10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Raw From 1997

9. 1997 Featured A Landmark First

Sycho Sid Bret Hart
WWE.com

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.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.