10 WWE Debuts That Were DOOMED From The Start
Not all wrestlers are created equal, as proven in these troublesome WWE debuts.
Every wrestler arrives on our screen with a blank slate. Be that for a returning favourite or a new superstar, WWE debuts are designed to get us excited about a new addition to the main roster of Monday Night Raw or SmackDown. However, not all of these debuts go to plan.
Whether purposefully sabotaged, having a gimmick that is instantly dismissed, or the performer themselves being below the level required, some debuts are memorable for all of the wrong reasons.
In every era of WWE, there are performers who may as well be pronounced dead on arrival. The classic method of airing vignettes for so long that a baby could be conceived and born within that time period is one such way to ensure this comes to pass. Hyping a performer to oblivion, or repackaging a known superstar in a way that is inconceivable for the audience, are some other ways WWE has made sure that a talent is doomed from the start.
Whatever the reason, the following ten WWE superstars were given zero chance of succeeding from the night they arrived on our screens.
10. Gable Steveson
Brock Lesnar was an NCAA Division I Champion who had a physique that was built to blow minds, and had Paul Heyman as a mouthpiece and loyal supporter behind the scenes. Kurt Angle was an Olympic gold medalist with natural charisma to burn, with more layers to his act than anyone could have predicted.
With previous success stories like this from the world of amateur wrestling, it was easy to see why WWE would conclude that 2020 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson was a home run in waiting. However, they couldn't have been more wrong.
The world of pro wrestling is bombastic in every sense. Steveson had all the flamboyance of a cardboard sandwich and couldn't get close to translating his considerable amateur wrestling talent into a WWE ring.
After extensive training, a WrestleMania 38 appearance, and being drafted to Monday Night Raw in October 2021, Gable's only match in WWE came over 18 months later at NXT Great American Bash 2023. Poor Baron Corbin tried his best to get anything out of Steveson, but this was completely futile. Fans can smell when they're being sold something rotten, and Gable was booed out of the building, while Corbin was cheered on despite being in the midst of a heel run.
Gable Steveson never appeared on WWE television again.