10 Best Debuts In WWE History
6. The Rock
Debuting as Rocky Maivia, The Rock didn’t always enjoy the best of times throughout his early WWE career. A precursor for Roman Reigns, Rocky was green around the gills and far from ready for the monstrous push his employers were about to give him. Fans quickly turned on his white meat babyface act. It took his “People’s Champion” persona to really kick him into gear, but his debut remains one of WWE’s most memorable, even if the excitement soon dissipated.
A third-generation wrestler with a bright future ahead of him, Maivia was labelled “The Blue Chipper,” and leaned heavily on his grandfather (“High Chief” Peter Maivia) and father’s (Rocky Johnson) wrestling legacies. His in-ring debut came at Survivor Series ‘96, when he teamed with Jake Roberts, Marc Mero, and Barry Windham to take-on Crush, Jerry Lawler, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and Goldust.
The rookie was presented as a future star throughout the match, but Jake’s elimination left him as his team’s sole survivor, with Crush and Goldust opposing him. Rocky showed no fear, however, and after quickly dispatching Crush, he pinned Goldust to stand as the lone survivor in one of the night’s biggest matches.