10 Biggest WWE Survivor Series Debuts

4. The Shield (2012)

Eric Bischoff Boogeyman
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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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