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

6. 2016 - Shinsuke Nakamura

nakamura vs zayn
WWE.com

Ignore the brief footage of Nakamura cutting a selfie promo on a potato; his real debut happened at TakeOver: Dallas, and it was sublime.

Not unlike CM Punk's seminal AEW bow, it relied on Nakamura's myth to sell fans on the match. There were no angles, no vignettes, no anything, really. Simply, they told you that he was a game-changing charismatic killer with an aura like no other man in wrestling, and they showed you it on April 1.

They showed you via his stunning, big-time entrance, one crafted exquisitely to depict him as a megastar. He showed you, in his first and best WWE match, by bringing the explosive stiff-as-f*ck dynamism for which he was adored.

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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!