10 Wrestlers With Incredible First Years
2. Kurt Angle - WWE
Appearing on the surface to have had only limited Pro Wrestling experience when he debuted in November 1999, Kurt Angle's first year on the WWE main roster is still the standard all singles competitors must look to emulate.
A remarkable run of matches and results by anybody's standards, the fact that Kurt was able to so perfectly ingratiate himself with every aspect of the art form highlights the sort of drive had shown winnin his beloved Olympic Gold Medal.
Casting himself as a smug heel and immediately understanding every nuance of the character, Angle quickly caught on with audiences who groaned at his holier-than-thou promos and his willingness to take shortcuts despite his obvious abilities.
After an amazing run of months within which he added the Intercontinental Title, European Title and King of the Ring to his trophy cabinet, he then found himself the centrepiece of the company's hottest storyline heading into the main event of Summerslam.
Though unsuccessful that night, his love triangle yarn with HHH and Stephanie McMahon kept him under the brightest lights, and by October 2000, he was the brand new (and richly deserving) WWE Champion.