10 Wrestlers Whose Rookie Years Exceeded Expectations

In the case of Kevin Owens, I’ve decided to include his NXT run, because unlike the Shield, his gimmick remained unchanged from his days in developmental.

Debuting on 11th December, 2014, Owens defeated CJ Parker in a thoroughly entertaining exhibition match. Of course, his work for the night wasn't quite over yet, as he’d shockingly turn on his buddy Sami Zayn in the aftermath of his NXT Championship win, kicking off one of the greatest feuds in developmental history.

In just two months, Owens betrayal would help him prise that NXT title away from Zayn, in a match that he won in emphatic fashion after the referee stopped the contest.

It built Owens up as an absolute monster, an unstoppable heel who couldn’t really be controlled, and that momentum soon saw him make a quick step-up to the main roster. There, he famously defeated John Cena in his very first competitive match, coming out on top in an epic affair at the Elimination Chamber PPV.

Add to that an Intercontinental Championship win before the year was up, and Owens achieved more in his rookie year than some will achieve in their entire career.

Here, it’s not like there was any doubt about Owens’ credentials as a performer. Instead, any lack of expectation stemmed from the assumption that Owens wouldn’t be seen as a typical “WWE guy”—but I think it’s fair to say that he’s well and truly blown that stereotype out of the water.