10 Times Wrestlers Abused Their Power On TV

8. D-Generation X Mock The European Title

DX Euro
WWE

The European Title was something those lamewad Harts cared about, so Triple H and Shawn Michaels made a mockery out of it.

The DX lads held significant influence over Vince McMahon in 1997. Triple H even convinced him to screw Bret Hart in Montreal. Shawn Michaels meanwhile had terrorised the locker room in a crusade of self-loathing self-preservation that Vince enabled. At the earliest onset of WWE's pushing of the "creative envelope so to speak," Shawn and Trips "entertained the fans in a more extemporaneous fashion" by parodying wrestling to transition the European Title from one man to the other.

They stalled, stretched on the ropes, sought out Chyna for counsel, and then Michaels laid down as HHH ran the ropes exaggeratedly and stumbled before the "match-winning" splash. It really wasn't that offensive - virtually every title was about to reach a level of inflation, anyway - and it established a new, much-needed storytelling tone.

But given how that switch was meant to play out - around the waist of a redeemed Davey Boy Smith - renders it more despicable than some earnest kayfabe pearl-clutching. It told something far more important than a dead old code to f*ck off.

They were even worse in 2006...

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Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!