10 Best Debuts In WWE History
2. Chris Jericho
Back in 1999, Chris Jericho was already one of the hottest acts on the planet. An outstanding wrestler with great microphone skills and charisma for days, he was regularly one of the most entertaining things on WCW television, but he just wasn’t getting the push that his prodigious talents warranted.
He made his way to WWE that June. In the weeks leading up to his debut, a clock labelled “countdown to the new millennium” started appearing on WWE TV. It gradually ticked down with every passing show, and on the August 9th edition of Raw Is War, it finally expired. The Rock was in the ring cutting a promo on The Big Show, his rival at the time, when the brash, brazen Jericho entered the arena and proclaimed that “Raw is Jericho.”
Jericho’s first appearance was a resounding success. WWE fans knew that this was a major acquisition, and having him come-out to interrupt The Rock (himself one of the company’s most outspoken wrestlers) really presented him as such. The Y2K countdown was huge: fans completely bought into it, and when Jericho was revealed as the man behind it, his popularity exploded. Jericho was a made man on his first night with the company, and there aren’t many WWE wrestlers who can say that.
Criminally underused by his previous employers, Jericho was given every opportunity to fulfil his mammoth potential in WWE. Despite everything he’s accomplished since then, however, his epic debut remains one of his biggest career highlights: a testament to the impact it had at the time