10 Biggest WWE Survivor Series Debuts

1. The Undertaker (1990)

Eric Bischoff Boogeyman
WWE.com

Like anybody else could lay claim to the number one spot.

The Undertaker's historic introduction to WWE lore holds up to this day as one of the most important and impressive debuts in company history. Never even flirting with farce despite an ostensibly daft concept, 'The Deadman's original incarnation is fully formed from the second the wailing organs screech out the haunting original version of his theme music.

The company are right to replay the scene as often as they do - it's an inch-perfect presentation that should frankly be pored over internally even more than it is by fans old and new. Establishing a gimmick, an in-ring style, a killer finisher and a window into the character's future, The Undertaker tore through his first opponents in exquisitely booked fashion.

Making mincemeat of the goons on Dusty Rhodes' team before taking out the 'American Dream' himself, 'Taker brawled to the back with Rhodes in a count-out elimination that didn't strip an iota of his awe-inspiring aura. It took decades to craft a WrestleMania legend, but just a single match to build a Survivor Series one.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett