5 SummerSlam Debutants Who Challenged For The WWE Title

The Man They Call Vader made his WWE debut in the 1996 Royal Rumble in an impressive showing that yielded four eliminations and an absolute arse whooping to just about every other member of the roster. He'd continue this mean streak on anybody and everybody he could get his hands on in a tirade that would see Gorilla Monsoon of all people Vader Bombed. Big Van was suspended as a result of this.

After WrestleMania XII, Vader attacked Shawn Michaels which would allow him to work his way into the In Your House 9: International Incident six-man tag team match. In the match, he would score the decisive fall over 'The Heartbreak Kid'. Vader had forced his way into the championship match in what was his SummerSlam debut.

'The Mastodon' won the match via count out before Jim Cornette, who had been very much in Vader's corner since his return from suspension, realised the title couldn't change hands this way. The match was restarted for a first time but Michaels used Jim's tennis racket for the DQ. The match was then restarted for a second time at the insistence of Cornette, but HBK won for real this time via pin fall.