10 WWE Stars Who Debuted On Pay-Per-View
Worth the money?
It is almost 27 years since WWE presented their fourth In Your House pay-per-view (retroactively titled Great White North).
Headlined by a dismal WWE Title match between Diesel and the British Bulldog, the show was a major source of frustration for Vince McMahon, who was unhappy with both the creative and the performances on the night.
It was not a good show, remembered for the whole Dean Douglas/Shawn Michaels/Razor Ramon Intercontinental Title tomfoolery and not much else.
It was also the show that Dustin Rhodes, portraying Goldust, made his in-ring WWE debut after an age of vignettes and segments hyping his arrival.
Did his arrival live up to it? Not quite, as he and Marty Jannetty had a stinker that could have been the end of the Bizarre One, had WWE opted to cut their losses from the off.
It's not nice to fail, but it's worse to fail in a high-pressure situation, including a show that fans have been asked to pay for. Goldust is not alone in having his debut take place at an order-only event, of course, as other superstars have been booked in a similar position.
Some, it's fair to say, fared better than others.
10. MVP
The original MVP character was a fantastic idea that was very much in keeping with its time.
As the 'highest-paid free agent in SmackDown history', MVP was patterned after real-world sports stars from the NBA and NFL who typically arrived with hype, entourages and plenty of demands.
Montel Vontavious Porter showed up on the blue brand in the summer of 2006, negotiating his ridiculous contract ahead of his actual in-ring debut. He would speak with General Manager Teddy Long in backstage segments or be seen sitting in a plush skybox in the arena, often flanked with a bodyguard and/or beautiful women.
Finally, he signed on the dotted line (announced during a press conference) and his first official match was booked for the No Mercy pay-per-view.
He made a suitably elaborate entrance as the announcers talked up his amazing abilities, before beating journeyman enhancement talent Marty Garner in a short bout.
It was an unimpressive bow, but by design. MVP was supposed to be an overhyped and overpaid athlete who talked a big game but didn't back it up when the lights were on bright. He drew heat with his mannerisms, Power Ranger outfit and calibre of his chosen opponent, leading JBL and Michael Cole to quickly turned on him.
He was clearly doing what WWE management wanted him to do, as he very quickly progressed to working with top stars and respected veterans like Kane, The Undertaker and Chris Benoit.
Written by Lewis Howse
Features journalist for Cultaholic.com and script writer for the Cultaholic YouTube Channel.
