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WWE superstars only get one debut performance. It is their first opportunity to make a great impression on the WWE Universe and their boss, Vince McMahon. Over the years, there's been some good, some bad, and some ugly first-time performances inside the squared circle.
Dozens of WWE superstars make their debuts every year. However, every so often there's a WWE debut match that simply blows away everyone's expectations. A first-time performance that sets the superstar on a course toward global stardom.
Here are five of the most standout, unforgettable WWE debut performances.
#5 Pat McAfee
WWE history is littered with former sports stars who think that they can turn up and compete with experienced professional wrestling superstars. Many end up humbled and never set foot in a WWE ring again.
Ex-NFL Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee is not one of them. His WWE NXT debut match performance was simply unbelievable. It all started when the controversial sports talk host interviewed NXT superstar Adam Cole on his show, where McAfee taunted Cole about his career. McAfee then shocked the wrestling world by showing up at a WWE NXT show where he punted Cole to set up their in-ring clash.
At NXT Takeover XXX, McAfee put on one of the greatest WWE debut performances ever seen. He showcased his athleticism by leaping and flipping off of the top rope onto the Undisputed Era. The rookie wrestler pushed the former NXT Champion to the limit, landing his signature punt before eventually succumbing to Adam Cole's Panama Sunrise.
WWE superstars took to Twitter after the match to show their appreciation for Pat McAfee's incredible debut performance at NXT Takeover XXX.
#4 AJ Styles
At the 2016 Royal Rumble, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns stood alone in the ring waiting on the next entrant to enter the Rumble.
The countdown buzzer went off and the number three Royal Rumble contestant appeared. It turned out to be AJ Styles finally making his WWE pay-per-view debut. The sell-out crowd went wild.
After briefly wresting some tryout matches for the WWE in 2002, Styles went on to become a favorite among wrestling fans elsewhere. "The Phenomenal One" became a main event star in TNA, having memorable feuds with Kurt Angle and Christopher Daniels. He then continued his career overseas in NJPW where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship twice and became the leader of the infamous Bullet Club.
As the third entrant to the 2016 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles lasted over 30 minutes, eliminating multiple superstars until he was eventually thrown over the top rope by Kevin Owens. Styes used this time in the ring at the Rumble to show the WWE Universe that his reputation as one of the greatest professional wrestlers in the world was well-deserved.
#3 John Cena
"Ruthless Aggression" - two words that would forever change the future path of the WWE. On June 27, 2002 during Smackdown, Kurt Angle would issue an open challenge to the WWE locker room. Who would answer? None other than a determined 25 year old named John Cena.
A Ruthless, Aggressive WWE Debut Performance
Kurt Angle would ask Cena what was the one quality he possessed that made him think he could take on the best wrestler in the business? Cena screamed his answer, "Ruthless Aggression!" Cena then slapped Angle and their match began.
The WWE rookie superstar showed off an impressive power-based move set and nearly pinned Angle on multiple occasions. After a back and forth bout, Angle was eventually able to roll John Cena up to earn a hard-fought victory.
Even though Angle defeated Cena on this night, the WWE Universe recognized the potential of this new superstar. It was the ideal launching pad to one of the greatest WWE careers of all-time.
#2 Ronda Rousey
When former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey announced she had signed with WWE, many fans' expectations were high. And Rousey's WWE debut performance at WrestleMania 34 did not disappoint.
After having an in-ring altercation with both Triple H and Stephanie MacMahon while signing her WWE contract, it was announced that she would team with Kurt Angle to face The Authority in a mixed tag team match at WrestleMania 34.
Honoring the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper by wearing a kilt, "Rowdy" t-shirt, and Piper's own leather jacket to the ring, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey made an unforgettable entrance. She successfully teamed with the former Olympic champion and showed off an impressive range of wrestling holds and moves. Rousey even battered "The Game" with punches, a hurricanrana and put him in her famous armbar. Rousey and Angle eventually got the win when Stephanie tapped out to her armbar.
Ronda Rousey would go on to become the RAW Women's Champion after dominating Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam 2018.
#1 The Undertaker
The fourth annual Survivor Series was held on November 22nd, 1990 (Thanksgiving Day). This event and date saw the beginning of a 30 year WWE career for none other than The Undertaker.
Before making his way to WWE, Mark Calaway started his professional wrestling career in 1987 by wrestling for the famous Texas promotion World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). Calaway then made his way to WCW in 1989 where he briefly wrestled as "Mean" Mark Callous.
"The Phenom" made his WWE debut as the mystery partner for the Survivor Series team led by "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. Announced from Death Valley while a creepy organ based theme song played in the arena, The Undertaker had the WWE Universe stunned by his sheer size and freakish looks.
Undertaker quickly showed his in-ring ability by executing his finisher, the Tombstone Piledriver, on Koko B. Ware. It appeared that he didn't feel pain and The Undertaker went on to eliminate "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes before being counted out and eliminated.
30 years later, The Undertaker's WWE debut still gives fans goosebumps. Which WWE superstars debuts do you remember? Let us know in the comments below.
