Final holders of now defunct WWE titles

#1. European Championship - Rob Van Dam

If ever there was a fitting way for the European title to disappear, this RVD vs Jeff Hardy match was it

The European title was created in 1997 over a series of matches held across house shows in Europe. The British Bulldog was the first champion, beating Owen Hart for the belt. The title was created to appeal to the European fans of the WWE, especially considering the lucrative tours that the company had to the UK.

The title was part of a number of classic moments during the first year of its inception, with the British Bulldog defeating Bret Hart in a classic match at London's Wembley stadium. Similarly, the British fans booed the roof off the building at the 'One Night Only' show in Birmingham when heel Shawn Michaels cheated to beat Bulldog for the title.

The title suffered a dip in prominence when Michaels laid down for Triple H in a title match in December 1997 and fans weren't pleased when Shane McMahon won the championship in a tag team match and later retired the championship in 1999.

It was later reactivated after four months and handed to Mideon. William Regal would soon make the title his own with multiple reigns, defending or challenging for the title in UK and Europe during multiple WWE tours. However, the influx of WCW titles to the WWE during the Invasion angle necessitated the demise of the European title.

European champion Jeff Hardy took on Intercontinental champion Rob Van Dam in a unification ladder match on a July 22 2002 episode of Raw. Van Dam came out on top, signalling the end of the European title after a fantastic match.