Diana Hart Alleges Vince McMahon Created WWE European Title to Keep British Bulldog from WCW

Diana Hart has revealed that Vince McMahon created the WWE European Championship specifically around Davey Boy Smith, known as the British Bulldog, as a strategic move to prevent him from defecting to WCW.

During an appearance on Episode 213 of the podcast Developmentally Speaking, Hart discussed the contract negotiations and McMahon’s creative decisions regarding Smith.

According to Hart, McMahon personally told Smith that the company intended to build a new championship around him.

“Vince said, ‘I want to build a belt around you, the European Championship belt.’”

Historical records confirm that the European Championship was officially introduced by the World Wrestling Federation in 1997. The British Bulldog went on to win the inaugural title, defeating Owen Hart in the tournament final held in Berlin, Germany.

Hart asserts that the creation of the title was primarily a business incentive designed to keep Smith with the company during a period when WCW was actively pursuing established talent.

“Vince made the European title for Davey as an incentive to get him to stay with the company and not go to WCW.”

While WWE’s official history acknowledges Bulldog as the first European Champion, it does not detail the specific contract motivations described by Hart. Her account remains a retrospective perspective on the business and creative strategies employed by McMahon during the Monday Night Wars era.

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