10 Rare Awesome WWE Surprises
6. Finn Bálor's Surprise Debut
It wasn't even that contrived, or at least it never felt that way, wired as our minds were in perfect, generous synergy with a brand that generated an endless source of goodwill.
The Ascension had targeted Hideo Itami, a singles competitor, like complete dumbasses. They willed his tag team partner into existence, effectively, for no logical reason. Itami was a singles star who did not threaten their spot on the card. But this contrived plot hole - it was a means of writing the team out - didn't matter; it meant a new star was set to debut.
That star was Finn Bálor, the former Prince Devitt, who in the final phase of his awesome NJPW run had fused excellent professional wrestling with a marketable sports entertainment aesthetic. He was an action figure/workrate hero hybrid who had worked himself, brilliantly, into a position of prominence in a company it was believed, back then, was capable of pushing him to superstardom. He arrived in November of 2014, by Itami's side, to batter Konnor and Viktor with stereo corner dropkicks, symbolising a new era of advanced in-ring work.
To put this into further perspective: Bálor arrived, his new name flashing on the tron, and fans were high on the change where they were once peturbed.