Top 10 Most Iconic WrestleMania Debut Performances Ever

Gunther and Brock Lesnar

10- Finn Bálor at WrestleMania 34

Finn Bálor made his WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania 34 in a fantastic opening match for the Intercontinental Championship. He was embroiled in a triple-threat feud with Seth Rollins and titleholder The Miz after returning from a significant shoulder injury that forced him to vacate the world title in 2016. Balor and Rollins had great singles bouts building up to the contest. The A-list trio opened the show with one of the best Mania curtain-jerkers of all time. Moreover, the Irishman showcased tremendous athleticism and acted as a terrific foil to Miz's cowardly tactics. Although he wasn't victorious, being defeated by a Rollins stomp, it was a great, big-splash showing for the first-ever WWE Universal champion.

9- The Shield at WrestleMania 29

Five years before his Intercontinental Championship win, Seth Rollins debuted alongside Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns as The Shield at WrestleMania 29. The group had rocked WWE since their Survivor Series debut by jumping Ryback and John Cena. For their first Mania outing, The Shield faced the veteran triumvirate of former world champions: Randy Orton, Sheamus, and The Big Show. The match was promoted as three rookies versus three former world champions, giving the young hounds a lot to prove. They hit it out of the park, making a killer entrance through the crowd and securing a huge win when Reigns speared Orton and Ambrose pinned him.

8- Rusev at WrestleMania 31

Rusev's massive WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania 31 saw him defend the United States Championship against John Cena. ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ debuted on the main roster in the 2014 Royal Rumble and was still undefeated when he faced Cena. To show the company's seriousness in investing in yet another foreign menace, they kept the title on Rusev until Mania. Cena, chosen as the US hero, predictably won the match and the championship. However, Rusev was made to look like an absolute beast in the process. He also cemented the performance's spectacle by coming to the ring in a bloody tank, making the debut instantly memorable.

7- Kane at WrestleMania 14

For a debut big on spectacle over in-ring work, Kane's match against his brother, The Undertaker, at WrestleMania 14 is the clear choice. The two titans were on a collision course after Kane's legendary debut at Bad Blood 1997, where he ripped the Hell in a Cell door off to cost the Undertaker the bout against Shawn Michaels. The confrontation had all the melodrama of a great soap opera and all the gothic grandeur required for a stage like Mania. After months of refusing to fight his own flesh and blood, the Deadman finally accepted the challenge. While the in-ring chemistry was not the best, the storyline and visual appeal of the debut were unmatched, also starting his on-screen partnership with Taker for the next 20 years.

6- John Cena at WrestleMania 20

John Cena had his first actual WrestleMania match at WrestleMania 20, opening the show against the defending United States Champion, The Big Show. Though not yet a full-on babyface, the "Doctor of Thugonomics" was wildly popular, and this was his chance to solidify his status as a fast-rising star. The match wasn't a technical masterpiece, but the hot crowd greatly helped, as did Show's menacing presence as a seemingly unbeatable giant. Cena got the win and his first singles belt after using his trusty brass knuckles and then hitting a massive F-U, which delighted fans.

5- Ric Flair at WrestleMania 8

Ric Flair’s first WrestleMania appearance during his initial run saw him defend the WWE Championship, which he had won during the legendary 1992 Royal Rumble. His opponent was Randy Savage, following a wonderfully nonsensical feud where Flair convinced Savage that he used to be intimate with his wife, Elizabeth. The two icons of flashy robes and over-the-top promos settled their score in the ring. As expected, the action was exceptionally smooth, with neither man making a mistake for the entire match. Savage ultimately got his revenge for the trickery, pinning "Slick Rick" to capture the title. This should have led to more Mania matches, but the "Nature Boy" returned to WCW by January 1993.

4- Edge & Christian, Hardys, & Dudleyz at WrestleMania 2000

In the revolutionary WrestleMania 2000 Triangle Ladder Match, all six men were making their WrestleMania debut. The Dudley Boyz, though only having joined the company the previous August, were the Tag Team Champions heading into the contest. The match combined the various tag team stipulation bouts these three legendary Duos had over the past few months, introducing entirely new ways for six people to batter each other. It featured crazy stunts, big spills, and preposterous table and ladder constructions that made no sense but stole the show, enhancing their growing reputations. This iconic bout laid the groundwork for the first official TLC match at SummerSlam, followed by another at Mania X7.

3- Gunther at WrestleMania 39

Gunther hadn't been a full-time roster member the year before his first WrestleMania appearance, but by WrestleMania 39, he was Intercontinental Champion for over 300 days. He faced his toughest challenge yet in an all-European meet-off, defending the title against his fierce rival Sheamus and the new threat Drew McIntyre. This was a glorious full-on potato fest that demands to be watched to fully grasp its glory. After arguably the best performance of all three men's careers, the Austrian juggernaut pinned McIntyre to retain the gold and keep his historic reign in motion. It was a massive victory and a magnificent match, even if it didn't alter the very fabric of WWE history.

2- Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, & Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 32

WrestleMania 32 was the night women's wrestling in WWE changed forever, thanks to the triple-threat match between Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks. Women’s matches had historically been short or humiliating brand tie-ins. Following their call-ups the previous year, three of the Four Horsewomen were put into the Divas Championship match, later replaced with the new Women's Championship. They left no stone unturned, piecing together a match that made even the most ardent skeptics take notice. Moreover, the 20+ minute contest was legitimately the best on the entire show. Charlotte submitted Lynch to win the title, but all three women became history-makers, paving the way for future women's matches to main event WrestleMania.

1- Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 19

Brock Lesnar main evented WrestleMania 19 on his very first attempt, a rare feat only matched by the participants in the inaugural Mania. After debuting the night after WrestleMania 18, Lesnar won the King of the Ring, the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble in a single productive year. This set up a mouthwatering title clash with Kurt Angle. The Next Big Thing and the Olympic Hero delivered one of the greatest rivalries in WWE history, putting on a display that was technically sound and brilliantly theatrical. Lesnar ended the night as champion, but the match is also famous for his infamous botched Shooting Star Press that could have broken his neck.