Ranking What Was Really The Best Wrestling Debut Every Year 1990-2021

14. 2008 - Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger
WWE

F*ck John Laurinaitis. If you think the rumoured changes to WWE seem bad, you should probably remember what happened the last time this blithering idiot held power.

2008 was peak Johnny's got nothin'. Good grief was this a barren wasteland of a star-creating enterprise. Who gets the nod?

Evan Bourne, for losing via count-out?

Vladimir Kozlov, for being the proto-Karrion Kross?

F*cking Manu?

Let's just go with Jack Swagger, Christ.

He looked a bit of a prat smiling his head off as was so obviously instructed by Vince McMahon, but his seamless penetration step/gut wrench suplex combo alerted fans that he had a bit more about him than the cookie cutter developmental fundamentals.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!