10 Most Successful Wrestling PPV Debuts
9. MVP
After two months of negotiations with SmackDown GM Teddy Long, Montel Vontavious Porter signed the largest contract in the brand’s history despite never stepping foot in a ring. Surrounded by beautiful women and bodyguards, MVP came across as a big deal, albeit arrogant and awfully similar to Terrell Owens. So fans were anxious to see him finally compete at No Mercy 2006.
His entrance was dynamite: an inflatable tunnel at the stage with fire blasting through branded towers. Although his outfit earned chants of "Power Ranger", MVP captured the crowd’s attention like an in-ring veteran. That interest vanished as soon as his opponent, the scrawny unknown Marty Garner, appeared. MVP wiped the mat with the jobber, finishing him off with his Playmaker swinging neckbreaker, first used by Randy Orton.