10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Raw From 1997
9. 1997 Featured A Landmark First
Before that, there was another landmark moment.
On 17 February, a mere 24 hours after the In Your House 13: Final Four pay-per-view, Sycho Sid (of all people) became the first man to win the WWF Title on Raw. His win over Bret Hart felt huge at the time, not least because most had expected Hart to headline that year's WrestleMania as either champ or challenger.
Of course, Shawn Michaels "losing his smile" earlier in the month necessitated Bret's win at In Your House. Then, apparently seeking a way to double up on attractions for 'Mania 13, McMahon decided to put the belt on Sid, program him against The Undertaker and pivot Hart back towards Steve Austin.
The amazing thing here is the title change itself. It took five years for Raw to book a World Title switch - meanwhile, over on Nitro, it had only taken WCW a few months. They had Randy Savage beat Ric Flair on the 22 January 1996 episode.