Biggest debut on WWE History?

[Joker ' Ferreira]

In your opinion who draw a better debut on the history of the World Wrestling Entertainment, I only watch Wrestling since 2001, so it's kind of difficult to me to choose someone but I would say Umaga, he destroyed Nature Boy, it doesn't mean it was the most shocking moment, but after Estrada introducing him perhaps no one would expect he would squash Flair, maybe a roll-up victory or something like that.

Your opinion...

PS: Sorry for my bad english btw. ;)

[V4E]

I would have to say Brock lesnar, if I remember correct in 6 months he became World champ when there was only 1 world title! He also destroyed the Hardys on his debut.

[tuwind]

Chris Jericho, the first time. His entrance was HUGE. He interrupted the Rock when the Rock was pretty much God. Then he became the first person to co-hold the intercontinental championship with Chyna.

[jshoemate07]

Yea i definitely have to agree with you. I was in attendance at the show the night Y2J debuted on Raw. And being the crazy man that i am i watched both WCW and the WWE. When Jericho's name came up on the screen it wuz like a bomb dropped. The crowd went insane. And it was definitely a very well kept secret. The way he interrupted The Rock also showed that the man wuz gona create shockwaves in the WWE. And what really surprised me wuz that his mic skills were just as impressive as The Rock's.

Hands down: THE biggest debut in history.

[Addict]

It has to be The Great Khali. Like him or not in his first appearance he completely destroyed the Undertaker.That's like if that Vladmir guy destoryed cena in his first appearance.What made it even more impressive was the fact that it was fresh of a wrestlemania victory and by Khali destorying the Undertaker they were in a sense saying that he's more dominant than Mark Henry.

[rKo0019]

Y2J....cuz if you can't tell...I'm a big Jericho mark...ever since his days in WCW, I rooted for him...then one day he disappeared off WCW programming, and I switched to WWE and saw this weird "Countdown to the Millenium" clock thing. I was like "WTF?"
Very big entrance, awesome pop from the audience, and classic encounter with the Rock. This just showed us that great things were to come...

Rock: "The Rock says you talk about your Y2J Plan? Well the Rock has a little plan of his own, and it's called the KY Jelly Plan, which..."
-crowd pops-
King: "You know what that is, JR?"
JR (dryly): "Yeah."
King: "You do!?"

[Mighty NorCal]

Not for long term impact, but for the pure shock and surreality of it, Eric Bischoff walking out of the curtain on RAW was just utterly ridiculous. The most evil man in wrestling, the man who tried to murder WWE, the man who created the NWO...walking out on RAW and HUGGING VINCE??? It was an absolutely unreal moment.

Another one that didnt have a huge impact in the long run, but that was extremely surreal, was Goldberg coming through the RAW curtain and confronting the Rock. Hearing the war music, seeing the pyro, hearing the WWE CROWD chanting the goldberg chant. Just didnt seem real.

[FytingIrish]

I would have to go with Kane during the Bad Blood (In Your House) PPV. It came during the first (ever) Hell In A Cell match Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels. I will never forget the look on Undertakers face, seemed pretty genuinely surprised (though sure he wasn't) That debut will always stick out in my mind the most. Not to mention the match itself was AMAZING.

[Grymes]

The one I most remember is Y2J's since I was at that Raw when it happened. It was cool to see him after he was pretty much whored at WCW. The Rock made quick work of him on the mic tho which made it really cool. It was a sign of good things to come.

[SeetheSkills22]

Of course it is Eric Bishoff. The man was anti-WWF with the nWo. Then you go on and hire him and bring him into your company? Hell yeah man Bishoff was the most shocking, biggest, best, whatever you want to call it it was that. I was there also which was a bonus, but that certainly doesn't influence this post btw.

[HBK-aholic]

Well I have to agree Eric Bishoff showing up was just unbelievable. The fans went wild; with shock, with anger, with laughter. It was kind of surreal. Here was a man who had spent a long time trying to pull the WWE down, and was seen as an enemy to Vince McMahon, to the WWE wrestlers, and to the fans. Yet he was hugging our chairman on Raw. This will always be remember by me, as I was sat in shock, and I was just laughing at how no one had expected it and how it was just known as great.

[Matt Fox]

Hmmmm a lot of good people have been listed. I'd have to definitely agree that Jericho, Bischoff and Goldberg are all contenders, but my vote would go towards The Radicalz, when they all debuted together, it was a huge shock and unheard of that time for that many to debut together at one time. The fans and wrestling community were shocked and surprised, it was a "what is going on" moment, a "is this really happening" moment.

[Davi323]

I have to agree with those who say either Kane or Bischoff. They built Kane's debut up perfectly, probably one of the best introductory buildups they have ever done...and immediately set up Kane as a Taker-killer. That was a GREAT debut...But, with Bischoff, who in the world EVER thought they would see Eric Bischoff appearing on WWE Programming?

[Derf]

I never saw alot of these peoples debuts, but just by what I have read, I'm gonna guess Eric Bischoff was the biggest. Head of the rival company, who would have seen it coming. Props to Y2J and Kane for their debuts, as well as Khali. He was impressive that first night. And only that first night.

[Consequences]

I don't know if it'd count, but Hogan as the third member of nWo was the biggest debut since I've watched (since 1992). If that wouldn't be considered, then I'll go with Jericho's first debut in WWF. Separately, the biggest surprise debut, I would say, is Kane's.

[alleyezonme86]

i agree, chris jericho all the way. as a fan who was watching both nitro and raw here in the uk, (we only had raw live) it was a big deal when some of those guys went over to raw

[IC25]

I wanted to go with Eric Bichoff, by my intellectual counterpart Mr. Norcal beat me to it. That's fine, I have a backup.

The Undertaker.

At the Survivor Series, we hear about this mystery partner. Blah blah blah. Fans usually assume a myster partner is someone they know who is either making a re-turn or a heel-turn. Not this time. No, this time it was a brand new guy, frighteningly large and dark, who came to the ring and systematically stalked and choked everybody in the ring. Impervious to pain. Moving in slow motion but elliciting fear from the children at ring side. He was like a serial killer.

That day set into motion what is termed nearly two decades of destruction, and one of the longest running single characters with one company in wrestling history. And THAT debut, lacking all the fanfare of the Jerichos and shock of the Bichoffs and anticipation of the Kane's, was awesome.

[Low_Ki]

Its really weird but the one I always remember (not so much biggest) was when Carlito debuted and beat John 'God' Cena for the US title.

I don't know why, but I have always liked Carlito's gimmick, and see him as more than Santinos bum boy. But thats getting off the subject, Big debut in my eyes.

[sammy j]

I wanted to go with Eric Bichoff, by my intellectual counterpart Mr. Norcal beat me to it. That's fine, I have a backup.

The Undertaker.

At the Survivor Series, we hear about this mystery partner. Blah blah blah. Fans usually assume a myster partner is someone they know who is either making a re-turn or a heel-turn. Not this time. No, this time it was a brand new guy, frighteningly large and dark, who came to the ring and systematically stalked and choked everybody in the ring. Impervious to pain. Moving in slow motion but elliciting fear from the children at ring side. He was like a serial killer.

That day set into motion what is termed nearly two decades of destruction, and one of the longest running single characters with one company in wrestling history. And THAT debut, lacking all the fanfare of the Jerichos and shock of the Bichoffs and anticipation of the Kane's, was awesome.

i'm with you

here was a guy with no build up, no one knew who he was, but by the end of the match he had everyone hooked. he wrestled well, had a cool, original gimmick, and as a 6 yo watching, i was completely SHITSCARED, even though i knew wrestling was fake he still made me shit my pants.

i was so distraught when he put the ultimate warrior into a casket....

but in recent times you'd have to say santino's debut was pretty big, winning the IC title over a monster heel afeter being "plucked from the crowd" in front of his "home" audience. sure it devalued the IC title more than the US dollar, but still pretty big.

[Rated K for Kennedy... Kennedy!]

Not for long term impact, but for the pure shock and surreality of it, Eric Bischoff walking out of the curtain on RAW was just utterly ridiculous. The most evil man in wrestling, the man who tried to murder WWE, the man who created the NWO...walking out on RAW and HUGGING VINCE??? It was an absolutely unreal moment.

Another one that didnt have a huge impact in the long run, but that was extremely surreal, was Goldberg coming through the RAW curtain and confronting the Rock. Hearing the war music, seeing the pyro, hearing the WWE CROWD chanting the goldberg chant. Just didnt seem real.

I gotta agree with you there man, although Bischoff's debut really po'd me and still bothers me to this day, he should have never been in WWE.

For me Jericho had the greatest debut in WWE history, it was impactful, original and very refreshing to see WWE giving a WCW star a real push and the surprise of it will never be recreated because of the current "Spoiler culture", won't soon forget that.

Goldberg's debut shocked me because JR said "We knew Goldberg was coming" but I don't recall any promos or vignettes before he debuted, am I wrong?


:taijiri:

[tevangeline87]

I would like to say that the undertaker was my favorite when he came with brother love the undertaker was kind of scary at the survivor series in 1990 i think that the undertaker will win the world heavyweight championship against edge i hope edge will rest in peace

[carbondioxide830]

kane. when he debuted in the hell in a cell match, that was crazy. him ripping the door off and finally coming face to face with the undertaker...thats unforgettable.

edit: to answer someone's question, they did in fact air a goldberg promo during wrestlemania xix (19) and had safeco field chanting goldberg during the middle of wrestlemania; that was pretty sweet.

[awesomecactus]

my personal favourite is kind of a re-debut.............it came on an episode when mankind was feuding with hhh, and said he wasnt ready to face the game at the royal rumble, instead ripping off his mask and shirt to reveal cactus jack.....
now obviously it was just a man taking off a mask, but foley was such a genius at cutting promos, that it wsa incredibly effective......
'and his first official act as a member of the World Wrestling Federation is to kick your teeth all over the cith of CHicago!'
genius....

anyways, dunno if that qualifies, but it was pretty cool either way

[owenhartfan]

I would have to say the biggest debut in wwe history was the shocking debut of Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Melenko and Chris Benoit...

4 of wcw's best workers and highly misused talent went from nitro one week to raw and got a huge reaction...I remember being so excited and calling all my other wrestling fan friends because I couldn't believe it...I was a huge fan of all of these guys and knew that wwe matches were about to improve greatly..

Tazz- Had an amazing anticipation and crowd reaction..It was great seeing him be the first person to defeat the then very hated Kurt Angle

The Big Show- WCW's #1 heel for the last 4 years came through the ring to the shock of the fans and tossed austin WWE's biggest star through the cage

XPac= HHH's promo for this was priceless...Sean Waltman went from a nobody in WCW to a huge star in the WWE because of his introduction

Jericho- I love his mic work any day, but him and the rock were aweseome together that night

Undertaker- He wasn't an established star like everyone else above...his dominating debut in the 1990 survivor series was unforgetable..I remember being extremely scared of him as 7 year old kid when he debuted

[Total Impact]

Chris Jericho, because even though many knew he was coming, that pop was huge and no one had a easier ride to WWE stardom like Jericho. I mean the WWE has tried to bring that hype for another wrestler, but it has yet to happen. That was the best debut ever and no one can compare the the countdown.

[ChosenOne]

Chris Jericho, because even though many knew he was coming, that pop was huge and no one had a easier ride to WWE stardom like Jericho. I mean the WWE has tried to bring that hype for another wrestler, but it has yet to happen. That was the best debut ever and no one can compare the the countdown.

Agreed, this is the ladder of what debuts in wrestling should be like. I also enjoyed Lance Storm's in WCW, where he came out of the crowd and springboard dropkicked three count and the crowd erupted into "ECW" chants.

[Total Impact]

Agreed, this is the ladder of what debuts in wrestling should be like. I also enjoyed Lance Storm's in WCW, where he came out of the crowd and springboard dropkicked three count and the crowd erupted into "ECW" chants.

Lace Storm WCW & WWE debut were both great and the same in someways, but no ever had the hype of a debut like Jericho in which everyone wanted to see him. I mean the countdown was cool to see each week and went it 00, and out came Jericho to the big pop for his moments in the WWE to be with the rock and those moments being on ethe greatest in WWE history proves that he had the greatest debut ever.

[OffTheRopRope]

Yeah, I must agree with a few others here...absolutely the eric bischoff debut on RAW was the biggest impact. The combo with booker T saying 'tell me....I didn't just see that' and the Vince McMahon hug. Where the hell is ron simmons when you need him, cuz, DAMN!!!!

[Exodus8184]

ive been watching wwe for a long while, and i will have to say i think the best debut would probably have to be between tazz and lex lurger. ok well there not that outstanding like some of the wrestlers yall chose, but tazz waz like a big hit for the wwe, when he first came, he was a fan favorite etc. and lex lurger, was crazy good when he debuted, putting people out wit that forearm. btw runner up next to those guys is none other than Kurt angle (forgotten about him) :(

[1997RAWFan]

Kane. He debuted in the greatest match of all time, and proceeded to be involved in the greatest feud and storyline of all time. Amazing debut and he was immediately over thanks to him obliterating The Undertaker.

[Esteban Ochocinco]

Kane, hands down. This was a well thought out storyline that wasn't rushed for success. This storyline started in June or July of 1997, and we didn't even see the guy debut until October, and that was for a few seconds to destroy the Undertaker, who had destroyed Shawn Michaels in the Cell. The Undertaker just went through a grueling match with Michaels and was pretty much unscathed, and outcomes Kane, destroys him in under ten seconds, that's a statement.

[douwant]

kane back in 1997 im sure thats the biggest 1 i mean they builed him up in the taker storyline he gotta be the biggest 1..but that save us 222 thing was really good..but i say kane 4 sure

[Sheard89]

I would Say Cena With the ruthless agression Storyline was pretty impressive didnt he beat Angle And Jericho In a matter of weeks ??? thats pretty good he sucks now though lol

[Golden badger]

I would have to go with Kane during the Bad Blood (In Your House) PPV. It came during the first (ever) Hell In A Cell match Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels. I will never forget the look on Undertakers face, seemed pretty genuinely surprised (though sure he wasn't) That debut will always stick out in my mind the most. Not to mention the match itself was AMAZING.

I whole heartedly agree, it was huge and he remained huge for over a year after! Kanes entrance was incredible, it was part of oneof the biggest matches of all time, it was the start of one of the biggest rivalries of all time and it was the birth of a prolific champion and loyal WWE resident. Cant say fairer than that

[desimandem1]

eric bischoff hands down ....ppl like lesnAr umaga y2j werent a shockk but holy jesus eric bischoff is the man that was so close 2 killing the wwf and vince gave him a job!

[L4L]

Lesnars debut was big but because he was relatively unknown to most in Pro wrestling unless you knew of his amature backround not as big a debut as Goldbergs was since he already has the name in the business. Umaga's debut was as big as either guy but his impact arguably bigger than either he has owned every body. Only time he loses is when someone else is about to get a title or title shot. It is only a matter of time befor he has the title and then everyone is in trouble cause he is just devastating in the ring nobody does moves as powerful as Umaga.

[applespit]

Chris Jericho, it was expected but nonetheless the reaction was far greater than managed by just about anyone else since 10 years. He still has it made in history as the first undisputed champion because he had that much momentum for WWE to run with him.

[applespit]

I would Say Cena With the ruthless agression Storyline was pretty impressive didnt he beat Angle And Jericho In a matter of weeks ??? thats pretty good he sucks now though lol

I don't recall Cena being so over or seem to have much destined for him in his beginnings in WWE as say Kane or Brock Lesnar who made a sudden impact [TNA ref. not intended]. Of course he went over JBL, but he was champion for so long anyways.

[bryanskrantz]

Most Shocking Debut would have to be Eric Bischoff why? because nobody ever expected him to show up. we all thought he was done with the wrestling business but when he showed up on Raw that one day I dropped my jaw.

Biggest Debut would have to go to the one the only....... GOLDBERG!!!! yes Goldberg why? because everybody knew it was only a matter of time before he signed with the WWF/E after WCW was sold.

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

I wanted to go with Eric Bichoff, by my intellectual counterpart Mr. Norcal beat me to it. That's fine, I have a backup.

The Undertaker.

At the Survivor Series, we hear about this mystery partner. Blah blah blah. Fans usually assume a myster partner is someone they know who is either making a re-turn or a heel-turn. Not this time. No, this time it was a brand new guy, frighteningly large and dark, who came to the ring and systematically stalked and choked everybody in the ring. Impervious to pain. Moving in slow motion but elliciting fear from the children at ring side. He was like a serial killer.

That day set into motion what is termed nearly two decades of destruction, and one of the longest running single characters with one company in wrestling history. And THAT debut, lacking all the fanfare of the Jerichos and shock of the Bichoffs and anticipation of the Kane's, was awesome.

I would agree with you fully if it weren't during a time when using a "mystery partener" angle wasn't being used left and right. And while you are right about the decade of destruction that followed, it's not hard for a 7 foot big man to get over initially n a debut. But dude, I am with you 110%, but let me run something else up the flag pole and see what you think.

Now it seemed to be the norm that whenever MAJOR former WCW characters made debuts in WWE, it was always a shocker and a special occasion. You saw the shock when Goldberg came. You ever say that when the NWO made their debuts and when Xpac came back. Hell, even Jericho and he Big Show seemed to turn heads when they came to WWE tv. But no man ever has debuted not once but twice with the impact each time like just one man.

And that man is Ric "Woo" Flair!

Back in 1991 in the WWF, he suddenly showed up on WWF tv with balls of brass and the NWA World title around his waist. I mean the man made history by being bold enough to pull off a move like this and shocked the world in the process. It was something that had never been seen and began one of the best years of Ric Flairs career by getting right up in Hogans face and calling himself the "Real World Champion".

And the man did it again when he debuted in the WWE the night after Shane and Stephanie McMahon's WCW/ECW faction had been defeated and decimated. The show was closing and the night had been won by Mr. McMahon when a familiar tune played and the crowd went wild. It was The Natecha Bowey! He walked down that isle and accounced himself as having been the man who bought Shane and Stephanie's shares of WWE stock and was now the half owner. Everyone's jaws dropped and they cheered wildly as Mr. McMahon quickly shifted from being the face owener with two ungrateful and greedy children to being the heel half owner who now had to deal with Ric Flair stylin and profilin his way from one side of the ring to the other.

Now tell me that you can't agree with that. I dare ya. lol

[Cage917r]

I would have to go with Eric Bischoff because nobody expected it. A number of the people previously stated were expected, they were not surprises. This was one that nobody saw coming, that man that took WWE to the brink, almost beat them, now working for WWE was a shock, which is why it was the biggest debut. Booker T saying tell me I did not just see that when he saw Bischoff, was classic.

[Total Impact]

The greatest ever was Chris Jericho and the Countdown, I mean tht pop was incredible for a man who never left the mid-card level in WCW and on his first night in the WWE, he gets a Rock type pop. Plus the promo he gave is still one the best and many of the lines are still heard today.

But the biggest debut has to be The Undertaker, Many might not remember, but Take was an overnight sensation and he one the belt about a year into his debut in the WWE. I mean the guy got over big time.

Second would be the NWO debuting at No Way Out, even though the Vince raped the NWO in the storylines, that was a night hell really frooze over as Hogan, Hall & Nash in black & white in a WWE ring and plus the fact Hogan was back was the big deal after all the things Vince said about Hogan and Hogan said about Vince. It was great just to see the nostalga.

[bucwild]

Yeah the dude that pick Ric Flair!Flairs was the biggest cuz I didnt have a cpu at the time n he shows up on WWF with the NWA World Title!He owns the belt n did it cuz he aint sign n new contract wit NWA who become WCW when he left.I remember Vince,Savage n Heenan wait Gorilla too all kept sayning Real World Champion be4 all the wars.WWF started it first!!Y2J I knew he was coming yeah I do remember him interrupting the Great One!Funny!Goldberg fuck him!Takers was kool because I was scared too,Kanes too.

[WWEaddict809]

The Undertaker, he destroyed everybody upon his debut winning the WWF championship in less than a year and went undefeated for 1 year.

[faz]

have to give a nod here to mr kennedys first appearence, noone knew him yet he came down like he owned the place, and by the end of the match he did. for baing a complete unknown he sure got me wantin to see him the next week.... go kennedy, charisma personified.

ps. takers still ruled!

[RKO Orton]

Kane had a pretty good debut in the WWE. Interfering in "his brothers" match to cost him a shot for the WWF Title. He was an unstoppable beast his first few years with the company before being unmasked. Y2J also had a pretty good debut by interviewing during a Rock promo. Those would be my top 2.

[grandfunkhickler]

Kane as mentioned above was great, he was instantly the most interesting character in wwf at the time for a while.
Y2Js first one was good, i think the rock helped a lot in making it so memorable.
More recently I thought MVP had an awesome debut for not really having a significant history before that, played perfect with his gimmick right away.

[bambam]

simple....the first time Raw was Jericho....Y2Js firt time in WWE was great. His Debut cutting off the Rock was awsome... WWE didn't use him right when he got in, but the build up, the clock, count down everything worked out great.

[TheOneBigWill]

While the debut itself wasn't anything special, I'd have to say the overall rookie season of both Kurt Angle & Brock Lesnar were outstanding.

Brock Lesnar: Upon his debut, he destroyed Al Snow. Nothing overly exciting there. He went weeks and weeks in destroying nobodys and has beens before finally having a Tag Team (handicap) match against the Hardyz. But when you look beyond that, he then took the King of the Ring tournament, and holds an unofficial victory over Steve Austin. (for those who knew the story on why Austin left - partly because he refused to job to Lesnar)

He then goes on to Summerslam of that year (2002) and defeats the Rock, almost squashes him. While that was a given, the feud that was really impressive was that of him against The Undertaker. In which he basically never lost to Taker, ever. The only loss he had (to my knowledge) was a screw job loss to the Big Show, at Survivor Series. He then went on to win the Royal Rumble (2003) and finally to Wrestlemania, to end out his year, by becoming the W.W.E. Champion. I'd say that was a pretty impressive first year.

[incrediblesim]

Great tread idea. Here would be my top 5-

5. Kane- He turned up in one of the all time great matches. The way he destryoed Taker was amazing!

4. X-Pac- When HHH cut the promo about looking to your friends and then- X-Pac shows up HHH's promo did it for me- rocketed DX to the top of the wrestling world.

3. Goldberg- Everyone knew he would turn up one day and it was just after W/M 19. For me it was just surreal.

2. Eric Bischoff- Hugging Vince just sold it for me. You where like WTF?????? He openly said he wanted WWE to die and he was hugging Vince.

1. The first coming of Y2J Chris Jericho- I watched Nitro and RAW and suddenly he disappeared from Nitro- which is fair enough and the you had the countdown clock on RAW and BAAAAM it was him. He interrupted The Rock on The Rock's show. Had not been for his debut he would just be another small guy in the WWE mid-card.

[Monkey Winchester]

I'm going to make a top 5 on this subject as there are too many "Big Debuts" to list just one.

5.The Countdown To Y2J. I was a Jericho fan going way back to his days in ECW. So when he showed up on WWE television to interrupt The Rock's promo I went crazy. The way they set this up with the Countdown Clock was absolutely perfect. This was one of the most shocking moments in professional wrestling and one of the Biggest Debuts ever.

4."I'm your Olympic Gold Medalist." This one didnt start out very big but it turned into one of the best debuts ever. Kurt Angle's rise to the top was very fast. he accomplished more in one year than most people do in their entire career. He won both the Intercontinental and European title within months of his arrival. Went on to have a great 3-way match with Benoit and Jericho at his first Wrestlemania. Then he went on to win the King Of The Ring. Then to top it all off he wins the WWE title in October at No Mercy. Great Debut with a phenomenal Rookie year.

3."Here Comes The Pain." Brock Lesnar without a doubt had one of the most explosive debuts ever. He went from destroying The Hardy's. Then went on to win King Of the Ring. Then went on to become the youngest WWE champion ever, and if im not mistaken at 5 months was one of the quickest rises to the top ever. Too bad he doesnt have it in him for the wrestling business anymore.

2.Flex Kavana??? When this guy made his debut nobody knew the impact he would have on the sports entertainment business. 7 Time WWE Champ, 2 time WCW champ, 2 Time I-C Champ, 5 Time WWE Tag Team Champ, Royal Rumble Winner. That alone reeks of awesomeness. Flex Kavana the man who would go on to become The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment AKA The Rock. Top 5 all time on the Mic and Millions of fans around the world leads to one of the Biggest Debuts in History.

1.Austin 3:16. That alone tells the story of the biggest thing since Hulk Hogan. Stone Cold put wrestling back on the map. With numerous titles held, the McMahon/Austin rivalry and many other legendary encounters in his time as a wrestler makes this The Biggest Debut in wrestling history. I don't know how else to describe it. The name let alone tells you the story.

Honorable Mention goes to. The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, "Evil Chairman" Vince McMahon, "HBK" Shawn Michaels, Kane. and Eric Bischoff

[beard93]

the BIGGEST debut ever was.....Chris jericho. he had a big following in WCW but has never been used as he should. He was the greatest wrestler/comedian in WCW. Skits and promos , jericho rocked. Chris has nnot been used that way in WWE

[Cage917r]

the BIGGEST debut ever was.....Chris jericho. he had a big following in WCW but has never been used as he should. He was the greatest wrestler/comedian in WCW. Skits and promos , jericho rocked. Chris has nnot been used that way in WWE

The biggest debut in WWE history could have been Y2J, if it wasn't for the fact that he got owned by The Rock in the matter of minutes. That discounts him, not to mention the fact that it wasn't really a surprise, which is why again I will state that the biggest debut in WWE history was Eric Bischoff, Why?

This is the guy who almost took WWE/WWF down, during the Monday Night Wars he was beating Vince McMahon, he announced WWF/WWE results on the beginning of each show, he did everything he could to try to take down WWE/WWF, there is no way he would ever work for WWE, would he? Then it was the night that the new GM of Raw was to be announced, there were rumblings on who it would be, Shane McMahon seemed like the obvious option, it had to be him. Then we are backstage in an interview with Booker T, mid interview, he looks over shocked, "Tell me I did not just see that," I believe he said. Then it was time, Vince McMahon comes out, then the music hits, "I'm Back" and Eric Bischoff comes out to the shock of everyone, it couldn't be. Then hiim and McMahon embraced, they showed each other respect, WOW, this is unbelievable!

There you go, that is a description of what happened the night he came to the WWE, your telling me that Y2J's WWE Debut was bigger, sorry but no. This was actually a surprise to almost everybody, something nobody saw coming, which is why it was the biggest debut in WWE history.

[THE Madcap]

Personally,

I think the biggest debut in WWE history was the debut of the Mr McMahon character. Think about it, the night after the biggest and most appalling shock the industry, millions tune in to see the aftermath, what Vince has to say about it and in that very moment, created a character that pretty much began the whole Attitude era, where the WWE was at its peak IMO.

I can't even imagine what would have happened in the WWE had Vince not done that interview

[Fizzywink]

i have a lot of these theres jerichos which was amazing and super electric john cenas where they had him stand up to angle and for once he had a pretty good match but my favorite would have to be goldbergs it was great im a big goldberg fan and when his music hit i nearly jumped off my bed i loved it

[Soul Reaper]

To me the biggest debut in wwe history WAS Kane because it was the first ever HIAC another reason why is because Taker vs HBK was a #1 contenders match and after shawn won the next month was SS97 the place where the infamous "montreal screwjob" happened so if kane never debuted when he did there would be no Screwjob.

[chaos@vincent_the phenom]

I would have to go with Kane during the Bad Blood (In Your House) PPV. It came during the first (ever) Hell In A Cell match Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels. I will never forget the look on Undertakers face, seemed pretty genuinely surprised (though sure he wasn't) That debut will always stick out in my mind the most. Not to mention the match itself was AMAZING.



Id have to agree. Kanes debut was aweome. Think about it, he didnt have a brilliant run frfom 95-end of 96 to early 97 as Isaac Yankemm, DDS and the Fake Diesel so when they re-packaged him as Kane and had him interfere in Undertaker Vs HBK match at Badd Blood 97 was great, especially the way they did it, him ripping off the cage door and al and ocsting Undertsker the title, it set up for a great feud and set up some really good storylines between the two.

[hhh2k8]

To me the biggest debut in wwe history WAS Kane because it was the first ever HIAC another reason why is because Taker vs HBK was a #1 contenders match and after shawn won the next month was SS97 the place where the infamous "montreal screwjob" happened so if kane never debuted when he did there would be no Screwjob.

i couldn't agree with you more because we wouldn't have had the most contrivasal momment in sports entertainmant if it wasn't for kane.
But i also think there was only a hell in a cell to introduce kane as the big monster who is out to get revenge on his brother who thought that Kane was dead. Which then lead out to 1 othe biggest feuds in wwe history. Another reason this was good is that it had a story which you can always bring up in promos.

The second best debut has got to be chris jericho's so amazing how the millenuim clock suddenly stops and then the next thing you here is BREAK THE WALLS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pure class.

[Punk13]

Id have to say Kane Because they promoted his debut for months with red lights, pyro and taker not knowing he was alive. Then Finlay he makes his debut with an Explosion and rips the cell door off its hinges then tombstones taker

Punk13

[lunchbox13]

Chris Jericho definitly had the coolest debuet ever, his countdown clock was built up for months, and even tho most people figured it was jericho there was always a bit of doubt that made you really want to tune in and see just for sure. and then having him verbally spar with the rock was amazing. B.T.W. this is my first post, im brand spanking new to the forums, but will hopefully post alot more

[bwakagr8ness]

hmmm i cant really think of the best per say, but stone cold coming in as "the ringmaster" at the king of the ring and completely devastating it with a easy but huge win over jake the snake roberts, which that night started the Austin 3:16 era ( he might have actually wrestled a night or two before i dont remember)... which eventually led to one of the greatest performers in wrestling history.

[HellBoundPower]

The answer to this question is simple.

:undertaker2: The Undertaker

Ted Dibiase had a plan. He picked a mystery partner for his Survivor Series team. A mystery partner that would forever rock the core of the WWF/E. That partner was The Undertaker. Taker came out and simply destroyed to opposing team. A team that had The Hart Foundation in it. Taker simply destroyed them, setting up an excellent debut.

Taker then went on to win the WWF Title from Hulk Hogan (the biggest star in the company at the time), and forever etch his name in the list of men that won the WWF Title. And since then, his near Two Decades of Destruction are infamous. The Undertaker is one of the greatest Superstars in the history of the WWF/E, and it all started at the 1990 Survivor Series.

[nuerotica]

come on people we all know what was the greatest debut off all time it was on december 31st 1999 were the great one was cutting his promo and jericho shows up and announces that raw is jericho and wasnt he right. It was good because the were no rumours like many debuts and it had a massive impact and everyone thought were are they going to go from here.

[HellBoundPower]

come on people we all know what was the greatest debut off all time it was on december 31st 1999 were the great one was cutting his promo and jericho shows up and announces that raw is jericho and wasnt he right. It was good because the were no rumours like many debuts and it had a massive impact and everyone thought were are they going to go from here.The only problem with that is that it wasn't on December 31st. It was on August 9th. And while I agree that Jericho had an excellent debut, I still think that it shadows in comparison to the impact that The Undertaker has had on the WWF/E. Jericho is the first-ever Undistputed Champion, so that counts for something, though.

[Crippler4ever]

For me it was seeing Chris Benoit, Eddie, Saturn, and Malenko coming to the WWF. That was awesome and there potential for the WWF at the time had no limits! Course as the years went by they did nothing with Dean Malenko who was friggin awesome. But Benoit and Eddie did get descent pushes but i always though they deserved wayyy more! Anyways yea what i stated there and Jericho making an awesome surprise appearance while the Rock was babbeling away haha!!

[Crippler4ever]

The only problem with that is that it wasn't on December 31st. It was on August 9th. And while I agree that Jericho had an excellent debut, I still think that it shadows in comparison to the impact that The Undertaker has had on the WWF/E. Jericho is the first-ever Undistputed Champion, so that counts for something, though.

You sure it was not at the end of December of 99? Cause if i remember right Jericho debuted right when the year was gonna be 2000 thus being called Y2J. But i could be wrong but i swear it was the end of December?

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Jericho debuted right before Summerslam '99.

Taker's debut would have to be a great mention, destroying an entire SS team in his first (WWE) match, but what about Carlito eh? Won the United States title in his first match. Won the IC belt on his debut match on Raw (as did Santino). Ok so creative have wasted his talent since then, but that's still an awesome debut.

[Taker316]

Yeah the whole * Carlito Carribean Cool* lil videos during raw n smackdown amused me lol i thought i was pretty awesome, couldn't wait for the guy to come.. but yeah they suree did ruin his talent.

But Taker's debut i thought was amazing, Kane's too. Can't possibly beat them 2 in my opinion, Kane comin in and interfering the 1st ever hell in a cell, causing his *big bro* taker a shot at the title and starting probably one of if not THE best feud in the WWE history between them 2.

[SCSA31693]

Hands down Chris Jericho, i love the way that debut worked out that night from how he interupted the rock, to the huge crowd pop he recieved. As soon as i saw this thread jericho immediatley came to my mind but i didnt think so many other people would have said Jericho as well. He came into the WWF and immediatley became a big name in the buissness big part due to how tremendous his debut worked out.

[FireAtWill]

For myself, personally, it would have to be Eric Bischoff. He was the ABSOLUTE last person I expected to see at any WWE event. He made a career out of trying to destroy, humiliate, and pound Vince into the ground with Ted Turners millions of dollars. So a few years go buy, Vince comes on nitro, and Shane pops on, buys WCW, and a few months later, Bischoff is announced as the new raw GM. So, that to me would have to be the biggest raw debut for a non-wrestler.

[ncberz]

While some may disagree, I believe that the biggest match debut has to go to Cena. Kurt Angle was really over as a heel when Cena debuted and the kid pushed Angle to the limit. Sure, I may be one of the few that don't dislike him now after his long reign, but you could tell from his debut that Cena had big things in his future. In less than 7 years, Cena is a 3-time WWE Champion for over 1000 days combined, a 3-time U.S. champion and a former World Tag Champion. Cena has reached a realm of sports entertainment that only Hogan, Austin, Rock, HHH, HBK, Taker and (woo!) Ric Flair have reached. And it all began with two words "RUTHLESS..........AGGRESSION!!!!"

[kiriyama]

Brock Lesnar... hands down. The guy just comes out of nowhere and demolishes Maven, Al Snow and Spike Dudley and like V4E said... he did get the belt in like 6months of making his debut. And that was while they were only using the WWF Undisputed belt... no contest.

[BU$H]

I gotta agree with you there man, although Bischoff's debut really po'd me and still bothers me to this day, he should have never been in WWE.

For me Jericho had the greatest debut in WWE history, it was impactful, original and very refreshing to see WWE giving a WCW star a real push and the surprise of it will never be recreated because of the current "Spoiler culture", won't soon forget that.

Goldberg's debut shocked me because JR said "We knew Goldberg was coming" but I don't recall any promos or vignettes before he debuted, am I wrong?


:taijiri:


I must disagree that bischoff shouldnt have been in the WWE
Yes he is an evil man. Over uses his power but knows how to entertain a crowd and make good matches.This is the guy that made the Money in the Bank ladder match this is the guy who made the elimination chamber match this is the guy who invented the raw roulette this is the guy who gave us HLA (hot lesbian action) so to me he may have been evil but he is a genius and probably the best GM of all time (besides teddy longe)!!!

[klunderbunker]

While his time in WWE was awful, I have to go with Goldberg. He was arguably the biggest ex WCW star to not appear in WWE yet, other than Sting, and he was thrown in right off the bat with the Rock, one of the biggest names in the history of the company. That was the first Raw I'd missed in years, and I read about it here at WZ, and was actually suprised at it. He was a bad wrestler, awful on the mic and an overall dissappointment, but he was still a draw and a huge star from his old company, so to see him get thrown in the middle on Raw with a superstar to me stands out as big.

[bko]

Not saying it was the best, but Big Shows debut was pretty cool when he ripped the cage door right off in the Austin/McMahon match at St.Valatines Day Massacare, then throwed Austin through the side of the cage.

[Davi323]

I gotta think that for pure shock value, nothing can really top Eric Bischoff. Here was a guy who ran the OTHER company for years, appearing on WWE TV. For an actual wrestler's debut (including pre-debut hype) I would probably go with either Ric Flair, with the lead up by showing the belt, etc, or Kane. The hype surrounding the Big Red Machine's introduction was amazing. The storyline was built over a few months, and, when he actually made his debut, and destroyed the Undertaker, they turned Isaac Yankem, DDS, and Nailz into a WWE lifer named Kane.

[HeartBreakk1dPr]

The Biggest Debut PERIOD is Chris Jericho's back in 1999. It was simply groundbreaking. The fans in the arena went nuts that night and im sure every one at home....including myself had goosebumps. Everything from the big wait up until the moment he appeared was HUGE and worth all the anticipation. No one and I mean NO ONE has or will ever outdue Chris Jericho's debut. The second best would have to be Eric Bischoff, only because no one expected Vince McMahons REAL LIFE Rival to actually work....let alone appear on McMahons show. The biggest debuts came from WCW GUYS....hahaha....eat that WWE!!!! WCW FOR LIFE!

[Dead Kennedy]

It can't be anyone else than Y2J. Talk about making a splash. I saw it long after it initially happened, but I just saw a random episode of RAW is WAR and this epiphany happened - Chris Jericho appeared and crushed The Rock, WWF's premiere mic man at the time and of all time, well, at least he crushed him verbally. That level of crowd response has never or will never be duplicated. One man made his debut at the height of the Attitude Era. Hell, the man even wins best return of all time! Sure, everybody knew it was gonna be Jericho, but if you didn't mark, there's something wrong with your head. (That is the actual return segment, not the following career.)

And actually, can't believe I'm saying this, but one of the best debuts goes to John Cena. The one day where he didn't suck was his debut match. He almost defeated Kurt Angle. That counts for something. I've never liked the guy since, but that was one of those "Wow!" moments.

And the debut of "Stone Cold", which is technically not a debut, but the man known as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the man who lifted WWF above the heavens, was born after King of the Ring 1996. Steve Austin, prior to this, was just a mid-card guy who had a cool reign as WCW Tag Champion with Brian Pillman.

[48/7]

I would agree with you fully if it weren't during a time when using a "mystery partener" angle wasn't being used left and right. And while you are right about the decade of destruction that followed, it's not hard for a 7 foot big man to get over initially n a debut. But dude, I am with you 110%, but let me run something else up the flag pole and see what you think.

Now it seemed to be the norm that whenever MAJOR former WCW characters made debuts in WWE, it was always a shocker and a special occasion. You saw the shock when Goldberg came. You ever say that when the NWO made their debuts and when Xpac came back. Hell, even Jericho and he Big Show seemed to turn heads when they came to WWE tv. But no man ever has debuted not once but twice with the impact each time like just one man.

And that man is Ric "Woo" Flair!

Back in 1991 in the WWF, he suddenly showed up on WWF tv with balls of brass and the NWA World title around his waist. I mean the man made history by being bold enough to pull off a move like this and shocked the world in the process. It was something that had never been seen and began one of the best years of Ric Flairs career by getting right up in Hogans face and calling himself the "Real World Champion".

And the man did it again when he debuted in the WWE the night after Shane and Stephanie McMahon's WCW/ECW faction had been defeated and decimated. The show was closing and the night had been won by Mr. McMahon when a familiar tune played and the crowd went wild. It was The Natecha Bowey! He walked down that isle and accounced himself as having been the man who bought Shane and Stephanie's shares of WWE stock and was now the half owner. Everyone's jaws dropped and they cheered wildly as Mr. McMahon quickly shifted from being the face owener with two ungrateful and greedy children to being the heel half owner who now had to deal with Ric Flair stylin and profilin his way from one side of the ring to the other.

Now tell me that you can't agree with that. I dare ya. lol

As I was reading through all the posts, I was like, hm.. We have mentioned Santino, Cena, and Umaga, but not Flair?

Excellent post, my friend. Ric Flair was the biggest name in the NWA ever.. No one would ever have thought he would jump ship.. It was unheard of.. But Flair did it, and he took his belt with him. Anyone remember dreaming of a Hogan/Flair match wayyy back when? Well, with this debut, everyone's dream was able to come true.. Of course, WWF kinda screwed it up, but still. This was nothing short of amazing..

[kingrko]

Kane, purely because he turned the Hell in a Cell match around for HBK, who was the extremely popular face champion. Also, does anyone realize what the eventual sibling rivalry led to? It's possibly the least used and one of THE dangerous matches, which is probablyh why they rarely book it.

Inferno Match

Easily one of the most dramatic match types of the WWE, I remember watching Undertaker and Kane go at it in this match and I actually found myself all tensing up and holding my breath every time the Undertaker came SO close to being burnt.

Also, Undertaker gets the nod for biggest debut, simply for what it led to. Years and Years of totally awesome, addictive wrestling destruction.

If I had seen the Chris Jericho debut, I would definitely give it a nod to, but since I keep hearing about it on these posts....

I give Jericho a nod anyway.

[Mattyboy]

I would have to go with Kane during the Bad Blood (In Your House) PPV. It came during the first (ever) Hell In A Cell match Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels. I will never forget the look on Undertakers face, seemed pretty genuinely surprised (though sure he wasn't) That debut will always stick out in my mind the most. Not to mention the match itself was AMAZING.

I agree with that, i remember watching that match. Awesome battle between Taker and HBK, then the lights go out, the eerie music hits and theres Kane!He looked so evil aswell, like something from a horror movie. And when he ripped the cell door off...man.

Kanes debut is for me the one which had the biggest impact.

[Heir To The Throne]

First that comes to mind was Chris Jericho. I was at the live show, and I just started watching Wrestling about 8 or 9 months before that, and I never watched WCW before that. So really seeing him come in like he did was huge. Especially live, I thought it was great.

Another one was Lesnar. He came in, dropped people, won the KOTR, and won the World Title from THE ROCK of all people, all in a matter of five months

Another was Big Show. now this was before Jericho, so I've only been watching Wrestling even shorter. But for some reason, I've heard of "The Giant". And seeing him do what he did, was awesome. Show's was great.

[Mr-excitement]

But no man ever has debuted not once but twice with the impact each time like just one man.

And that man is Ric "Woo" Flair!

Back in 1991 in the WWF, he suddenly showed up on WWF tv with balls of brass and the NWA World title around his waist. I mean the man made history by being bold enough to pull off a move like this and shocked the world in the process. It was something that had never been seen and began one of the best years of Ric Flairs career by getting right up in Hogans face and calling himself the "Real World Champion".

Now tell me that you can't agree with that. I dare ya. lol

Cn't tel ya I don't, because I DO AGREE. I read the whole thread waiting to see who really knew the history and Flair's debut and the buildup was HUGE, it was not sudden though and the title was there THREE MONTHS prior to Flair's arrival with Bobby Heenan who kept telling everyone Flair was on his way.

That Superstars program where Bobby Heenan showed up and told Monsoon the real champ was coming soon was amazing especially when he said "You want to compare Hogan to this man, fine then let's compare Hogan to Ric Flair."

Monson and the Anvil did a double take, man that was huge!!!

[footman645]

Chris Jericho definitely had the biggest debut in WWE history. The countdown, the nickname (does anyone find it odd that "Y2J" lasted longer than Y2K, which it was making fun of?), and the debut itself were all great. Kane's debut was a close second, and The Big Show and Ric Flair's debut deserve to be mentioned, as well.

[TM]

I would have to go with the majority and say Chris Jericho. When that clock hit 0, and Chris came out, I was in love. He cut and amazing promo with the Rock and the fans were nuts. His WCW waters knew who he was, and most smart people knew it was going to be Jericho, but there was still the anticipation. Years later he would be the first Undisputed Champion, and still be preforming at the top of his game.

[shalliin]

I"ve read 8 pagest of these now ,and I have to say there are a lot of things i agree with. Taker in the SS match and everything he's done since then, Kane's interference, Flair's dramatics with the belt and then being in as part owner, The first appearence of the Heartbreak kid when he put his own partner Marty Jennetty through the window of the interview show, Chyna's first appearance has been neglected. Or how about Yokozuna, I couldn't believe someone that size could move, nevermind move like he could.

But I have to say, the biggest, most important debut was not of a single person. It wasn't a tag team or a Clique. No, the biggest and most influential debut of all time has to be......
WWF Raw is WAR!
I dare you to argue that anything or any single person has had as much impact internationally on wrestling as the creation and airing of that first episode of Raw. Think about it:
with no raw, there is no where for to air the matches that we've all loved and seen. No where to build upt or create the fantastic rivalries and odd characters that have entertained us since the early 90's. There would no monday night wars, or even no monday nitro since WCW would never have had the gall to create a monday night wrestling show since their big show at the time was saturday. The careers and personalities that defined the attitude era would have had no were to invoke their essence and draw in the fans that grew to follow them so rapidly. WWE would have remained as a 4 yearly PPV, straight to home video matches and house shows, with smaller programs like what later became heat, velocity and their other various 1 hour recap shows. Except all they would have recapped would have been house shows and PPV's. Raw lead to the In Your House PPV's which later become the ones that we know in love. The original 4 were Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Royal Rumble, Survivor series. Then they added King of the Ring. And then the In Your House's that were then subtitled. People started using the subtitle for the name of the PPV and that has lead to Armageddon, Vengence, Backlash, and so on. WCW had to try and keep up with WWE and so we then had 1 PPV a month per company, 2 in total, and later ECW PPV's.
And without RAW, none of it was possible.

[ChrisJerichoFanYTWOJAY]

as you could tell by my name i am a HUGE Jericho mark. So i am going to have to agree with everyone that said Jericho's debut was the biggest. What was the best was that the debut was kept quiet pretty good. Now when someone switches companies the word gets leaked out faster than carlito gots jobbed out. So Jericho debuting was the all time best debut

[njperfection]

Not to beat it to death but I would have to go with Jericho and the WWE as well. The build up to the whole thing was amazing. From the countdown clock, to the pyro, entrance and music it is easily one of the best debut's of all time. Not to mention they threw him in The Rock's segment. The is a huge part of it. They made it a big deal from the get go.