Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted April 23, 2020 Awards Moderator Share Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) Some wrestlers appear in a company, and it takes them a little while to rise to the top and be their best. Some have a hot initial run and then drop down the card. And some have an incredible Night 1 that they're never able to match again. Who are your choices for that third category? I'm planning to watch another old NXT Takeover later today and it got me thinking about Shinsuke Nakamura, who for me has never come close to equalling that debut match in WWE against Sami Zayn. The aura, the charisma and the action of that match all on his first night ... and then it's really been nothing but disappointment ever since. Part of that is main-roster-syndrome (nobody really stands a chance when their first feud is with Ziggler) but he never quite reached that level again in NXT either. Similar is probably Tazz in WWE. Super, super hot first night in MSG choking out Kurt Angle, and if you were putting together a Tazz in WWE highlight reel, you'd certainly include that ... and probably nothing else. He never came anywhere close to that first night again. And possibly, maybe Chris Jericho in WWE counts too. When people talk about the best parts of Jericho in the 'E, his debut on Raw sparring with The Rock almost always comes up as one of the first things. Was he never that good again? He achieved greater things, but for quality, was he as good in his Undisputed Title run as he was that first night? (Notice I'm talking about debuts with a particular company. So Nakamura in NJPW, Taz in ECW and Jericho in WCW or AEW don't count towards my choices!) Who else had the best debut night where it was all downhill from there? Edited April 23, 2020 by HarmonicGenerator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted April 23, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) Was going to say Tazz in WWE myself. It was never going to last because Vince McMahon was never going to give the big push to a little orange munchkin who can’t reach his own cock. But that debut at the Garden was something else. Even after that, when the shine had long come off and he was wearing that hideous boiler suit to hide how fat he’d got, they teased doing something with Tazz and Steve Austin a few times during the Alliance days, and it always got a decent reaction. But Tazz was done by that point and I remember Austin just battering him in about 2 minutes on Raw in a match where Austin didn’t even bother taking his t-shirt off. I’m going to nominate Scott Steiner in his second WWE run. His debut at Survivor Series 2002 was classic Big Poppa Pump. Walks out looking a million quid, throws Matt Hardy and Chris Nowinski all about the gaff and screams “GIMME THE FUCKIN’ MIC’ live on air. It had that feeling of unpredictability and danger that he had in his later WCW days where you felt like anything could happen. He looked the business and it was one of the few times after the Invasion angle where it felt like one of the WCW guys was going to be a legit star in the WWE. All downhill from there. Within weeks he was having those rotters against Colourful Pants Era Triple H and within months he was falling off the apron against Test. Edited April 23, 2020 by wandshogun09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Supremo Posted April 23, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 23, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cutting Edge Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Tazz is a guy to me that hasn't aged well compared to others around that time, I watched him vs HHH the other day and he looks so small and ordinary to some extent, was a big fan back then but no I can see why he didn't do well in wwe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Id disagree on Jericho. Rewatched it after reading his books, and on reflection the build is great, but he’s pretty poor and over the top in his reactions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daaaaaad! Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 56 minutes ago, HarmonicGenerator said: but for quality, was he as good in his Undisputed Title run as good as he was that first night? Probably not, but his Nick Bockwinkel tribute act in 2008 is definitely up there. Few guys like him can actively elevate themselves back to the main event like that, even if it was never going to last. Regardless of whether you think he's original or not, he can definitely reinvent as we're seeing now. I think there are clear examples of that in his WWF/WWE run, despite how good his debut was. I'm umming and ahhing about this one, but Samoa Joe's debut was pretty hotly anticipated and came across really well, even if he does have that crummy first version of his music. The only thing that makes me unsure about this is that face to face he had with Brock before *sigh* Great Balls of Fire, which was intense in a really awesome way. Other than that, injury and poor booking have just seemed to step in his way so often since he's been in WWE.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members I Bent My Wookie Posted April 23, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) Mordecai. The guy came out looking like some avenging angel, scary as hell, just a big dude and absolutely destroyed Scotty Too Hotty. And then, nothing. Was there some rumour he was supposed to do something with Eddie?  Edit: I realise he was Kevin Thorn after but in terms of never being as good as his debut, he's surely worth a mention. Edited April 23, 2020 by Shy Dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Blog Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Brodus Clay in regards to his Funkasaurus gimmick. I remember this place loving his new gimmick.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRooster Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Sean O'Haire actually peaked BEFORE his WWE debut, with those fantastic vignettes they produced. It was all downhill from there for the poor guy. Kizarny is another one. Debuted with a win over MVP, then quickly disappeared. Peaked would be a little generous in his case, but his WWE run certainly didn't get better than his that first appearance. How about Nexus? Sure they went on to attack Vince McMahon, but did it ever get better for them than that Raw debut? I'd argue not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted April 23, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 23, 2020 2 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said: And possibly, maybe Chris Jericho in WWE counts too. When people talk about the best parts of Jericho in the 'E, his debut on Raw sparring with The Rock almost always comes up as one of the first things. Was he never that good again? He achieved greater things, but for quality, was he as good in his Undisputed Title run as he was that first night? If Jericho peaked anywhere in that run, it was the night he won but didn't win the World title off Triple H. 59 minutes ago, RedRooster said: Sean O'Haire actually peaked BEFORE his WWE debut, with those fantastic vignettes they produced. It was all downhill from there for the poor guy. He'd already debuted in the Invasion. Nexus is a top shout. Speaking of Invasion, Mike Awesome definitely counts. You could almost say anyone in WCW bar Booker T. Goldberg never looked better than the night he came in after Mania either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeronimoJacksBeard Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Kevin Owens for me. He's had his moments, but he's not had anywhere close to the same aura and sense of excitement he had when he first walked out, as current NXT champ, to accept the John Cena open US title challenge. You could stretch that to his debut match and win over Cena too to be honest, but since that he's never been quite the same level since. Loads of great, fun moments the rest of his tenure, sure. But when he first walked into WWE he came across like a genuine threat that could walk right into the top of the card, be taken seriously there and belong. A lot of that is thanks to Cena to be fair (and what a run that US title open challenge was). Since that, despite plenty of entertaining moments he's been a definite notch below . One guy that should have just stuck with his initial gear/look too. The simplicity of that design somehow fit perfect. All the others since just show him for a fat guy in a t-shirt and shorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrongStyle Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Surely The Undertaker's American Badass debut falls into this category? Yes, they ballsed up his music which meant that they ran almost the exact same introduction on the following night on Raw, but I will never forget just how cool this seemed at the time. That Iron Man match was actually bloody amazing, and then with all the chaos at the end, Undertaker turning up on a motorcycle and wearing a bandana, sunglasses and a leather trenchcoat blew my mind. The character was interesting for a period, but it wasn't long before he was about 80 stone and wearing those trousers against Kurt Angle at Survivor Series. He successfully rehabilitated the character again in 2002/2003 with the Big Evil aspect, but this was predated by a largely awful 2001. I don't think The Undertaker has ever seemed as amazing as he did that night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ColinBollocks Posted April 23, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 23, 2020 We all fell in love with Adam Rose for about a week when he debuted on NXT and delivered one of the great modern entrances. WWE then decided to change his entrance music a week or two later and we all very quickly discarded our new king, never to speak of him again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasingamymatt Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Has to be Kane surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRooster Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 38 minutes ago, tiger_rick said: He'd already debuted in the Invasion. Nexus is a top shout. Shit, I completely forgot about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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