10 Greatest Debuts In Modern Wrestling History

Cody Rhodes' journey after leaving WWE and earning his right to glory is well documented. His run on the independents made him one of the coolest wrestlers on Earth, his runs in Bullet Club and Ring Of Honor were stellar, and he always felt like one of the biggest brains in the room during the early years of AEW. However, after taking ill-advised time away to film the Go-Big Show as a talent show judge alongside Snoop Dogg, Cody's AEW momentum undoubtedly stalled.

As rumors began to circulate that Rhodes was working AEW shows without a contract, more noise was being made that Vince McMahon was interested in bringing The Prodigal Son home. With WrestleMania on the horizon and Seth Rollins set to face a mystery opponent at the biggest show of the year, the stage was set, and everybody expected Cody Rhodes to arrive.

Even with the shock factor of Cody's arrival at nearly zero, this debut shocked everyone as he "used his AEW entrance music". Far more than just a "Woah", the lyrics to Downstait's 'Kingdom' had followed him everywhere since he left WWE. They're a statement of intent that Cody was out to reclaim his throne, and it's unarguable that he has done exactly that since he rose through the stage and to the ramp for his electrifying WrestleMania 38 re-debut.