10 Biggest WWE Survivor Series Debuts

4. The Shield (2012)

Shield debut Survivor Series 2012
WWE.com

Dressed in turtlenecks and featuring a sexy samoan front and centre, The Shield weren't perhaps what CM Punk had in mind when he pitched the terrifying triumvirate from NXT. But Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were at least permitted to leave their ungainly branded riot gear in the back when they rushed Survivor Series 2012's triple threat main event.

Ryback had champion Punk and fellow challenger John Cena subdued when the three rocked up and pounded him into oblivion. As Michael Cole identified them as Full Sail insurgents, The Shield delivered their first triple powerbomb on 'The Big Guy' through a table, leaving 'Big Match John' prone for a Punk quick win.

Cole's instant identification was important for giving the audience just enough intel on the mysterious trio before further television attacks would flesh out their motivations and intent. As impactful as virtually everything they did in their original run, Rollins, Ambrose and Reigns were instantly on the map.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he 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 on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. 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 music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.