10 Wrestlers Who Debuted At The Top
6. Ric Flair
By the time Ric Flair finally made his way over to the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1990s, 'The Nature Boy' was a made man in the wrestling industry. Having spent virtually the entire '80s holding or chasing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Flair's credentials were ironclad and the only place for him was the top of the WWF card.
Vince McMahon agreed and, after weeks of hype from Bobby Heenan, Naitch made his eagerly anticipated WWF debut in September '91. Still sporting the 'Big Gold Belt' of WCW, he was even billed as 'The Real World's Champion' to boot.
Flair immediately found himself amid an undefeated streak and, within two months, he was challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship on the house show loop (albeit losing via count-out or DQ). When Survivor Series came around in November, Flair was well and truly bound for the top, interfering in the main event and causing Hogan to lose the WWF Title.
The events that followed ultimately led to one of the most memorable Royal Rumble matches ever with the WWF Championship up for grabs. Flair entered the Rumble at No. 3, lasting over an hour to win the match and his first WWF Title - proving that he was still every bit the 60 minute man he was in the NWA.