I assume we’ve all seen Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards debut in TNA on last night edition of Impact? If not, here you go.
Now I will hold off judgement until we see where their debut angle is headed, but I will say that I am slightly disappointed with how the Wolves have been used in their debut appearance. With that said, lets take a look at five terrible debuts in professional wrestling.
The Shockmaster
How could I possibly create a list about the worst debuts without including the definition of that very phrase? Now I will say that I don’t think this gimmick would have set the world on fire even if Fred Ottman hadn’t fallen face first and lost his ridiculous stormtrooper mask in the process. On another note, how exactly did WCW get away with clearly using a Star Wars trademarked item on national television?
Instead of using the same old footage you’ve seen time and time again, here’s Mick Foley, Dusty Rhodes, Michael Hayes, Pat Patterson and Gene Okerlund discussing the ridiculousness of the situation.
Brodus Clay
This is the video WWE played to get everyone excited for Brodus Clay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIYmgzlkTxw
Exciting huh?
It’s disappointing that I have to say the most interesting part of the new Brodus Clay gimmick was the buildup. WWE had been building his in-ring debut for weeks and it was looking like he was in for the push of a lifetime as the video suggests. When he eventually got his chance to show off his new gimmick in the ring, out came the Funkasaurus. The crowd didn’t really know how to react and I have to commend Brodus for trying his hardest to get the idea of a 300+ pound man just wanted to dance instead of being a monster.
Colt Cabana
I don’t think WWE ever really got Cabana or his character and it came across in his entire WWE run. His debut saw him showing up on SmackDown to face The Brian Kendrick for no apparent reason, what’s worse is that he had been renamed Scotty Goldman. He music was as generic as it comes and in no one represented his character. Goldman cut a promo before the match that fell on the deaf ears of Jim Ross and Taz. To make matters worse, he lost clean to Kendrick and then took a beating afterwards from Ezekiel Jackson. Yikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8riRONS2TCg
Steve Austin
Austin came into WWE off a hot run in ECW that saw him cut some of the best promos of his career up to that point. All was looking good for him when the news he had signed to WWE broke. Then Ted DiBiase presented us with The Ringmaster and Austin’s future with one of the two big companies looked uncertain. Austin puts it best himself.
WWE called me, picked me up, I went up there and they called me the Ringmaster. Well that sucked ass. I knew it. It wasn’t giving me any kind of marquee value. Ain’t too many people going to be buying t-shirts with the Ringmaster on it.
– Steve Austin
Rocky Maivia
If I got a WWE title for every time the words ‘blue Chipper’ was thrown around during the debut of Rock Maivia then I would probably be Ric Flair right now. Rock came running down the isle at Survivor Series with the same excitement as a dog whose owner has been away for too long. Maivia managed to pick up a win in his debut match and the crowd was indifferent, as they would be for much of his initial run. I think the mistake WWE made here was relying too much on his third generation genes and less on his natural ability and talent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjg9Otea848
I bet that lot makes you feel slightly better about the future of the American Wolves in TNA. What do you mean, NO?
– By Michael Owen
Want to share your favourite terrible debuts? Comment below!