6 memorable WWE moments from overseas broadcasts

#5 The British Bulldog becomes the first-ever European Champion

The British Bulldog was the first European Champion

Beginning in October of 1996, dissension began to sow its seeds in the tag team partnership of brothers-in-law Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith. The duo entered 1997 the WWF Tag Team Championships but spent as much time on television arguing and attempting to claim credit for the team's successes as they did wrestling.

The team seemed destined for a split, a storyline possibility exacerbated by a tournament held across several shows in Germany (but aired together as one edition of Monday Night RAW) to crown the first-ever World Wrestling Federation European Champion; the belt would be the first new men's heavyweight title introduced into the company since Pat Patterson's Intercontinental Championship "tournament win" in 1979.

Bulldog defeated both Mankind and Vader, whom he and Hart would face at WrestleMania 13 in a tag title defense, in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, respectively; The Slammy Award-winner, meanwhile, defeated future rival Hunter Hearst Helmsley in the opening round before claiming another win over his older brother, Bret, in the semis to advance to the championship round.

Hart and Smith put on what many considered for decades to be a lost classic; the Collections feature on the WWE Network helped the company shed new light on a match rarely seen or referenced since its airdate in February of 1997.

Condensing a series of European shows over multiple days into one broadcast would be impossible in 2018. In 1997, however, the lack of social media and Internet ubiquity worked in the Federation's favour, letting the company collect and air each tournament match at once without fear of spoilers leaking out.

Bulldog won, becoming the first (and, ultimately, longest-reigning) European Champion in WWF history; he and Owen would continue their seemingly-inevitable split (with a suggested babyface turn in the cards for Bulldog), a rift which would only be healed by The Hitman and the formation of the Hart Foundation later in the year.