10 Wrestlers Who Made Their WWE Debut In Marquee Matches

Whether it's because they've created a buzz outside of the wrestling world or they have a connection with people in the business, some individuals are granted special privilege when it comes to making a strong first impression.

There is such a fine line between making and breaking a wrestler's career that often if WWE are certain in their decision to establish someone, then they will give them a large marquee match to tell fans to take note.

For many wrestlers it is a struggle even to make it onto the PPV card. Because of this, those who go directly there for their debut are subject to a lot of scrutiny from fans. It's a valid response as the audience need to be able to see that they deserve the position they have been granted.

Now whether they achieve that or not is down to them, but it's plain to see when the company expects something incredible from the talent they have signed. Because if your first ever match is at a large event with an established opponent, then you have already achieved something many industry pros have not.

Oh, it's true, it's damn true! We start on a high with the Olympic gold medallist Kurt Angle. Appearing at Survivor Series against Shawn Stasiak, Angle put on a very smooth performance against his less acclaimed opponent. By working through wrestling holds reminiscent of his Olympic background and harder-hitting suplexes, it was evident that Angle had adjusted to WWE's style and put his own spin on it.

What makes his debut most impressive is that it came during the Attitude era, where characters tended to reject traditional American values in favour of brashness and edge. It wasn't the kind of period you would expect to see an Olympic hero appearing in, let alone succeeding.

But this worked so well in his favour, as Angle not only had an in-ring style that stood out amongst the crowd, but he used his perception as a clean cut American hero and subverted it to become a hilarious heel. He never felt out of place with the outlandish characters because he matched their energy and combined it with legitimate wrestling ability.

To make his first-ever appearance at one of the most prestigious events in the wrestling year makes it very clear that the company knew his potential. They were ready to go full in with the performer and he proved without a doubt why he deserved such a high profile spot.