5 WWE Superstars who had impactful rookie years

It is not an easy task to adjust to a new workplace especially when the said workplace is as chaotic as the WWE. Every year, a plethora of superstars arrive in the WWE. Some of them go on to achieve great success in their very first year with the company, while others are sidelined due to different reasons.

Over the years, there have been numerous superstars who have had the most profound impact in their rookie year and then went on to become the rookie of the year. This list includes all the members of Shield in their very first year with the WWE.

While a superstar like Rusev had a great rookie year, we have not included him on the list as his initial push has fizzled out greatly over the years.

So without further ado here are 5 WWE Superstars who've had the best rookie year.

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#5 Ronda Rousey

'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey

Let's get the obvious one out of the way. Ronda Rousey debuted in the Company at this year's Royal Rumble after weeks of speculation.

While The Baddest Woman On The Planet was excepted to be the final entrant in the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble match, she instead came out at the end of the match to basically point at the WrestleMania sign, announcing her arrival on the WWE stage.

Since then, Rousey has exceeded expectations as far as her in-ring abilities are concerned. Her debut match garnered unanimous praise from fans and critics alike.

The match was adjudged the match of the night ahead of the brilliant triple threat match for the IC title and the breathtakingly superb match between Charlotte Flair and Asuka for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

She has had only one pay per view match after that against Nia Jax at Money in The Bank for the Raw Women's Championship where her performance was praised. The reports from the Live Event circuit indicate that Rousey has taken to professional wrestling like fish to water, and she is undoubtedly the most popular female performer in the company right now.

With Rousey slated to take on Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam for the Raw Women's Championship, the rowdy one is excepted to cap off what has been the best rookie year in recent times by winning the Raw Women's championship in Brooklyn.

#4 Asuka

The Empress of Tomorrow

After signing with the WWE, the Japanese superstar formerly known as Kana went on to have one of the best runs in the company's history. During this time, she garnered the longest undefeated streak in the history of the company.

She would then go on to win the NXT Women's Championship from Bayley at NXT Takeover: Dallas, a mere 6 months after debuting on the brand, and would have a title reign of 510 days, the longest in modern WWE history. She would remain undefeated in NXT.

Her undefeated streak of 914 days where she eclipsed Goldberg's legendary undefeated streak came to a screeching halt at WrestleMania 34 when the Empress tapped out to Charlotte Flair and failed to capture the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Since then, the creative team hasn't been kind to Asuka as she has lost two consecutive pay per view matches to an inferior performer like Carmella.

#3 The Shield

The Hounds of Justice

In November of 2012, WWE's three brightest blue chip prospects were put together to form a trio which would dominate the WWE for the next 2 Years.

The Shield debuted at Survivor Series 2012 by interfering in the WWE Championship Match between CM Punk, Ryback and John Cena by attacking Ryback, thereby helping Punk retain his championship.

The trio would then go on to have an undefeated streak in three-man matches until May 2016. During this time, all the members of The Shield would win championships with Dean Ambrose Winning the United States Championship from Kofi Kingston and Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins defeating Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) for the Tag team championship.

After the group's breakup, all three members of The Shield would win the World Heavyweight Championship on multiple occasions. Reigns and Rollin have become the cornerstone of the company, while Ambrose is excepted to return with a bang in the coming months.

#2 AJ Styles

The 'Phenomenal' AJ Styles

A 20 year veteran of the business, AJ Styles is considered by many the greatest performer of this generation.

An Indy darling, Styles won championships all year round before stepping into a WWE ring at the 2016 Royal Rumble, in a move that shocked millions around the world.

Styles has since won the WWE Championship once and the United States Championship twice, and has main evented multiple pay-per-views. This was unfathomable even five years ago when Styles had not performed in a WWE ring.

The fact he is currently a mainstay in the company speak volumes of the kind of impact the Georgia native has had ever since his arrival in the company about two and a half years ago.

Styles has been a revelation in the WWE, and is one of the best performers currently in the company. His accomplishments within his first year in the company was truly phenomenal.

#1 Brock Lesnar

The Beast Incarnate

In the year 2000, Brock Lesnar signed what was at that time the most lucrative developmental contract. Lesnar would run through his competition at Ohio Valley Wrestling and debut on the main roster on the March 18 2002 episode of Raw.

5 months later, Lesnar not only won the 2002 King of the Ring tournament, he also defeated legends like Hulk Hogan and The Rock during this period and became the youngest WWE Champion in history at the age of 25. In addition to this, he also won the 2003 Royal Rumble match.

I cannot think of another superstar who enjoyed the kind of success Lesnar did in his rookie year with the WWE. It was inevitable that Lesnar would go on to become one of the biggest draws in not only professional wrestling, but also in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.