6 Best Summerslam Debut Matches in WWE History

It is not that often that a WWE match from the female division is promoted as one of the marquee matches on a Big-Four pay per view, but it certainly makes sense to promote a Ronda Rousey match, the biggest female star in WWE, as a huge deal. Scheduled to challenge Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women's Champion this Sunday, Rousey has a lot of pressure on her to deliver a memorable performance in her debut match at Summerslam.

And why wouldn't there be any pressure on her? Her first in-ring appearance at WrestleMania was a blockbuster, which immediately turned her into the hottest commodity in WWE. So, it was logical that people expect a similar performance from her at the Biggest show of the Summer as well.

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Just like at WrestleMania, being involved in a big match is a dream for every new superstar. There have been a few instances in the past where a new superstar had a huge, sensational outing in their maiden SummerSlam appearance. Will Ronda succeed in having one? Only future will tell. Till then, here are the 5 best SummerSlam debut matches in WWE history.

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#6 Rey Mysterio - 2002 (vs Kurt Angle)

The greatest opening match in Summerslam history.

The period between 2002 Brand Extension and WrestleMania XX was the best time to be a fan of SmackDown. As the better WWE show from wrestling perspective by a huge margin, the roster on the Blue Brand was constantly killing it in the ring. While Brock Lesnar was the WWE Champion, it was the renowned SmackDown Six - Angle, Benoit, Eddie, Chavo, Edge and Mysterio - that were at the forefront of this glorious period.

What came to be known as the best feud form that period began with a match that is often considered the best opening contest in Summerslam history - Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio. At just 9 minutes, it was not as long as other matches on this list, but it had everything you need from a sensational WWE match - A Loved Face, A Hated Heel, Big Match Feel and A Phenomenal Crowd.

Despite this being Mysterio's first pay-per-view match in WWE match, he went toe-to-toe with Angle and set the tone for the rest of the show. Even though Mysterio lost the match that match, the reception that the match got laid the foundation of his legendary future career in WWE.

#5 Finn Balor - 2016 (vs Seth Rollins)

It was Balor's first pay per view appearance in WWE.

Seth Rollins and Finn Balor have a tremendous chemistry with each other. From their stunning triple threat match at 'Mania this year to those twin clashes on Raw, the two have always set the stage on fire whenever they are given the spotlight. This trend, however, began two years ago with a highly underrated clash at SummerSlam 2016.

Often considered as an underwhelming match due to the pre-match response from the fans during the unveiling of the Universal Title, this title clash had the perfect heel-face dynamics and was a showcase of the talents of both Balor and Rollins. Balor, in particular, was stunning in his SummerSlam debut, taking bumps and hitting big maneuvers despite dislocating his shoulder during the match.

The only thing that hurt the credibility of this match was the disinterested crowd, which was busy booing the Universal Title during the first half of the match. However, the crowd was fully involved during the second half, as they witnessed Balor become the first ever Universal Champion, albeit only for one day. This win made Balor the first person to win a World Title in his pay-per-view debut.

#4 Vader - 1996 (vs Shawn Michaels)

A match between a small, fan favorite guy and a huge, villainous behemoth is always a treat to the eyes of the fans of wrestling entertainment. But things take a turn for the good when both of them are established and proven in-rings works, and this is what made the clash between Shawn Michaels and Vader at SummerSlam 1996 a memorable one.

Vader's WWE debut was as impactful as it could have gotten. Attacking Gorilla Monsoon, the On-Screen President of WWF, the Mastodon established himself as a bad guy. Already a well established heavyweight outside the WWE, Vader soon became embroiled into a rivalry with the WWF Champion, Shawn Michaels which led to a match between the two at SummerSlam 1996. Not only did Vader feature in the main event of his first SummerSlam, it also ended up being the best match of his WWE run.

This 23-minute long WWF Title match told a sensational David v Goliath story with Michaels relying on his quickness and Vader on his power and strength. The two restarts, however, first after a count out win and then a DQ win for Vader, slightly hampered the importance of the match in the subsequent years. Apart from that, this match was easily the best defense of Michaels' first reign as WWF Champion.

#3 Dudley Boyz - 2000 (vs Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian)

Everyone who grew up watching the WWE in the Attitude Era knows the importance and value of these three names in the success of WWE in that period - Edge and Christian, Hardy Boyz and Dudley Boyz. As the face of WWEs Tag Division after the disappointing period in the late 90s, the three teams traded the tag title for almost two years between 1999 and 2001.

While calling them the innovators of Ladder match won't be fair to other legends, the three teams can easily be credited for popularizing a modified, more dangerous version - A TLC Match. We all know that TLC match debuted in WWE at SummerSlam 2000, but it was also the first SummerSlam appearance of future WWE Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz.

We surely can't call The Dudley's the sole reason for the success of this match, but they do deserve the same credit as other two teams. The match was a landmark moment, as it unleashed a whole new era of brutal tag team matches in WWE in the next few years. The Dudleyz might have lost the match, but the work from them, The Hardyz and E&C was produced one of the best stipulation match debuts in WWE history.

#2 Brock Lesnar - 2002 (vs The Rock)

This match was a star-making moment for Brock Lesnar. He was being touted as the next big thing in wrestling ever since his arrival. Not only was Lesnar fighting in the main event of the second biggest pay per view in WWE calendar year, he was doing so in his first appearance at SummerSlam, that also with the WWE Undisputed Title on the line. His opponent - none other than 'The Great One' The Rock.

Having been the Face of the Company for the last two years, The Rock was slowly making a transition to Hollywood. On the other hand, Lesnar's King of the Ring victory propelled him into the main event. The build to the match was quite personal, with both superstars interfering in each other's matches. This was not just a world title match, it was a fight to be the Face of the Company.

Lesnar, despite being a sensational amateur wrestler, was still a rookie in WWE, but Rocky carried him in such a way that it made this match look bigger than it actually was. By the time the match reached its closing moment, it was evident that Brock indeed deserved all the hype that surrounded him. One Rock Bottom attempt reversed into an F-5 and the WWE had a new Big Boy in the Town. Lesnar was now the New and the Youngest WWE Champion.

#1 AJ Styles - 2016 (vs John Cena)

AJ Styles had quite a weird first few months after his WWE debut. Making a surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble match in 2016 to a gargantuan reaction from the crowd, Styles WWE career didn't take off straightaway. After teaming and fighting with Chris Jericho in a feud that was surprisingly underwhelming, Styles fought and lost to Roman Reigns on two consecutive pay per views, with the second one being a clean loss.

However, right when everyone thought Styles career in WWE ended right after it started, his surprise heel turn on John Cena and the subsequent feud between the two franchise player gave a new lifeline to AJ's WWE career. Sharing a pinfall victory over each other in two successive pay per view, the scene was set for a mammoth match, a match to be the Face of the Company, at SummerSlam 2016.

In one of the biggest WWE match in recent times, Styles and Cena tussled with each other for over 24 minutes in front of a raucous Brooklyn crowd. Despite featuring in his first SummerSlam match against a 12-match veteran. Styles took Cena to his limits and emerged with a ton of momentum in his bag. Often regarded among the greatest SummerSlam matches, Styles' started his run as the Face of WWE with this win over Cena.

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Edited by Rohit Nath