10 Best WWE Royal Rumble Debuts

It's rare that a wrestler taking his or her tentative first steps in a WWE ring receives an ovation to better that of the company's pick to headline the forthcoming WrestleMania, yet that's exactly what happened when AJ Styles crashed Roman Reigns' party two years ago.

Despite having spent a career supposedly competing in TNA and NJPW bingo halls, The Phenomenal One garnered the sort of crowd reaction you'd normally associate with a multi-time world champion, something Vince McMahon reportedly put down to sheer "beginner's luck".

To the surprise of no-one, he didn't last the course, eventually getting chucked out around the half-hour mark by Kevin Owens after a strong showing that saw him claim two eliminations (albeit just Curtis Axel and Tyler Breeze).

But it was enough to convince fans that he had a role to play in WWE's future, and - sure enough - he went on to capture the company's biggest prize a mere nine months after signing on the dotted line, capping off perhaps the most impressive rookie year since Brock Lesnar in 2002.