Every Major Wrestling Debut TV Show Ranked From Worst To Best
12. WWE Superstars
Another trick for which WWE could be charitably called “You cheeky bastards”, the company pitched the revised ’Superstars’—an entirely original, live-to-tape show that was not syndicated—as a big-time show on which any Superstar could face any Superstar!
The opening fruit machine graphics suggested that the pairings were randomised, but wouldn’t you just know it, the house won. Lured in by dreams of John Cena Vs. The Undertaker, WGN woke up hungover in the casino with Primo and Jillian Hall grinning wickedly by the roulette wheel.
The first show made good on the promise, like the carny at the fair tricking you into thinking the unwinnable can be won, by promoting a match between the Undertaker and Matt Hardy. Less ‘Climb the ladder, kid, make yourself famous’ and more ‘That was half-decent if completely inessential’, the debut show also featured what might be the wildest match graphic ever, were it to take place in 2019: Shane McMahon Vs. Cody. Best of the bunch was the committed, very well-worked affair between Christian and Finlay.
‘Hey, that’s a match you don’t see every day’ failed to grab the public, and Superstars henceforth became known as the E show.