10 Best WWE Main Roster Debuts Of Former NXT Wrestlers

Fans were left disappointed when WWE didn’t deliver on Samoa Joe’s debut at the 2017 Royal Rumble, but they didn’t have to wait much longer for his arrival. His Rumble omission was emblematic of the Rumble’s lack of surprises as a whole, but Joe’s Raw debut as placed him at the heart of one of the brand’s biggest storylines, and has him rubbing shoulders with two of WWE’s biggest stars.

Triple H’s in-ring promo was always going to draw Seth Rollins out from backstage, and The Game sprung a perfect trap. Samoa Joe hopped the barricade as soon as Seth reached ringside, and immediately laid into The Architect. After rag-dolling him around ringside, Joe rolled Seth to the inside, flattened him with a series of running Sentons, then put him to sleep with his patented Coquina Clutch.

Samoa Joe’s first Raw closed with the sight of him kneeling over a former WWE Champion, and aside from the Rumble, it’s hard to think of better debut for him. He was one of WWE’s most consistent heels last year, and placing him in the company of Rollins and Triple H should see Joe positioned as a major player immediately. Whatever the next few weeks hold, Joe’s debut was impactful and shocking in equal measure, and has given WWE the springboard they need to build their next big heel.