Shocking Surprises: WWE Debuts That Left Fans Stunned

The world of WWE is one of dramatic entries, surprise appearances, and shock debuts where the fans are left with their mouths wide open. Over the years, the company has made it an art for eye-popping their audiences, creating moments one can never erase from the wrestling chronicles. These are the kind of debuts that don’t only please the fans, but also set the stage for the incoming superstars to come in with drive. There, we zero in on some of the most shocking debuts the WWE has had in the past, leaving fans shell-shocked, as we take a closer regard of some of the context, moments of debut, and ramifications of such fine surprise maneuvers hitherto.

1. Chris Jericho

The Context
By 1999, Chris Jericho had already made a name for himself fighting for both WCW and ECW, two leading wrestling franchises in the business. He was looking for new challenges and a bigger, better stage to showcase his skills. WWE presented the perfect platform.

The Debut
Fans got to see in amazement one of the all-time best debuts ever on the August 9, 1999, episode of Monday Night Raw. For weeks, a mysterious countdown clock had been counting down to zero; while The Rock was giving a promo, it finally struck zero. Suddenly, the arena was thrust into darkness, and Jericho’s name appeared on the TitanTron as a loud, dark entrance theme played.

The crowd exploded as Jericho ran to the ring, interrupting The Rock in the act, proclaiming himself the “savior of WWE”.

The Impact
Jericho’s debut was that of a complete game-changer. His charisma, mic skills, and in-ring ability quickly made him a fan favorite. There he had his Hall of Fame career with the WWE, being the first-recognized WWE Undisputed Champion and capturing numerous titles. Jericho’s debut is one of those used in textbooks when talking about how to introduce a new superstar with maximum impact.

2. The Undertaker (1990)

The Context
In 1990, WWE had the ambition to create a new character: one that would fit into the whole setup and appeal to the audience. For this character, they resolved to a wrestler of great height, strength, and possession of good fighting ability, including Mark Calaway. So, The Undertaker was born.

Debut
He would make his debut at the 1990 Survivor Series as a mystery partner for Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Team. His character’s eerie presence was to literally be felt upon entering the curtain. The Undertaker, with Paul Bearer, slowly and methodically made his way through the curtain toward the ring, portraying a size, demeanor, and overall supernatural aura unprecedented for that time.

Impact
The phenom known to the world as The Undertaker began his storied career with WWE, one that would last soon to be the most dominant and innovative prime in professional wrestling history. He emerged as the cornerstone of WWE, full of iconic matches, the legendary streak at WrestleMania, and top-level character work. The arrival of The Undertaker marked the beginning of decades of endless dominance and pioneering for the WWE.

3. The Radicalz (2000)

The Context
By early 2000, WWE’s most rival promo, WCW, was in a heap of turmoil, with many of its greatest talents looking to jump ship. Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko were four of those great talents who rose to the top at that time.

The Debut
It all occurred on the January 31, 2000 episode of Raw live when recently getting a whole new experience. The numerous shots that evening captured four exiled talents from WCW, known as The Radicalz, sitting in the front row. Probably their biggest statement came later in the show when they jumped the barricade and attacked the New Age Outlaws.

The Impact
It was one of the biggest debuts that occurred in the Monday Night Wars. It showed deduction that the interface of wrestling is in through a huge shift of tectonics toothed – employment to four of the best wrestlers in this entire universe from the gauge of talent. All the four had a satisfying stint of career with their destiny playing to their merit, with Benoit reaching new feats when he won the WWE Championship and later went to capture the World Heavyweight Championship. Thus embracing the initiation of one of the shockingest and most influential moments of WWE history”.

4. AJ Styles (20160

The Setting
AJ Styles was pretty much the best wrestler in the world, through his work on TNA and Japan’s New Japan Pro Wrestling, along with a few others, but he never wrestled in WWE, so fans speculated constantly as to when—or if ever—he would.

Debut
Well, this is the one where the expectation was at perhaps its highest during the 2016 Royal Rumble. Just as entrant number three was going to be called, the arena went into darkness as unheard music blared. Indeed, it did, with the “I AM PHENOMENAL” sign blazing, and AJ Styles took to the ramp to make his way to the ring to a tremendous ovation.
Impact
When AJ Styles arrived, he walked into a beam of worldwide applause. He instantly delivered for WWE in main-event feuds, securing numerous championship reigns and scaling the heights of the professional wrestling topography. Styles brought new standards to the squared circle upon his arrival in WWE, garnering further acclaim as one of the best to ever go pro.

5. Kevin Owens, 2014

The Context
Kevin Owens was one of the most decorated and celebrated wrestlers outside of WWE before his calling. His story was a little different because he came from the independent circuit. Once he signed with NXT, which is WWE’s developmental territory, all fans were waiting for him to switch to the bigger stage.

Debut
He debuted on the scene during NXT’s Pay Per View show NXT TakeOver in December 2014 and instantly put himself at the top of the pack. He really pulled a fast one during his main roster debut. He answered John Cena’s United States Championship open challenge on the May 18, 2015 edition of Raw. After accepting that challenge, flow ever, he then took to brutally beating down and had the nerve to step all over the U.S. title, setting up a match between himself and Cena.

Influence
It was a very statement-making debut. He followed it up by cleanly defeating Cena in his first-ever WWE pay-per-view match at Elimination Chamber, thusly proving himself as a top-tier talent. Since then, Owens has developed to be a core performer in the WWE, tagged for his versatility, mic skills, and in-ring talent.

Kane (1997)

The Context
This storyline had kept hinting at a dark past and a lost brother. WWE decided to bring this storyline to life in 1997 with the introduction of Kane, as the younger brother to the Undertaker, who supposedly has been burned in a fire set by the elder brother.

Debut
In a match designed to be settled, Undertaker was the favorite to win before the lights went out, the cell door fell in, and Kane entered and attacked The Undertaker while the referee was down and out—leading to Michaels picking up the win.

The Impact
Kane made one of the most powerful debuts to the WWE ever. What unfolded between he and The Undertaker was to become one of the longest-running and most riveting stories in the WWE, replete with numerous unforgettable matches, moments that enthralled fans, and, subsequently, Kane with this larger-than-life character becoming an integral part of WWE programming.

7. Brock Lesnar (2002)

Context
Brock Lesnar was just an outstanding amateur wrestler and a very-touted prospect when he signed with WWE. Fans couldn’t wait to see how his athleticism and raw power would translate within the WWE ring.

The Debut
Lesnar debuted in the WWE on March 18, 2002, in raw when he physically assaulted other wrestlers in really merciless fashion to show his power and dominance. Right from the start, Lesnar had his manager on his corner, Paul Heyman, who made sure to establish Lesnar as a force and not to be trifled with.

The Impact
Brock Lesnar was hyped in tremendous fashion. He ended up stealing the WWE Championship from The Rock just five months from his debut, and became the then-youngest champion in WWE history. Lesnar’s speed, pure brute power, and super intensity combined make him one of the most dominating, big-name superstars in the annals of WWE history.

8. Shinsuke Nakamura

The Context
He had built a reputation, through his working with New Japan Pro Wrestling, as one of the most charismatic talents the company had seen. So, his contract signing with the WWE was one that left wrestling fans quite anxious as to how he would turn out on the big platform.

The Debut
Nakamura made his WWE debut on NXT TakeOver: Dallas in April 2016 against Sami Zayn. The match was highly anticipated, and the entrance of Nakamura, complete with his vacky entrance music and dramatic flair, did not disappoint the crowd.

The Impact
Shinsuke Nakamura’s debut WWE match, going up against Sami Zayn, is part of one of the all-time classics up to that time, which could be a sum of his career afterward. Almost overnight, he became a crowd favorite because of his uncanny charisma and unusual style in the ring. Nakamura’s debut is considered as one of the best debuts within the entire history of NXT and proved how big a player he can be in the global wrestling market.

9. The Hardy Boyz (WrestleMania)

Context
The Hardy Boyz, Matt and Jeff, considered the best and most popular tag team in WWE history. They would continue performing across the world together until the departure of Jeff from WWE. Since then, rumblings were going on for their return but nothing materialized.

The Debut
At WrestleMania 33 back in 2017, the three members of New Day came out to say that the three of them will be put in the match for the Raw Tag Team Championship. They announced the fourth team, and then, with the hit of the Hardy Boyz’ music, came a deafening ovation. High-flying, chaotic, it’s just the way it goes. The Hardys emerge with the Raw Tag Team Championships.

The Impact
One of the most shocking and intense moments in recent WWE history is the return of The Hardy Boyz to the company at WrestleMania 33. All it did was reignite the tag team division and remind fans what a historic legacy the Hardys have within the WWE. Their return was the perfect testimony to WWE’s ability to project uncertainties and pull off surprises on the grandest stage of them all.

10. Ronda R

The Setting
For a long time, Ronda Rousey had attained such a household name through her success in UFC, where she had become a top-notch champion and one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts. Her transition and surprising invasion in WWE were much awaited, although the time and manner of that debut were kept secret.

The Debut
At the 2018 Royal Rumble, moments after the conclusion of the first Women’s Royal Rumble match, Ronda Rousey made a surprise entrance. She walked to the ring, pointed at the WrestleMania sign, and had a small shoving match with several WWE superstars, indicating she had basically entered the WWE.

Impacts
Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut one of the biggest in the company’s history. One of the highest mainstream draws that WWE has, she added a lot of much-needed star power into the female division. Ronda made light work with terrific in-ring performances, bagged championship gold in the form of the Raw Women’s Championship, and jump-started this chapter in the book on WWE commitment to elevate the women’s division.

Conclusion
WWE has always made the debut one of its key surprises, mesmerizing audiences and setting the stage for arriving big fish to stomp into their new pond. Beginning with jaw-dropping debuts of legendary wrestlers to impactful entrances of future Hall of Famers, the moments have become the legendary moments of wrestling history. Every debut brought a new character into the WWE Universe and, in yet another way, lingered with fans all over the world at large. As WWE continues to reinvent itself, fans are generally eager with anticipation to be stunned and amazed over the future of professional wrestling with shocking debuts.