10 WWE Legends Who Had AWFUL Pay-Per-View Debuts

1. Steve Austin (Royal Rumble 1996)

12 months after this debacle, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin would be booked to pull a fast one on Bret Hart and win the 1997 Royal Rumble. Despite being eliminated, Austin snuck back in and cheated the referee's watchful eye. If only he could've done that in '96.

Entering as #24 in the match was a decent spot for Austin's first Rumble. Despite playing the boring Ringmaster character and being a newcomer to the company, he was scheduled to last until the final four and play a role in the bout's conclusion. Then, it all went wrong.

Instead of catching the bottom rope and escaping elimination after charging at Fatu, Austin tumbled out of the ring prematurely and landed next to the guardrail. On his podcast a few years ago, he'd own up to the botch and reveal his worry over messing up one of WWE's biggest annual occasions.

It was a nightmare pay-per-view debut for the man. Although it didn't end up ruining the night (Shawn Michaels still won as planned and everyone else involved managed to improvise), Austin was highly embarrassed by what had happened and apologised profusely.

What other WWE legends had inauspicious pay-per-view debuts? Let us know your memories in the comments section below!