10 Terrible Wrestling Debuts (That Led To Awesome Careers)

6. Kofi Kingston

Evolution Of Triple H
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The Debut:

In whitewashed Jamaica, fake Jamaican Kofi Kingston - or 'Keengstan', as he butchered it - smiled away in his paradise before some trouble reared its ugly head in the form of a beach bully. Kofi beat him up offscreen - "the people have to wait to see the hot moves of this inane smiling man!" - and said, twice, in one minute and 17 seconds, "There's some trouble in paradise". This Jamaid Vince McMahon crazy, it was that naff, and while he fared better in-ring, impressing with his unreal agility, as debuts go, there was some trouble...in paradise.

The Career:

Failed WWE Heavyweight Title run notwithstanding, Kofi's career was all about the journey, ultimately; to remain relevant, over and entertaining throughout the super-served content era is significantly more of an achievement. A dependable singles performer turned charismatic entertainer as part of the New Day - the lowkey triumph of the post-Cena era - Kofi belatedly discovered his charm and natural role as a tag team extraordinaire. His show-stealing Royal Rumble exploits added creativity to the match just when the magic waned, somewhat, throughout the controversial Roman Reigns years.

This distilled his essence as a character; even when WWE was awful, his presence was a comfort.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!