WrestleMania is historically the culmination of the WWE season. Storylines, feuds, and championship reigns come to an end, as new title-holders take their new belts to TV, preparing for their next challenger. Old faces take a leave of absence, and new faces take their place. Sometimes that new face is a brand-new wrestler, one the WWE audience may have never seen. Sometimes they're a returning wrestler, debuting a new character, name, and/or attitude. Sometimes they're a surprise, and sometimes the WWE Universe is chanting their name before they ever hit the ring. Most of the debuts happen on the WWE's flagship show Raw; during the brand-split, Smackdown was home to at least one humongous debut. Who made the Top 10? Here they are, the Top Debuts and Returns in Post-WrestleMania History.
10. Vladimir Kozlov
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51hdD9z3JuA Vladimir Kozlov appeared on Raw in December of 2006, being interviewed in the crowd and stating his undying love for the "Double Double E," but did not make an in-ring debut on television for over a year. His in-ring debut came over a year later on the Smackdown! following WrestleMania 24. What made Kozlov's debut and entrance unusual was its simplicity: (despite what the YouTube video shows) there was no music, no pyro, and no lights save for a lone spotlight that followed him to the ring. He squashed enhancement talent Matt Bentley in about a minute that night, showing off his brute strength and mean streak. Kozlov was pushed to the main event very quickly, facing champion Triple H and eventual-winner Edge in a Triple Threat for the WWE Championship at the Survivor Series in 2008. After his first pinfall loss in televised singles competition against Shawn Michaels in March of 2009, Kozlov was drafted to ECW, and was then placed into a comedy tag team with Santino Marella in May 2010. His last feud of note was against JTG on NXT, and he was released from his WWE contract after losing to Mark Henry on August 5, 2011.
The 'House is a father of two and husband of one in Minnesota. He is an improv comedian, and in his spare time follows WWE, MLB, The Simpsons, and Bob's Burgers. Growing up he was a huge fan of He-Man, and refuses to believe that it was in fact terrible.
