The Four Worst Wrestling Debuts Ever

by Michael Sidgwick
MJF Being The Elite
YouTube (Being The Elite)

Contrast EC3 with MJF, and his introduction on Being The Elite. It really is legitimately funny stuff. Working an hilarious “secret d*ckhead” gimmick, which he plays with a marvellous insincerity and turns on a dime with perfect comedic timing, we’re already anticipating the moment Cody discovers the ruse, and doles out the comeuppance. MJF is over as a charismatic über-a**hole, and the payoff shall be glorious. He has the facials to put it over huge when it happens. That, if we are not mistaken, is a plan.

AEW doesn’t even exist yet, and it is already drastically superior than WWE at debuting new talent.

Give it time, you may think, but no. WWE hasn’t done anything to earn our trust—that’s precisely why these four faces were rushed to the main roster in the first instance: to win us back as part of an overarching, harebrained charm offensive.

To us, these four faces are redeemable. They’re not, but they could be. EC3 can talk, Cross can war, Heavy Machinery can and have enjoyed cult success. Evans meanwhile needs to go back to developmental. That she was even selected to debut proves in itself how backwards all of this is.

These four, symbolic faces serve as a damning and morbidly hilarious indictment of WWE’s modern malaise. To management, these four faces are, essentially, turds—turds flung across a wall to see which may stick.

And, since WWE creative is the drizzling sh*ts, none have.

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Contributor
Contributor

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!