10 Wrestling Debuts That Changed Everything

8. The Radicalz

The Radicalz
WWE

The appearance of four cherished WCW workhorses on WWF television in January 2000 told fans who enjoyed both products that 'Dubya-C-Dubya' was finished.

When Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko walked out on WCW, signed for Vince McMahon and showed up together as 'The Radicalz', it was a sign of how aimless things were in Atlanta. How the f*ck could an already-directionless company let four prime pieces of talents stroll out the door and onto Raw?

There was no going back for some after that. This fan alone recalls hearing a friend at high school say he'd never watch Nitro or Thunder again. Why would he when his favourite parts of that show (the Cruiserweight division and overlooked undercard pack) had been plundered so heavily in one fell swoop?

Guys like Benoit and Guerrero, once considered the future of WCW, were now WWF guys. Plus, Benoit's direct dismissal of the significance of being WCW World Champ told the world that Ted Turner's operation was yesterday's news, at least when it came to developing talent.

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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.