10 Best Debuts In WWE History
7. John Cena
Say what you will about the man’s divisiveness and what he’s come to represent in WWE, but nobody can take John Cena’s WWE debut away from him. Days after Vince McMahon had officially coined the term “ruthless aggression” in a backstage speech, an unknown rookie from West Newbury, Massachusetts answered an open challenge from Kurt Angle.
Angle was aghast by the newcomer’s brash approach. “You tell me: what is the one quality you possess that makes you think you can face the very best in the business?” Kurt asked. Cena’s response? “Ruthless aggression,” and a hard right hand.
With one swift punch, John Cena had established himself as a wrestler not to be taken lightly, and he dominated the early stages of the match that followed. Angle, a former WWE Champion, had to use every last drop of his skills and experience to overcome Cena, and while the debutant couldn’t win the match, he definitely didn’t walk out of the building a loser.
Cena had earned the respect of the fans and his peers alike. A host of superstars gathered to congratulate him as he made his way backstage, and after pushing the Olympic Hero to his very limits, John Cena was well on his way to superstardom.