10 Hyped WWE Debuts That Were Total Misdirections
2. Brodus Clay
Brodus Clay was one of the few contestants on the dreadful first few seasons of NXT to genuinely stand out, mixing impressive speed and agility with his imposing size.
With a frightening disposition to match, it was unsurprising that Clay found himself able to latch onto a main event storyline when he concluded his season of the talent show.
Aligning himself with Alberto Del Rio, Clay was serviceable in his bodyguard role until the two amicably parted in mid-2011. A series of vignettes aired to promote his relaunch as a typical WWE killer, dominating any and all in his path.
However, this re-debut was perpetually shunted by Raw authority figure John Lauriniaitis, with the delay appearing to be a running joke as the weeks passed with no return in sight.
When it finally came, the generic monster was completely binned, replaced with a 'Funkasaurus' disco gimmick that was a genuine treat in its embryonic outing.
With Clay exclaiming "My bad!" after an attack to debut opponent Curt Hawkins, and asking fans "Should I get him?!", the sudden gimmick adjustment looked inspired.
But it was a one-note joke, with management giving up on the character before the fans even could, and Clay never receiving a push befitting the huge original buzz.