9 Wrestlers Who Won Titles On Their Debuts

5. Jon Moxley (IWGP United States Championship)

JON moxley United States
NJPW

Not content with completely uppending the American wrestling apple cart by swizzing his ex-employers with a perfect poker face before gatecrashing All Elite Wrestling's opening gambit, Jon Moxley turned his attention across the Pacific.

A completely unknown quantity in a Japanese wrestling ring, it was hard to say just how the former Dean Ambrose's New Japan Pro Wrestling debut would go - or, for that matter, his first match away from the auspices of WWE in eight years. Would he be able to cut it with Juice Robinson at the Best of the Super Juniors 26 final after an eternity working a heavily sanitised style?

In short: yes. Passion entirely rekindled, Moxley put on a stunning, stiff performance, the sort which we barely knew - or had forgotten - he was capable of. New Japan knew the man's quality though - and shifted the IWGP United States Championship onto the interloper on night one, immediately spiking fresh Western interest in their product in the process.

 
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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.