One person to come to WWE and take the WWE/WH Championship in their first match...
 

Is there anyone who has never been in WWE who you think could come in, take the title in their first match and make it work?

I'd ask the same for TNA, but there is a ridiculous amount of names who could do it. But if you want, go ahead.

Hmm not sure
Maybe Samoa Joe if they book him like Lesnar? There's probably some guys from Japan but I dont know how well they would be received with the WWE audience.

Oh yeah and Sting I guess

Sting is the obvious answer. Maybe Tanaka, reason being that he is a former ECW champion and they own archive footage of him. But probably only Sting.

I don't think so at this time.

Sting is the only one I could really argue, but I still don't think he would be able to do it. I don't think WWE would stand for it. Even a few years ago I don't think they'd have done it, and he's less popular and recognizable now with the younger crowd.

But at this stage in the game he's really the only big star who hasn't been in the WWE anyways. At one point or another, all of the WCW names came through.
Actually, I would argue that at not point in the wrestling business has there ever even been anyone who could do this, except for one.

Think about it. Everyone in WCW who was a major main eventer had pretty much already been so in WWF at one point beforehand. A guy like Booker T came into WWE red hot, but he couldn't win the title in his first appearance.

Goldberg could have done it. It's just a matter of whether Vince would allow it, and as we saw he didn't.

If WWE had done something like debut Goldberg at the Royal Rumble, and have him win it, I would have bought it.

Then if he were to challenge Stone Cold at that Wrestlemania, and they had a title match, I'd be really curious to see what the outcome was.

I think it would be stupid for a promotion to have Goldberg win the title right away though. The guys whole value is building a streak and chasing the title. Once he wins it, he's reached a dead end as a character. He can have a short run but there's not much to get behind from that point on. He's all hype and momentum.

Repeat title wins and reigns aren't as exciting, and I can't remember Goldberg ever doing anything of value that didn't pertain to titles and winning streaks.
He was never able to pull off heel, or take part in fueds built around something character driven. You would hope a talent had some flexibility, and could lose a match here or there without becoming boring.

Sting
Abyss

pfffft

Like a chinaman would ever get over in wwe.

According to wikipedia he's only 6'. I remember thinking he was way bigger than that. Could be that the ECW roster was just smaller though.

How about returning wrestlers who have been gone 5+ years?

If we go that route, they can't be former world champions, to keep within the spirit of the thread. The idea is something new and unexpected.

I mean from all programming too. Non-wrestling appearances perpetuate popularity

I was just going to speculate about Brock Lesnar, despite being off any and all WWE programming for 6 years now.

I really think that if they got him back he could win the title in his first appearance back and it would work more than well

In that case, Giant Bernard (a-train)

He put on some good matches for a big man, at the tail end of his WWE run. Since then, he has continued to improve, and his work in Japan has been phenomenal.

Rhyno might be able to pull it off.

Nevermind that giving the title to someone on day one is a stupid idea. It makes everyone else look weak. Make the guy win the Rumble, instead, as Jeritron suggested. The ratings are in the journey, not the result.

He puts on good matches, yes. But people hardly bought him as an Intercontinental Champion.
How would he come in and make a world title reign work?


Thed is going to big boot me.

Baldo Bomb to Jeritron.

By not having him come down to scotty 2 Hotty's music.

I would love to see someone who's never been in the WWE, or at least hasn't been in the WWE for years, to make a suprise debut at the Rumble and win.

The build to that Wrestlemania would be really great. It would be even better the night and first few weeks after the rumble to see the other wrestlers complaining about what happened, and seeing them settle into their show with such a big splash.

They could get 5-6 weeks of amazing programming just out of having that person checking out the brands, and getting a feel for which champion they want to face. All of the other top wrestlers having a problem with it, and the on-air authority figure trying to straighten out the mess would be gold.

That was years afterwards. The crowd never bought him lets get serious here.

I don't have a problem with the dude, just being realistic.

I wonder how "over" Sting would be if he was to debut in the WWE today. Look at Bret Hart's reactions, it really shows that a huge portion of the audience is not all that familiar with mid-90s guys.

Tomko and D'lo came to mind. Not really sure how I'd try to make that work, though.

I agree with this. I think Sting could be pretty over, but he'd have to be re-established by WWE and they could work their magic on him for the current audience.
He'd definitely work though. WWE would sell Sting masks and facepaint kits like hotcakes.

What? Those dudes have been in the WWE!

But D-Lo Brown is/was/will always be the man.

pin me, pay me.

You tell him, thed.

This one seems super random (probably is), but I'm gonna go for it anyway.

My idea kinda revolves around a Ted Jr. face turn. Million Dollar Man comes out and runs down his son for not "following in dad's footsteps" by using his name/riches to get ahead. He brings in someone who will do what he did years ago (buy it): Robert Roode.

It could work because Roode is good in the ring and the stick, and can generate heat (I think so, anyway). Plus, I think the audience would know him enough to make it work.

So have other guys who have been mentioned.

If he did come back I would hope he would have a manager and use a name that isn't Albert or A-Train. He got better in the ring and had a unique look, but Albert to A-Train is like going from Viscera to Big Daddy V. Gimmick-wise it's a lateral move.

yeah not sure why?????? Xero asked for people who have never been in the WWE

So the two I put don't fit the whole mold, but they weren't World Champions at least.

The Dude: Walter, the chinaman who peed on my rug, I can't go give him a bill, so what the fuck are you talking about?

Walter Sobchak: What the fuck are you talking about? The chinaman is not the issue here, Dude. I'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you DO NOT... Also, Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.

The Dude: Walter, this isn't a guy who built the railroads here. This is a guy...

Walter Sobchak: What the fuck are you...?

The Dude: Walter, he peed on my rug!

Donny: He peed on the Dude's rug.

Walter Sobchak: Donny you're out of your element! Dude, the Chinaman is not the issue here!

Roode would be awesome...but isnt he stuck in TNA for a long time to come?

I believe he recently signed a long-term deal, yes.

If we're doing 5 years+, Jarrett..but that would probably require TNA to fold and JJ to be desperate enough to wrestle for Vince again.

Awesome Kong could probably come in and murder Maryse/McCool for their belts night 1.

We know it's happen to the midcard and women's titles a few times.

But the big 2? If we're talking about anybody, maybe Angle on his return trip if it happens. But a guy who's never set foot in the E, gosh, Storm and Roode from TNA could fit the bill nicely. Moreso Roode, Storm I bet would go down the same path as Chris "Braden Walker" Harris.

Dunno who is hot on the Indy scene lately, but if things worked out for McGuiness, you may rank him up at the top as well.

I don't know, but I kind of disagree with all the names mentioned here. Not that they couldn't win a WWE or World Heavyweight Title in the WWE, don't get me wrong -- but do people really see A-Train returning to the WWE and winning a World Title in his first match? Not his second match, not being a surprise Rumble winner; but showing up and beating either Batista or Chris Jericho, as it were at the moment, in his first match to become a main event player?

Sting is a popular choice, but I agree with those who feel that he would have to be brought in, and the waters tested with him. If he were going to win a World Title in the WWE, I think it would have some build behind it.

Matt Morgan I could almost see. He's pretty much a Vince McMahon wet dream. He's big, he can talk, he can wrestle. I could see him coming in and winning a World Title out of a blue, just to sort of say "this guy is a force." Especially if Morgan walked out on TNA just as he was about to get a massive push. I know Xero asked for guys who have never been in the WWE; but Morgan is one of those guys who doesn't have the "WWE taint."

Hernandez is another one. I'm not the guy's biggest fan -- but he trained in Shawn Michaels' school, which would give him the edge over so many people. Him bursting in and winning a title would probably happen on SmackDown!, and be an attempt to appeal to Hispanic fans.

Daniel Bryan I could have seen doing it in a bizarre sort of universe. I mean, he's got so much backing backstage. He's well-tested as an in-ring performer, and if the WWE wanted to say "this guy is the ultimate wrestler" as a way of optimising their use of him; Bryan answering an open challenge by a World Champion and shocking the world would be a unique way to debut him. If Sheamus can get a run that easy, I think Daniel Bryan could.

Another that I think could perhaps do it, although the win would mainly be all storyline -- is Brett DiBiase. I'm not sure if he's actually injured at the moment or what, but when he does return, he'll likely only be 22 years of age. Okay, now let's imagine that Randy Orton is the WWE Champion, or something, and he's feuding with Ted DiBiase. Now, Teddy can either be Brett's WWE NXT pro, or there can be someone else involved in grooming Brett, as well; but eventually Ted's feud with Orton leads to Randy picking a fight with Brett, who is scared shitless. Ted says that Brett will fight Orton, if he puts the title on the line. Cue Ted and perhaps Brett's NXT trainer screwing over Orton and helping Brett become the youngest World Champion in WWE history.

But then Brett would have worked matches on WWE NXT. But if you don't count those... :shifty: