10 Best WWE Main Roster Debuts Of Former NXT Wrestlers

9. Rusev

samoa joe seth rollins
WWE.com

The only way Samoa Joe could have possibly debuted with more of a bang would have been by emulating (Alexander) Rusev’s success in the 2014 Royal Rumble.

Only a handful of main roster superstars get to make their debut in the year’s biggest match, but Rusev had that honour three years ago. The Bulgarian Brute was in the midst of laying waste to NXT in January ‘14, and while few fans knew who he was heading into the event, everybody knew Rusev’s name by the end.

Rusev entered at number six, and while he didn’t spend a particularly long amount of time in the ring, he dominated his brief run. Rusev wrecked everything before him, and it took no fewer than four men to eliminate him from the match. CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, and Seth Rollins all ganged-up on the big man, ensuring that his monster aura survived the match, and setting him up for the Goldberg-esque run that followed.

Roman Reigns was the star of that year’s Rumble, and notched a record 12 eliminations by the night’s end. There was a clear need to get Rusev out of the ring before Reigns arrived, and while Rusev’s performance paled in comparison to Roman’s, it established him as a big-time threat on his first night on the main roster. Who could possibly ask for more?

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.