10 Greatest Debut Years In WWE History
8. The Undertaker
In 1990, Vince McMahon came up with an idea that was so crazy it just might work. He would take the lanky, red headed Mark Calaway (then kicking his heels in WCW), dress him in black and purple, and instruct him to move around slowly and wallop people in classic movie monster style.
Somehow, this didn’t just work - it birthed the greatest gimmick in wrestling history. The Undertaker’s first appearance at Survivor Series 1990 is still a showstopper today. Even in an era of broad characters, Undertaker stands out as something truly distinct. As the gigantic Deadman shuffles to the ring, kids especially shrink in their seats, or stare in awe.
‘Taker made his presence known in his debut, eliminating Koko B Ware and Dusty Rhodes, and then worked his way up the card, first swatting aside jobbers, then tangling and teaming with the likes of Ultimate Warrior, Jake Roberts, and Jimmy Snuka.
One year on, the job was complete as ‘Taker became WWE Champion, almost murdering Hulk Hogan by tombstoning him sort of near a chair. The character would evolve, but he was something totally out of the ordinary from the off (though his matches were, without exception, simply awful for the next several years).