10 Best Rookie Years in WWE History
How much can change in 12 months...
9. Sheamus
The Celtic Warrior’s rookie year is especially impressive when you consider that, at the time, it was a lot harder for foreign talent just to get signed, let alone used and pushed, by WWE.
And Sheamus certainly was ‘foreign’, wasn’t he? The big, ginger, translucent Irishman that he is.
His unique look certainly set him apart, but it was his close relationship with gym buddy Triple H that really landed him in the good graces of higher-ups.
Not that Sheamus didn’t work hard or anything, because he absolutely did, quickly graduating from low-level matches and feuds on ECW and getting drafted to Raw and put into a programme with WWE Champion John Cena.
Incredibly, Sheamus beat Cena in a Table’s Match at TLC, winning the spinning gold under 200 days after his first televised match.
From there, The Great White held it for a couple of months before dropping it and moving into a feud with The Game, which saw him lose at WrestleMania but win at Extreme Rules.
Mere days before his one-year main roster anniversary, Sheamus won a fatal four way at, erm, Fatal 4 Way, to win the WWE Title for the second time, which established him as a member of the main eventer clubs for the foreseeable future.