Best Debut

gimmick

For whatever company, what was the greatest debut made in any company in professional wrestling? Base your answer around whether you felt it had the biggest impact, or indeed for excitement factor surrounding it.

For me, it was most certainly Chris Jerichos debut in 1999 for the WWF. For weeks there was the Countdown To The Millenium popping up on TV every so often. For those of us who hadnt really discovered the interweb, or wrestling gossip sites, we hadnt a notion what was going on. When the clock interrupted The Rock, and that pyro went off, it was something special, and the crowds pop was fantastic. Jericho, an underused talent in WCW, had arrived.

It was immediately clear that this guy was going places, as WWF, IMO, never had such a debut which had people talking for so long. I cant remember another debut which was so exciting.

DoctorEdgeWild

Brock Lesnar's debut in WWF was excellent because he wasn't announced so heavily, just stormed the ring and destroyed anything standing. Hogan in wCw was exciting as well but not as out of the blue as Brock.

Also, Jody Fleisch's comeback appearance in IwW at the first Supershow was awesome - most emotional standing ovation I'd ever seen. Even though it wasn't his debut, it was awesome that he came out of retirement in Ireland.

RavenX

I'd go with kane, ripping the door of HIAC and then levelling 'taker. Legend

I'd also go for Jericho's.

RavenX

Not to forget Mantaur

merlinsmerryman

Jericho's for me too. Anybody like Goldberg's in WWE? Headed strait to ring and speared The Rock.

Mr.Nice Guy

I'll have to go for Jericho's debut as well although I thought The Rock got the better of him straight after his entrance.

RavenX

the one flaw of goldbergs was, he spoke!! In his big goofy accent, 'So rock, you want to know who's next eh? You're next' good old body breaking spear would have sufficed

moongoose

really thought jericho's was good but the one i always think back to is tazz at the rumble choking out kurt angle

Fozzy

DoctorEdgeWild wrote:

Also, Jody Fleisch's comeback appearance in IwW at the first Supershow was awesome - most emotional standing ovation I'd ever seen. Even though it wasn't his debut, it was awesome that he came out of retirement in Ireland.

He actually came out of retirement the night before for the Wrestling Channel Supershow. Still a great night though, I'd heard rumours, but I still wasn't sure whether to believe them or not. Great moment when he came out, I was front row! Although half the crowd seemed to be chanting for "Joey"..

Some "debuts" I really marked out for were nWo's entrance to WWE, and Taker's return at Judgment Day 2000 (although that's not a debut at all..). Goldberg's debut in WWE too, I knew he was a **** wrestler, but I always thought he had a great presence

Flair's and Bischoff's debuts in WWE were great cos they were just so shocking

But the debut that had the most impact on me was Tazz's in WWE. I was really psyched up for that ppv, and I'd been hearing rumours about this Tazz fella, doin all his mad suplexes. I'd seen bits of ECW before then, but never Tazz, so I was expecting something big. And it was deadly when it happened! I loved it

gm1984

This post has been deleted.

DoctorEdgeWild

Fozzy wrote:

He actually came out of retirement the night before for the Wrestling Channel Supershow. Still a great night though, I'd heard rumours, but I still wasn't sure whether to believe them or not. Great moment when he came out, I was front row! Although half the crowd seemed to be chanting for "Joey"..

Cheers for the info:) .

I was a bit disappointed with Tazz tbh. He was hyped up huge, promos running for weeks beforehand but he never really amounted to much although as far as debuts go, you can't get much better than ending a Kurt Angle winning streak.

Juggalo

Probably the whole introduction of ECW into the Alliance angle, It started of great but then belly flopped big time at the end.

Devon

What about the Undertaker's debut at Survivor Series in 1990? That was VERY impressive for the time.

Roar

The boogeyman.. LOL...

Hate to be boring but jericho's was class. just watched that video that mr nice guy posted up.. class..

ha ha had forgotten about the pineapple on his head.. christ that was some pop...

also seem to remember being excited about razor ramon's wwf debut for some reason..

The Cannibal

Shockmaster

Lump Basher

Fozzy wrote:

He actually came out of retirement the night before for the Wrestling Channel Supershow. Still a great night though, I'd heard rumours, but I still wasn't sure whether to believe them or not. Great moment when he came out, I was front row! Although half the crowd seemed to be chanting for "Joey"..

He wasn't on the wrestling channel supershow. His first comeback match was with iww.

Best debut: The Cannibal, at IWW in mount temple. Even funnier than shockmaster.

gimmick

^ What the f*ck is your agenda? :rolleyes:

Lita Forever

To gain negative attention obviously. Which people seem to be giving him, just ignore him.

Winning Hand

Jerichos was good but I still think Brock lesners was the most impressive debut I saw, just destroying everyone with heyman behind him made you know he was for big things

DoctorEdgeWild

Just watched Valentine's Day Massacre - Paul Wight's debut was awesome - very clever end to the match as well. That was one Hell of a debut.

Kio

The Cannibal wrote:

Shockmaster

lol
I liked jericho's and brocks hated goldberg's but my fav would have to be the ring master.

Lump Basher

gimmick wrote:

^ What the f*ck is your agenda? :rolleyes:

Eh, to say what my favourite debut of a wrestler was. I just happen to think that was the funniest I've ever seen - the guy messed up his finisher 2 times in a row - much funnier than even Shockmaster tripping up.

Fozzy

Lump Basher wrote:

He wasn't on the wrestling channel supershow. His first comeback match was with iww.

Ya learn somethin new every day! That's a bit mad though..I'm certain I read or heard that Jody was at that TWC show..

Joey Styles coming to the ring at One Night Stand was awesome. Wasn't so much because of who it was, just that it was ECW returning! It was great seeing him out there

Lita Forever

Obviously, I loved Lita's debut. But I'd still think it was a great debut even if she wasn't my favorite. She was the first woman to do a cool high flying move like the moonsault in WWE. It was just a great energetic debut over all.

The ECW/ WCW invasion was cool. Even though it wasn't handled great, it was the first time a lot of those guys had wrestled in WWE, so it was interesting to watch.

I liked Gail Kim's debut. Sure she coudln't possibly live up to the hype in the weeks that followed, but that one night everything was done right.

Jericho's debut was very well done.

Those are the ones that spring to mind for me.

Charlie

Don't think its been mentioned yet but tazz's entrance/debut at the 2000 rumble was the best for me. WWF was in its prime at that stage and for me, I had just started looking at rumor sites where I heard about tazz and that he cpuld be coming to wwf. Then there was his entrance, which like jericho's was superb, really grabbed my attention. I thought he was a fantasic wrestler aswel, I know he's a lardass today, but back then he was an animal(not in the batista sense:p).That was also one of my favourite rumbles, hhh v. cactus jack was the sh#t!

Mossy Monk

do you have any more?

Mr.Nice Guy

Mossy Monk wrote:

do you have any more?

I have Razor Ramon's one.

Do you want that chico?;)

Lita Forever

Heh. Thanks a lot. Guess you're not called Mr. Nice Guy for nothing eh.

Mr.Nice Guy

Lita Forever wrote:

Heh. Thanks a lot. Guess you're not called Mr. Nice Guy for nothing eh.

Nope. I earned that name.:)

Mossy Monk

Mr.Nice Guy wrote:

I have Razor Ramon's one.

Do you want that chico?;)

it's all good

D-FENS

Bam Bam Biggelow's WWF debut in '87 is the most memorable for me.
Like Jericho, his arrival was built up for weeks with the top five heel mangers of the time fighting over him, with each being eliminated form the running each week until he finally debuted as a face.
What followed didn’t really live up to the build up ( his first stint in WWF lasted less than a year, but his second run was successful enough as was his ECW days), but it was enough to make him one of my favorites for a while.

dlofnep

Flair's original debut on WWF was good. The real world's champion, WHOOO!!!

Moogle

Flair's return a few years ago was cool too. Vince looked like he was going to have a stroke!

D-FENS

Moogle wrote:

Flair's return a few years ago was cool too. Vince looked like he was going to have a stroke!

Yeah, when the Space Odyssey music hit, and JR says -
"Tell me this isn’t what I think it is..."
Priceless.

And now that I think of it, Earthquake’s debut was a good one, very funny.
Crushing the Warrior while sitting on his back for the test of strength push up contest with Dino Bravo.
Jimmy Hart’s completely impartial choosing of an normal civilian –
“We need a random volunteer from the audience, anyone at all. Yes you, the 400+ man, you’ll do I suppose”
How could the Warrior suspect a thing!

dlofnep

^^ Lol

Melion

I really liked Ravens WWE debut, mainly because he was my favourite wrestler in ECW and WCW. The lights going out and seeing him standing there in the crucifix position then hitting King with a DDT