WWE's Top 10 Rookie Years

[Tired]

WWE's Top 10 Rookie Years

WWE.com has posted a list of their top 10 rookie years in their history.

A rookie year is defined as exactly one year from the date of their first WWE match. The article is designed to further promote the returning Brock Lensar. But it does make for some interesting reading.

10. Tatanka

Went undefeated for his entire rookie year.

9. Shane McMahon

Won the European Championship inside 2 months.
Defended the title at WrestleMania.
Teamed with Mr. McMahon to defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin in a handicap match (with ladder match rules), the main event of the King of the Ring pay-per-view.
Lead the Ministry of Darkness.
Competed in a street fight with Test at Summerslam.

8. Sheamus

Ended Jamie Noble's career.
Won the WWE Championship within 6 months, beating John Cena.
Put Triple H on the injury list after a Street Fight at Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
Defeated Edge, Randy Orton and John Cena in the main event of Fatal 4 Way pay-per-view to win the WWE Championship for the second time.

7. Kurt Angle

First Olympic Gold Medalist to compete in the WWE.
Won the European title inside 3 months.
Held the Eurocontinental title (Intercontinental and European Championships together) inside 4 months. Is only the 3rd person out of 4 to achieve this.
Had 2 matches at WrestleMania.
Won the King of the Ring.
Won the WWE Championship.

6. Yokozuna

Won the Royal Rumble, becoming the first person to win a title shot at WrestleMania by winning this match.
Competed in 2 matches at WrestleMania.
Defeated Bret Hart at WrestleMania to win the WWE Championship.
Defeated Hulk Hogan to win his second WWE Championship.

5. The Giant

Defeated Hulk Hogan to become WCW Champion.
Is the youngest WCW Champion ever.

4. Alberto Del Rio

Won the Royal Rumble.
Won a Money In The Bank match.
Left Summerslam as the WWE Champion.
Is the first Mexican-born wrestler to win the Royal Rumble and the WWE Championship.

3. Goldberg

Won every match.
Won the United States Championship.
Defeated Hulk Hogan (on an episode of Nitro) to win his first WCW World Championship, within 6 months.
Held the US and World titles at the same time.

2. The Undertaker

Rarely lost.
Defeated Hulk Hogan to win the WWE Championship.
Won at WrestleMania.

1. Brock Lesnar

Won the King of the Ring.
Defeated the Rock to win the WWE Championship.
Won the Royal Rumble.
Defeated Kurt Angle to win his second WWE Championship at WrestleMania.
Holds the record for shortest amount of time between debut and winning the WWE Championship.

 

[Cue]

Kurt Angle is ranked waaaaayyyyy too low. He should have been number one. Is it because he's working for TNA?

 

[Tired]

Kurt Angle is ranked waaaaayyyyy too low. He should have been number one. Is it because he's working for TNA?

Yes.

 

[Deleted User]

They missed Hulk Hogan.

No, really.

 

[Tired]

No they didn't. His rookie year in the WWE was poor. He was essentially a jobber. It wasn't until he made his second run in the company that he became a main-eventer.

Remember, he quit the WWE because Vincent J. McMahon SENIOR wouldn't let him do movies. Vincent K. McMahon hired him back after the success of Rocky III, and the birth of Hulk-a-mania. So this would not have been his rookie year.

 

[Deleted User]

This is the WWE's top rookie years, not what good old Vinnie Senior did. If Vince is going to keep re-writing wrestling history, he has to deal with that.

Hogan's first time in New York was with the WWWF. Different company. That company played nice.

 

[AKI Man]

7. Kurt Angle

First Olympic Gold Medalist to compete in the WWE.
Won the European title inside 3 months.
Held the Eurocontinental title (Intercontinental and European Championships together) inside 4 months. Is only the 3rd person out of 4 to achieve this.
Had 2 matches at WrestleMania.
Won the King of the Ring.
Won the WWE Championship.

I am sorry, but Kurt should be ranked atleast either 1st or 2nd. Look at his achievements in his first year with the WWE!

I know its because of his link with TNA, but seriously, the WWE think we are dumb wrestling fans that dont know whats right. FUCK EM!

 

[KG 24]

Does WWE always have to bring their former wrestlers down? They always do this... it just makes me respect them less and less.

 

[PsychoGirl]

Pretty Good List, but I agree with Kurt's Incident and yah, Hogan should be there. (Who knows what wwe is doing after all :? )

 

[KG 24]

And call me crazy, but I think Undertaker's rookie year is too high. Taker should be #4, Goldberg #3, Angle #2, and Lesnar #1.

 

[Christian]

In my opinion , they wanted to get Lesnar over with this list.

 

[stylesismilo]

It's pretty obvious with Lesnar's return and then they came up with this list. It's marketing and promoting your talent.

 

[Tired]

And I did say so in the very first post.