10 Wrestling Debuts That Changed Everything

Game changers. Industry shakers.

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WWE

"They" say first impressions (as in life) are everything in pro wrestling, and "they're" right, but what if those first impressions also have ripple effects beyond the actual person debuting? What if they were so revolutionary, so ahead of their time and so impactful that they changed everything in their path, smashed the wrestling compass to bits and charted a new course for others to follow?

It's happened way more than you might think in pro wrestling's annals.

Everyone loves a good debut. If the character has credibility coming in, the hype has been well-worked beforehand and that actual first appearance proves to be memorable, then it can totally shake up a promotion anyway. Add some tasty consequences around that debut and you're onto a winner.

The sign of a good debut is impact. The sign of a great one is the emergence of other events because of it, and that's the case for every single one detailed here. These are the game changers, even if they didn't know they'd be called that at the time.

First impressions with lasting after effects are the best...

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Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.