10 WWE Wrestlers Who Survived HORRIBLE Debuts
Patience! Sometimes, a wretched WWE debut isn't the creative death sentence it first appears.
As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. This is especially true in wrestling. If you make a fool of yourself the first time you walk out on TV, then it will stay with you for the rest of your career. Just ask The Shockmaster.
A bad debut isn't ideal, but it doesn't have to be a death sentence. The wrestling gods can be benevolent enough to hand out a second chance, and the recipient can go on to have a career good enough to make everyone forget how much they sucked the first time around.
This list features everyone from cult heroes and main eventers to bonafide WWE Hall Of Famers. All of them had debuts that could be best described as...disappointing, but none of that mattered once they really hit their stride.
We've taken a rather loose approach to the definition of 'debut'. Sometimes we're talking about a match, sometimes a promo segment; sometimes a wrestler will have been on TV before, but as a different character or as part of a developmental brand.
Either way, all of these workers had absolute shockers.
10. Danhausen
Somebody on WWE's creative team had clearly been watching Se7en in the build-up to Elimination Chamber 2026, because that show was all about "WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!"
A large crate had been bouncing back and forth between Raw and SmackDown for weeks prior to the PLE. At the show itself, General Managers Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis pried the thing open to reveal some precious cargo inside. Was it Chris Jericho? Was it Vince McMahon? Was it the ghost of Bruno Sammartino? Nope, it was Danhausen!
The former AEW star and collector of teeth made a characteristically flamboyant arrival with dancing girls and bombastic music. Sadly, this did absolutely nothing for the crowd, who sat on their hands throughout. People were incredibly worried about Danhausen's future. His irreverent comedic style was too out there for a mainstream audience, or so it seemed.
Thankfully, over the next few months, he proved everyone wrong.
Danhausen is currently one of the most over acts on WWE's roster. The company clearly loves him, as they push him at every possible opportunity. He's more successful now than he ever was in AEW and it's glorious to see.