The 5 Best Surprise Debuts (& 5 That Were Hyped)

One of the best things to happen in wrestling is a surprise debut. On the main roster, there is little that compares to the moment Chris Jericho showed up and challenged The Rock or when AJ Styles showed up and took part in the Royal Rumble. However, in WWE NXT, the surprises are rare.

Instead of shocking fans with a debut no one expected, NXT will have a newly signed star in the audience to wave to the fans before they make their debut. That doesn't make their actual in-ring debuts any less special, but it doesn't match up to the few times that a wrestler showed up without warning and made their mark.

10 Surprise - Samoa Joe

There had been some big names from the indies that joined NXT and made a splash. Guys like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Neville were huge signings that made their mark fast. However, the biggest name to end up in NXT came in 2015 when Samoa Joe joined the company.

He made a surprise appearance in his debut when he stopped Kevin Owens from beating down Sami Zayn and stared him down. Joe was supposed to be on a part-time deal, but the response to his arrival made WWE sign him to a full-time contract, and he quickly won the NXT Title.

9 Hyped - Hideo Itami

The first appearance of Hideo Itami in an NXT ring was the farthest from a surprise debut as you can get. WWE promoted signing KENTA like almost no other NXT recruit. The company sent no less than Hulk Hogan to Japan to be in the ring as KENTA signed his WWE deal.

Then, when he finally made his debut in NXT, KENTA flashed on the screen and then slowly gave way to his new name of Hideo Itami. His debut saw The Ascension beating him down until he fought them off. Injuries derailed KENTA's entire WWE career.

8 Surprise - Adam Cole

Adam Cole is arguably the best surprise debut of them all. Cole moved up the ranks in Ring of Honor, from a tag team wrestler to a world champion. At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, Drew McIntyre had just won the NXT Championship from Bobby Roode.

After the match, former ROH tag champions reDRagon reunited and came up to challenge McIntyre. Then, from behind, Adam Cole attacked, and the Undisputed Era was born in that instance. Cole went on to capture the NXT Title himself in 2019.

7 Hyped - Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle was not a surprise debut, as he was introduced in the audience at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV. He then made his debut on an NXT October 31 episode, where he beat Luke Menzies. However, that was just a taste.

At NXT TakeOver: War Games II, Riddle made his TakeOver debut against veteran Kassius Ohno and beat him in six seconds, the shortest match in NXT history. They had a rematch at the next TakeOver event. Riddle made Ohno tap out and was a star.

6 Surprise - Karrion Kross

Killer Kross joined Impact Wrestling and grew into his role as a star there before demanding his release to sign with WWE. There were mysterious video packages airing for weeks, and while fans online knew it was for Kross, the vignettes kept it a mystery.

Then, on an episode of NXT, someone attacked and beat up Tommaso Ciampa, and then the camera slowly showed it was the now renamed Karrion Kross making his debut. At NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Kross beat Ciampa handily.

5 Hyped - Ricochet

Ricochet, like so many others, made his debut by waving to the NXT crowd from the audience after he signed with WWE. Fans knew Ricochet from his days in the indies, specifically Evolve, Dragon Gate, PWG, and New Japan.

He was also the top star in Lucha Underground at one point as Prince Puma. Ricochet made his in-ring debut at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans in a ladder match for the North American title. He then won that title a few months later at TakeOver: Brooklyn IV from Adam Cole.

4 Surprise - Eric Young

While not as big as someone like Samoa Joe or Adam Cole, the fact that Eric Young came out on NXT television, unannounced, and received a huge ovation speaks wonders for the former Impact Wrestling world champion.

Young had not signed an NXT contract, but he was signed for this one appearance. He showed up on NXT television on May 4, 2016, and issued a challenge to NXT Champion Samoa Joe. The two TNA icons battled each other on WWE television. Young then signed with WWE five months later and re-debuted with Sanity.

3 Hyped - Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens came up in Ring of Honor, from an underappreciated cult favorite to the main event star. As Kevin Steen, he won the world title and the tag title with El Generico. Steen then signed with WWE and agreed to debut in NXT and changed his name to Kevin Owens.

He cut interviews about signing with NXT and his debut at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution saw him beat CJ Parker. That isn't what made his debut great. That same show, his best friend Sami Zayn (El Generico) won the NXT Title, so Owens came out and hugged his friend, and then he destroyed him, turning heel.

2 Surprise - James Storm

James Storm was a TNA original, and he watched many of his contemporaries from TNA sign with WWE. He was part of two of TNA's greatest tag teams in history, and both Chris Harris (America's Most Wanted) and Bobby Roode (Beer Money) signed with WWE.

Storm stuck around TNA and never looked like he was going to move to WWE. Suddenly, without warning, Storm showed up on NXT TV on Oct. 21, 2015, and beat Danny Burch. He beat Adam Rose in December and then decided not to sign.

1 Hyped - Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura was the biggest name WWE signed out of Japan, even eclipsing KENTA when they added him. In January 2016, Nakamura said he was leaving New Japan at the end of the month and signing with WWE.

Some fans thought he might debut at the Royal Rumble, but WWE sent him to NXT. He made his debut at NXT TakeOver: Dallas and beat Sami Zayn in one of the best matches of that year. By August, Nakamura was the NXT Champion.

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