Sometimes promoters don’t like tag team wrestling since they’re paying four guys for the price of two. However, it’s also a great way to protect superstars during their debut. Whether or not a debuting wrestler is in ring shape or not is debatable. When a star debuts in a tag team match, they can showcase the top stuff they’ve learned and mask any weaknesses they might have a rookie.

Related: 9 Tag Team Wrestling Matches Dave Meltzer Overrated

Even some of the biggest stars of all time have been part of the time honored tradition of debuting during a tag team match. Nearly every time, they were able to generate a ton of excitement when doing it.

10 Paige VanZant

Paige VanZant Debut Double Or Nothing

There are all kinds of words to describe 12 Gauge herself, the former MMA fighter, Paige VanZant. She’s been a pro fighter for nearly a decade in both MMA and Bare Knuckle Boxing. She’s also been a part of America’s Top Team for the past five years, which certainly helped her inroads into AEW.

Her successful debut match was alongside Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky to shut up Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti at Double Or Nothing.

9 Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey WrestleMania 34

Sometimes, making a memorable debut is far better than making a first impression. Some fans were divided about Ronda Rousey debuting at The 2018 Royal Rumble, the moment the first ever womens’ Rumble ended.

Related: 10 Matches You Forgot Ronda Rousey Competed In

But there was no division when The Baddest Woman On The Planet debuted in the ring at WrestleMania 34, teaming with fellow Olympian-turned-wrestler Kurt Angle against another lady making her WrestleMania debut - Stephanie McMahon and her husband Triple H; who wasn’t above taking a beating from Rousey himself.

8 The Undertaker

The Undertaker 1990

Who ever thought that Ted DiBiase introducing the man from Death Valley at the 1990 Survivor Series would become such a legendary moment should also play the lottery. The Phenom also made his debut innocuously as the mystery partner for The Million Dollar Team.

He quickly laid waste to Koko B. Ware and Dusty Rhodes before getting eliminated by countout. But The Deadman obviously made a great showing on his way to becoming one of the greatest ever.

7 Bad Bunny

Damian Priest And Bad Bunny WrestleMania 37

It’s not every day that celebrities join the fray in the ring. Lately, when they do, they make sure that they don’t make fools of themselves either. Just about everyone from the Hollywood or music scenes that have stepped into the ring in the last five years or so have gone through very extensive training. In the case of lifelong fan / best-selling musician Bad Bunny it didn’t hurt to have a good friend in Damian Priest to show you the ropes.

The two superstars both made their WrestleMania debut in 2021, combining forces to take on The Miz and Morrison. The heels had zero issues helping to make Bad Bunny look great in the ring, even giving him a “Bunny Destroyer,” which he pulled out on Morison on the outside of the ring.

6 The Rock

The Rock Debut

Could there be a more dull debut for The Most Electrifying Man In All Of Entertainment?

Related: 10 Cringey The Rock Moments We Completely Forgot About

The Blue Chipper, the first ever third generation superstar and any other adjective JR used to describe The Rock debuted at the 1996 Survivor Series. Coincidentally enough he was part of a team that was staring across from a team including future huge rival Triple H. Not only did Rocky Maivia get to make his WWE debut on PPV, in Madison Square Garden, but Rocky was the sole survivor on his team, pinning Goldust to pick up the victory.

5 Jade Cargill

Shaquille-ONeil-And-Jade-Cargill

Slowly but surely, AEW is grooming Jade Cargill to be a tremendous cross-over star. The current undefeated TBS Champion has worked a variety of matches on her way to her current status. But her first match will also go down in history as well.

She teamed up with the iconic Shaquille O’Neal, in his first ever tag team match as well. They defeated Cody Rhodes and his partner, now one of Jade’s Baddies - Red Velvet.

4 Ted DiBiase Jr.

Cody Rhodes And Ted DiBiase

Just like his father had done years earlier for The Undertaker, he had introduced his son, Ted DiBiase Jr. The Priceless third generation star had guaranteed in his first match that he would win gold as well.

At Night Of Champion 2008, he made due on that promise when he challenged Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes for the WWE tag team titles. Cody would turn on Hardcore and align with DiBiase to become the new champions.

3 Funaki

Taka Michinoku And Sho Funaki

Other than Triple H, Sho Funaki might just be the last full time WWE employee from The Attitude Era.

The former evil SmackDown Announcer now is the company’s play-by-play man for Japan. He originally debuted alongside his partners in Kaientai and would eventually wrestle their first match against the Funk “brothers,” Terry and Flash.

2 Batista

Batista as the Deacon

For a littler while, Dave Batista was holding the collection plate for Reverend D-Von. That idea wasn’t bad, but it clearly wasn’t good enough to stay over.

Related: Batista & Rey Mysterio A Wholesome WWE Partnership That Went Horrible Wrong

Once he got in the ring, not only was his first match on the main roster a tag team match alongside D-Von. But his first three were. Each time, he’d be staring at his future Evolution brethren, Randy Orton, who was using a different partner each time.

1 The Shield

The Shield Debut

After interfering on CM Punk’s behalf at the 2012 Survivor Series, The Shield quickly made a statement at the next PPV. The Hounds Of Justice would take on the combined force of Team Hell No and Ryback at TLC.

The three future world champions showcased very quickly that combined they were a force of nature and deadset on doing what they have been doing for the past decade - running the industry.