10 Terrible Wrestling Debuts (That Led To Awesome Careers)

4. Eddie Guerrero

Eddie Guerrero
WWE

The Debut:

After a shocking, thrilling first appearance on RAW alongside his Radicalz defectors, Eddie Guerrero suffered a freak accident elbow injury on the following episode of SmackDown. Ironically, the episode was built as a mettle test for the faction. A panicked Guerrero failed by calling an abrupt and revealing finish - one that contradicted what was planned - on the fly. Triple H famously said of Chris Benoit - then the best in-ring talent in North America - "he's OK". Management likely had an even less flattering assessment of Guerrero.

The Career:

He won them - and everybody else - over in the end. Management detected his rogue charm very quickly; he was paired with Chyna in a dynamic that allowed him to get over and develop his personality, even if he entered his best in-ring performances after his second debut. And what magnificent performances they were: Guerrero's WWE Heavyweight Title win was framed, for the benefit of the story, as the impossible, something that was thought simply couldn't happen. But he was born for the character-driven WWE main event, with his magnetic and distinct brand of charisma and ability to project himself to the audience. Guerrero became as good a sports entertainer as he was a pro wrestler.

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Contributor
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Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and 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!