WWE has had its usual topsy-turvy post-WrestleMania period this year, but the company has delivered some highly entertaining moments that are DVR-worthy. Among those memorable moments have been two surprise WWE debuts for NXT stars, both during the same segment the John Cena United States Championship Open Challenge. The debuts of both Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were must-see moments that had devoted wrestling fans coming unglued. While these appearances captivated fans imaginations and attention, they are far from the first NXT stars to make an impact during their WWE introductions. WWEs current roster is chock full of former NXT talent. Discounting those who participated in the reality TV show and focusing strictly on those who competed in the promotion NXT, more than 20 wrestlers on the roster came directly from NXT to WWE. Some of them made an immediate impression, while others fizzled out in limp fashion. With that said, lets take a look at some of the best debuts of NXT stars in WWE. For this list, the performers televised debut and first several appearances will count toward his or her placement. In some cases, that bolstered their standing, while others fell off in subsequent appearances. So lets find out which NXT stars made an immediate impact in WWE.
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.
