5 Forgotten WWE Debuts Of Indie Superstars

5. Dean Ambrose - January 15th, 2006

When Dean Ambrose appeared on WWE TV as Jon Moxley back in early 2006, few could have foreseen what lay ahead for the young upstart a decade later.

Taking on the WWE Tag Team Champions, MNM, Ambrose would tag with Dean Taylor on the January 15th edition of Velocity in 2006. Inevitably, the unknown duo would come up short, with Ambrose left looking at the lights after MNM hit their Snapshot finisher (a Flapjack/DDT combo).

While the Moxley character has a reputation for being undeniably un-PG, this appearance even pre-dates the heights of his ultraviolent stage. Decked out in blue trunks, black boots and sporting long, tied back hair, the future “Lunatic Fringe” is barely recognisable from the Dean Ambrose we know today. Even down to wrestling style, Moxley is far more reliant on traditional wrestling holds and manoeuvres in this outing than the brawl-based offense we see now.

Ambrose (as Moxley) would appear twice more over the course of the next 12 months; first on the May 1st edition of Heat tagging up with Dick Rick (aka Eli Drake) to take on Big Show and once more in his sole singles outing as Moxley against Val Venis (also on Heat) on January 15th, 2007.

Ambrose wouldn’t appear in WWE again until 2011, working the house show circuit and dark matches before being called up to the main roster for Survivor Series 2012 as part of The Shield.