10 WWE Stars Who Debuted On Pay-Per-View

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

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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.

9. Kurt Angle

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When Kurt Angle was plugging away in developmental, preparing for his WWE debut, he erroneously thought that he would be the biggest babyface in the world when he finally made it to TV.

Vince McMahon, in his infinite wisdom, knew that the opposite would be true.

The clean-cut, successful and enviously athletic Olympic gold medallist was only ever going to be a heel during the hell-raising Attitude Era.

Vignettes announcing Angle’s imminent arrival began to air on WWE television, showing the American hero talking about his ‘three I’s’ – Intensity, Integrity and Intelligence – while boasting the claim that he was the most celebrated ‘real’ athlete in WWE history.

When he made his in-ring debut at the 1999 Survivor Series, fans were not impressed by his traditional, amateur wrestling style, or his white-bread appearance and demeanour.

Interestingly, while he was in the process of working over his opponent, Shawn Stasiak, Vince informed the referee over his headset that he wanted Kurt to cut an unscripted mid-match promo scolding the fans for booing him.

As if he wouldn’t have been nervous enough, Angle delivered the promo with an assuredness that belied his inexperience. It was a joy to watch him develop as a performer over the course of his rookie year, as he captured the WWE Title just eleven months into what turned out to be an extraordinary career.

8. Taz

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Just two months after his own pay-per-view debut, Kurt Angle was acting as the opponent for a debuting Tazz (AKA Taz) at the 2000 Royal Rumble.

The Human Suplex Machine had done everything there was to do in ECW and left in late 1999 to sign with WWE. He didn't receive a tonne of hype via the requisite vignettes, with the company instead opting to drop subtle teases (by playing fragments of his entrance music and video) in the buildup to the Rumble.

When he was announced as the Olympic Hero's opponent on the night, the Madison Square Garden popped huge for the man from Red Hook, Brooklyn.

It was a great start, but it got better still as Tazz and Angle had a short but very dynamic match that showcased the best of the former ECW Champion. Tazz was also given the victory, ending Kurt's undefeated streak by making him pass out in the Tazzmission (which Angle then contested claiming that it was an illegal chokehold).

Sadly, it would prove to be a case of peaking on night one for Tazz, as he never had another match or moment that came close to it during his disappointing WWE run.

As great as he looked to fans during his debut, Tazz supposedly got an earful from management afterwards about toning down his style and making sure all of his suplexes were delivered with his opponents' safety in mind.

7. The Shield

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Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins were plucked from developmental and given a huge platform on which to make their collective WWE debuts.

The three standouts first showed up in the main event of the 2012 Survivor Series, interfering in the WWE Title match between CM Punk, John Cena and Ryback and ensuring the Straight-Edge Superstar walked out with the gold.

Though most assumed that the trio would be aligned with Punk moving forward, they quickly distanced themselves from them and established themselves as The Shield, a stable of asskickers who were out to right perceived injustices.

Their first official match came at the TLC 2011 pay-per-view, where they teamed up to take on the combo of Ryback and Team Hell No.

A total showstealer, the six-man TLC match was the perfect debut for the new group, as they got to look very good in a long and brutal bout that also, crucially, protected the babyface side.

Crucially, The Hounds of Justice went over, despite Rollins being taken out with an incredible bump through a stack of tables.

The win kicked off a streak that lasted for months, as The Shield made a killer first impression.

6. The Rock

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These days, if someone came along and had the first six months that The Rock had, they'd likely be wished well in their future endeavours before they turned into the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.

Long before the catchphrases and the People's Eyebrow, The Rock was plain old Rocky Maivia, the clean-cut third generation star who was given the nickname 'The Blue Chipper'.

Maivia debuted on Raw in November 1996 as a member of Marc Mero's crew and was booked to team with The Wildman, Jake Roberts and Barry 'The Stalker' Windham at Survivor Series.

WWE saw big things in his future, given his look and lineage, but he was lacking in experience and character when he debuted at the pay-per-view, which was held at Madison Square Garden.

The bout itself was long and not exactly thrilling, though Rocky was booked to be the focus, getting some spots to shine and eliminating Goldust and Crush on his way to being the sole survivor.

It was a start for Dwayne Johnson, though his career didn't truly take off until he became a heel some time later.

5. Mark Henry

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WWE typically go all-out when recruiting superstar athletes from other sports, as we have seen in the past with Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, and are seeing now with Gable Steveson.

Mark Henry was one of the company's first major investments in that regard, as they signed the powerlifting phenomenon tipped for Olympic glory to a lucrative and unheard of ten-year deal back in the mid-90's.

In an attempt to get a quick return for the money spent, WWE booked The World's Strongest Man before he was truly ready, putting him in there against Jerry Lawler at In Your House: Mind Games.

It was actually Henry's second match ever, after he and The King ran through it at a house show the night before the pay-per-view.

Henry had a lot of raw talent and ability and you can see why WWE were so eager to have him, but he obviously hadn't quite put it all together by this point. Luckily, he was in the ring with Lawler, an experienced veteran who was able to extract a lot of mileage out of everything he did.

The King walked Henry through a short and basic match before succumbing to a backbreaker. Afterwards, Mark wiped out Leif Cassidy, Marty Jannetty and Hunter Hearst Helmsley before posing while pyro went off.

It was a presentation that told you 'this is a future star' and, while injuries and other setbacks derailed his progress, Henry got there in the end.

4. Fandango

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Like Big E the year before him, Fandango had his first proper WWE match on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

NXT season three winner Johnny Curtis had appeared on SmackDown previously via a series of bizarre backstage segments where he, for example, poured milk all over his head.

He disappeared before having a match and when he returned it was as the flamboyant ballroom dancer. Vince McMahon was supposedly a huge proponent of the gimmick and though he often flirted with the idea of competing on WWE television, Fandango would inevitably refuse to so much as lockup with his opponent because the ring announcer pronounced his name ring.

Eventually he found himself feuding with Chris Jericho and was booked against Y2J at WrestleMania 29.

Fandango got the speculator entrance and was booked to look competitive against the first-ever Undisputed Champion before getting a win in what was a shocking upset. The match was, at that point in the card, the in-ring highlight of what had been a decidedly lacklustre show.

Much better than the victory, however, was the viral phenomenon of 'Fandagoing', which saw members of the WWE Universe singing his catchy theme music outside arenas, on public transport and elsewhere.

WWE soon hammered that well into the ground (naturally), but it made Fandango feel like a big deal for a moment there.

3. Dominik Mysterio

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It must be hard enough to make your debut when you're the son of a genuine legend, never mind doing so in a featured match on a major pay-per-view (in a gimmick match opposite a top star no less).

Add to that the fact that the pay-per-view is taking place in front of no actual fans at the beginning of a burgeoning pandemic and, well, that's quite a task, wouldn't you agree?

Dominik Mysterio had been showing up on WWE television at various points since he was a little boy, getting involved in father Rey's feuds with Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk, but even that training - coupled with the basic in-ring training he'd been doing for the past couple of years - couldn't have properly prepared him for his SummerSlam 2020 street fight with Seth Rollins.

The lack of preparation didn't show on the night, thankfully, as Dominik hung in there with the Monday Night Messiah, going over twenty minutes and hitting all of his cues while taking a stiff beating with kendo sticks and other plunder.

Rey later admitted that he didn't think his son was ready and wanted him to grow and develop more while posted to the WWE Performance Center. However, once the angle with the Mysterios, Rollins and Murphy began to build organically, WWE decided to throw Dominik in at the deep end.

He passed the test and continues to be a fixture on WWE television.

2. Ronda Rousey

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While the in-ring WWE debuts of Big E, Fandango and others were reserved for WrestleMania, it's fair to say that the matches they were involved in paled in comparison to Ronda Rousey's first WWE match, in hype, positioning and presentation.

Rowdy Ronda had been in WWE's plans back while she was still on top of the women's division in UFC, having shown up at major events, including WrestleMania 31, where her and The Rock got into it with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, which seemed to be a tease for an eventual blockbuster match.

She finally signed with the company in early 2018 and debuted at the end of the Royal Rumble, before reigniting her feud with The Game and the Billion Dollar Princess heading into 'Mania 34.

The Great One wasn't available as a partner, but a returning Kurt Angle was a damn fine substitute and certainly matched Rousey in combat sports credibility.

Entering a performance reminiscent of a rookie Angle, Ronda looked the business as she played her part in what ended up being the best match on the show.

The fans were well on her side and her opponents and partner made sure that she was in the spotlight. It was an assured showing of a surefire superstar and it's really no surprise that Rousey was on top of WWE's women's division for the next year, culminating in her main-eventing WrestleMania 35.

1. The Undertaker

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After leaving WCW and signing with WWE, Mark Calaway sat by the phone awaiting instructions on what gimmick he would be portraying.

His heart sunk when he saw the company promoting something that would come out of a giant egg at the 1990 Survivor Series, certain that he would be hatching at the Thanksgiving spectacular as 'Egg Man' or some other ridiculous character.

Luckily for him, he was speared that indignity but was given another gimmick that, on the surface at least, was also somewhat ridiculous and could have been a major flop in another performer's hands.

At the Survivor Series, The Undertaker made his in-ring debut as a surprise member of the Million Dollar Team, tagging up with Ted DiBiase, the Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine to go against Dusty Rhodes, Koko B. Ware and the Hart Foundation.

The Deadman made an instant impact by eliminating the Birdman and the American Dream, before getting counted out.

Nobody had seen anything like a zombie mortician before and he stuck out as genuinely frightening in a cartoonish era.

It's obviously a crying shame we never got to a seven-foot, ginger Egg Man, but The Phenom's debut is one of the best ever and put the character on the front foot. I don't think anyone expected him to stick around for 30 actual years, but there was certainly magic there from night one.