The 2000s were a memorable time for WWE with many great wrestlers making the roster that came from the 1990s, with the likes of Triple H and The Undertaker as established stars. However, this was also a decade where many future stars had the chance to debut at the company.
Talent came along and looked to prove himself, but the look they had in their early appearances wasn’t always the same as it is now. Many wrestlers change things up, particularly as they get older and this is why people can often forget what they debuted in the first place with.
10 bryan danielson
Bryan Danielson will go down in history as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and is someone who has had some distinct looks, particularly when he grew his hair and beard. However, many people don’t even know what he looked like when he debuted, because the Speed.
He was involved in a few sporadic appearances long before he signed a contract with NXT. It’s clear that he’s much younger in this particular look and seeing him with the clean-shaven look is very different from the iconic beard people are known to have.
9 drew mcintyre
Drew McIntyre first appeared on WWE television in the 2000s, though his initial spell with the company didn’t lead to him following through on the hype Vince McMahon put out for it. However, before being dubbed the Chosen One, McIntyre went to work on a team with Dave Taylor.
He was very young at the time, which is clear from his face, and the clean-shaven look is something many fans have probably forgotten. McIntyre was still in great shape during that time,
8 Sheamus
Sheamus made his televised debut for WWE in 2009, and has remained a consistent and important part of the roster ever since. In general, the Celtic Warrior is not someone who has changed much in appearance compared to other people who have been around for as long as he has.
Sheamus still has big hair, although it’s styled slightly differently now. However, he remains in fantastic shape to this day, with that being an important aspect of the business for him.
7 the beautiful twins
The Bella Twins are iconic WWE Superstars who made their mark in the industry, but they certainly made some changes to their look over the years. When they debuted, it was all about the magical twins point with Nikki and Brie constantly dressing up and trying to look exactly alike.
However, that is something that changed over time as fans began to get to know and learn about them as individual people as well. They had different looks late in their careers, and while they still performed together, their styles were vastly different.
6 Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes is completely different from the way he first debuted in WWE back in 2007, with a noticeable change to his overall physique. The American Nightmare has grown a lot in size over the years, which isn’t a surprise considering how young he was when he first appeared.
Rhodes has also added several tattoos, one of which is the notable and controversial neck tattoo that features his own personal logo. Rhodes is now also sporting her blonde hair, which is very different from how she originally looked to fans.
5 Cambric
Batista is one of the most recognizable wrestlers in the history of the business, being someone who pushed himself to the main event level where he dominated the industry. The appearance of him is something that fans are well aware of, as it wasn’t something that changed too much once he landed on him.
However, the Animal looked very different when he first appeared for the company as Deacon Batista. He worked alongside D-Von Dudley at the time wearing a sleeveless suit jacket with a large chain to go with it.
4 Matt Cardona
Matt Cardona is someone who is talked about a lot in the wrestling industry right now, and he comes across in a fantastic way. His focus is always on the ring and his shimmering physique, but he looked very different when he made his official WWE main roster debut.
That’s because his character’s entire purpose at the time was to look exactly like Edge. He and Curt Hawkins were known as the Edgeheads and would interfere in matches to help the R-rated superstar while sporting the same ring and drawn tattoos to try and make him convincing.
3 Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler has gone through a lot of changes throughout his time in the wrestling business, but it’s clear that Show-Off is nothing like his original gimmick. Ziggler joined the company as part of the Spirit Squad faction, and that led him to acting as an entertainer.
This is how he dressed when he went to the ring and competed, which is very different from the edgier rock and roll look he would develop with longer hair.
2 John Cena
John Cena has one of the most iconic looks in WWE history with his brightly colored singlets and shorts being a signature style for him. That’s how fans think whenever Cena’s name is mentioned, but that’s not the look he debuted in when he first came to WWE.
That’s when he ushered in the era of ruthless aggression by going up against Kurt Angle, but his overall look was pretty standard. He had very short hair with the basic ring gear, which only helped enhance the underdog factor at the time.
1 the miz
The Miz is someone who has made a lot of changes to his appearance over the years as he has matured and achieved his A-Lister persona that people love to hate. Miz originally had a mohawk that had hair dye involved, plus his in-ring outfit wasn’t great as he wore three-quarter length pants.
Miz now has a much sleeker look that makes him feel like a main event star working alongside the character he’s created. He has also gained a lot of muscle over the years, creating a much bigger physique for himself compared to how he debuted, showing the progression he has made.