 is a must-see European Championship moment for all the wrong reasons.
When Commissioner Slaughter ordered Shawn Michaels to defend his European Championship against fellow DX compatriot, Triple H, in the winter of 1997, fans were more than a little curious as to how the ensuing title match would pan out. Despite the intrigue, few could have predicted the irreversible consequences of what would follow.
Footage of Triple H and Michaels arguing backstage accompanied interviews with both men throughout the night, alluding to dissension in the ranks and apparent trouble brewing in D-Generation X. Sadly for the viewing public, friendly fire between HBK and Trips was not to be and motor-mouthed colour commentator, James E. Cornette, put it best when he accurately labelled it “a ruse, a ploy, a plot, a plan, a charade, a conspiracy, a sham!” Oh how right you were, Jimmy. How right you were.
Instead, we were treated to a farcical “match” that consisted of Triple H comically running the ropes several times, before eventually hitting the defending champion with an over-exaggerated Standing Splash for the three count. While it theoretically made sense from a storyline point of view and served as a means of getting the belt off Michaels while also gaining heat, the whole concept robbed the fans of a valid title change and ultimately devalued the championship into the realms of a joke.
If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s probably because it is. Despite WWE routinely referencing WCW’s much maligned “Fingerpoke of Doom” as a key moment in the company’s demise and an almighty blow to both the nWo angle and the integrity of their championship, the WWE often neglect to mention that they had done the exact same thing with their own top faction over a year earlier. For lack of a better term, the switch effectively s**t all over the belt and wiped clean any credibility it had ever had. What’s more, it didn’t help Michaels’ cause as a heat-seeking missile backstage and only intensified the allegations that he resented doing jobs and was only looking out for his friends.
Having Michaels drop the strap to someone like Owen Hart (which would have made a world of sense at the time) would have instantly catapulted the new champ into the main event stratosphere. Instead, the debacle that ensued served to totally discredit the European Championship and relegated the title from main event commodity to mid-card accessory – a demotion it would never fully recover from.
Nevertheless, the bout is a pivotal part of European Championship history and essential viewing for WWE history buffs…even if you do have to watch through face-palmed fingers.