Ranking What Was Really The Best Wrestling Debut Every Year 1990-2021

8. 2014 - Kevin Owens

The bold mega-push of AJ Styles in NJPW was great, but this was exceptional.

Kevin Owens arrived in WWE after years and years of proving himself as an incendiary promo and demented brawler. This wasn't sold as a nice sentimental story made possible by the shifting landscape. The bitterness mutated into violent, ugly jealousy because Sami Zayn got there first.

In an emotionally layered introduction that acknowledged the wider wrestling world to unreal effect - is it any wonder AEW is the hyped promotion for doing this exact thing? - Owens debuted as a face at TakeOver: R Evolution, celebrated the title win of his best friend, and promptly destroyed his best friend because friendship meant nothing to this ambitious sociopath of a killer.

Elegant, charged storytelling that treated the fans intelligently.

Gone are those days in WWE.

Authored by Michael Sidgwick

Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!

First Posted On: 25th Aug 2021

In this post:

CM Punk