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

26. 1996 - Scott Hall

Scott Hall
WWE

As seismic as it was ingenious, until Jerry McDevitt (quite understandably) ruined the fun, it felt like the WWF had invaded WCW when Scott Hall turned up. And that's because he didn't.

Razor Ramon did.

Everything about this was so f*cking great: his gimmicked inflecton, the tantalising use of "we", the lack of music to create a vibe of reality, the overt threat to Eric Bischoff. This spellbinding moment was perfect episodic television.

Yes, the aesthetic and characterisation in pro wrestling was a core issue that required change - but the emergence of the Outsiders truly made wrestling feel like prime time.

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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!