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

10. 2012 - The Shield

Shield debut Survivor Series 2012
WWE.com

The turtlenecks were weird, but it didn't matter.

WWE needed star power so badly, at a time when fans still believed stars could be created, that the Shield could have worn Karrion Kross' gimp mask and got over.

A cracking debut at the pay-per-view at which new emerging stars were introduced, the Shield instantly solidified themselves as a main event-level concern even by utilising well-worn tropes in their beat-down of John Cena and Ryback.

Their in-ring debut was even better; at TLC, they deployed their complementary dynamic in a blistering plunder brawl worked with a beautiful, immersive sense of strategy.

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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!