#6 Shawn Michaels
1997 was a big year for Shawn Michaels when he became both European and Heavyweight Champion, in a very unique set ofas circumstances. The Heartbreak Kid won the European Championship from The British Bulldog back at One Night Only 1997. HBK got his D-Generation X stablemates, Chyna, Rick Rude, and Triple H involved, with the trio attacking his enemy at ringside.
To the surprise of fans, Michaels emerged the victor of this match. The clash had taken place in The British Bulldog's home country, and the win of HBK confirmed the villainy of him and DX. The crowd was furious with the result, and Michaels was booed out of the arena.
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Following this, DX became embroiled in a bitter feud with the Hart Foundation. This came to a head at Survivor Series that year, where the infamous Montreal Screwjob incident happened, resulting in Bret Hart leaving the company on bad terms, and wrestlers even threatening to boycott Monday Night RAW.
In December of that year, HBK was ordered to defend his European Championship against Triple H. Michaels intentionally lost, passing the title on to his friend.