Ranking WWE's Most Memorable Moments Outside of the US Ahead of Super Show-Down
Usually, when something narratively consequential happens in WWE, it happens in the United States. There are lots of practical reasons for this: WWE is an American company, its audience has its highest concentration in the U.S. and the time zones make it easy to schedule on Raw, SmackDown or pay-per-view.
In rare instances, story-altering events occur abroad. Sometimes, it's to garner a specific crowd reaction, especially for a hometown hero. Other times, it's to switch a title without turning it into a full-blown storyline. And occasionally, it's a matter of convenience and timing. If a contract runs out or a performer gets injured, WWE could decide to shift gears rather than complicate its losses.
As we get ready for the Super Show-Down in Melbourne in October 6, here are the most prominent times WWE has booked a major story twist outside America's borders. Two of them are from the past three years, and no doubt there will be more in the coming years as WWE seeks to expand globally.
An important note: The Montreal Screwjob is not on this list. It's been talked about to death, and Canada has been the site of many notable WWE moments. This slideshow is for the rarer instances, when the company traveled overseas and put on a show halfway around the world.
Buddy Rogers Inaugurates the WWE Championship in Rio De Janeiro
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The first man to win the WWE Championship was Buddy Rogers, who won it in 1963 during a tournament in Rio de Janeiro. There's one problem, however: There was never a tournament.
In the pre-internet days, it was far easier to get away with this kind of thing; the location ensured American fans could not readily determine the tournament's veracity.
Nowadays, the results would be recorded and posted on Twitter moments after occurring and before any official statement could be released.
The British Bulldog Becomes the Inaugural European Champion in Berlin
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When WWE unveiled the European Championship in 1997, there was one Superstar on the roster who deserved to hold it more than anyone else. A company loyalist and a Stu Hart-approved Dungeon graduate, the British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith, was one of the most popular stars in the company.
In a multi-day tournament to determine the inaugural European Championship, Smith defeated Owen Hart in Berlin. He held the title for 206 days before dropping it to Shawn Michaels at One Night Only later that year.
Finn Balor Becomes NXT Champion in Tokyo
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Finn Balor made his bones in Japan before signing with WWE in 2014. And when it came time for him to beat Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship, WWE made sure he did so in the country, during WWE's Beast in the East pay-per-view.
One of the best things about this match were its entrances. When Balor got in the ring, the crowd showered him with colored streamers—a Japanese custom that highlighted how much the audience loved him.
Owens, for his part, played the villain to the hilt and threw his ceremonial bouquet out of the ring.
Vader Wins the WCW Championship in Dublin
4 of 6This title change took place in Dublin during WCW's European tour in 1993; there's a fan recording of the show but little else.
Vader was an agile big man who had won the title twice before but only for transitionary stints. This third and final time, he held the WCW Championship for 285 days before being defeated by Ric Flair.
Vader would later go to WWE, where Vince McMahon wasted his talent in a meaningless feud with Shawn Michaels.
AJ Styles Wins the WWE Championship in Manchester
5 of 6This was a shocking title switch, especially because WWE's trip to India was coming up; why not let Jinder Mahal walk into his billed homeland as champion? But no matter.
Mahal instead dropped the title to AJ Styles in Manchester, England, during a SmackDown taping in November 2017. And The Phenomenal One is still the champion.
Every now and then, WWE allows a title to change hands on a house show or a weekly taping, if only to keep things unpredictable and create incentive for fans to purchase tickets for live events. But to also do so overseas is unprecedented.
The British Bulldog Wins the Intercontinental Title in London
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It's important to remember Bret Hart almost never lost to anyone cleanly as a matter of principle; he was protective of his image as a Canadian hero who was the best at what he did.
But at London's Wembley Stadium in 1992, in the main event of that year's SummerSlam PPV, he lost cleanly to brother-in-law The British Bulldog in front of 80,000 people.
Hart considers this his greatest match, not only because of its execution and the crowd reaction but also because he carried Smith for the contest.
Hart claims Smith had been partying the entire weekend, forgot everything he was supposed to do and became winded early. The Bulldog held the title for 59 days before dropping it to Shawn Michaels.
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