10 Best WWE Royal Rumble Debuts

Better known by younger fans for his decade-long stint at the SmackDown commentary desk, former ECW favourite Tazz made his much-anticipated WWE debut in the 2000 Royal Rumble's opening bout.

The Madison Square Garden crowd afforded the Brooklyn-born star one of the biggest pops of the evening, and he repaid their faith with a stellar opening performance, putting Kurt Angle away via submission in a little more than three minutes.

As squash matches go, this was certainly one of the more memorable in WWE history. The audience was on its feet from bell to bell, and both men played their respective roles to a tee, with Tazz made to look like a legitimate threat to Vince McMahon's status quo.

Unfortunately, this would turn out to be the highlight of the then-32-year-old's career outside ECW. Complications stemming from persistent neck injuries meant that he had to hang up his boots just a few months after jumping ship.