5 SummerSlam Debutants Who Challenged For The WWE Title

5. Lex Luger And Yokozuna (1993)

The main event of SummerSlam 1993 saw two Superstars making their first appearance at the biggest party of the summer take part in a WWE Championship match with the most nonsensical of finishes.

With the Lex Express in full (ish) flight, Luger, complete with metal plates in his arm as the result of a motorcycle accident, had to avoid defeat or he'd never get another opportunity at the title.

After a surprisingly decent match Lex struck down Yoko's manager, Mr Fuji, and while the referee was tending to 'Fuj the Stooge' the glorified bus driver would remove all padding from his metal-plated arm and wallop his opponent upside the head. Naturally, this sent Yoko to the floor and he couldn't get back in the ring before the referee's 10 count which meant Luger won... albeit via count out meaning the Championship didn't change hands.

Even though the evil foreign heel was still the champion, everyone in the arena - Bobby Heenan aside - seemed to think Luger had brought the gold back home. Balloons and streamers fell from the rafters while fellow babyfaces took to the ring for the most shallow victory parade imaginable.

The story goes that Vince McMahon sanctioned the celebration because he saw the win as exactly that even though the championship didn't change hands. But hey, Luger and Yoko made their SummerSlam debuts in the main event so good on them.