WrestleMania debuts year by year (updated)
This year’s WrestleMania will have the highest number of debutants since 2010’s WrestleMania 26. The total number currently stands at 10, though the rumoured Kaitlyn-AJ match would take that number to 11 (with AJ having appeared at last year’s event).
The event with the highest number of debuts was, perhaps unsurprisingly, WrestleMania 1 with 30 debuts. If you exclude that event, then WrestleMania 2000 tops the charts with 28 debuts, closely followed by WrestleManias 2 and 14, which featured 27 newcomers each. By contrast, the event with the lowest number of debutants was WrestleMania 21, with just 4 newcomers that year, though if you exclude the Miss WrestleMania battle royal, there was only one debutant at WrestleMania 25.
To clarify, I count a debut as either an official in-ring (be it wrestling or special referee) or manager appearance. I have not included lumberjacks, but have included battle royal participants. I have also counted different gimmicks as being separate debuts. For example, JBL and Bradshaw count as two different people. I have also not included celebrity appearances.
The full list of debuts (using my criteria) is as follows:
WrestleMania: Tito Santana, The Executioner, King Kong Bundy, SD Jones, Ricky Steamboat, Matt Borne, David Sammartino, Bruno Sammartino, Brutus Beefcake, Johnny Valiant, Junkyard Dog, Greg Valentine, Jimmy Hart, Nikolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik, Freddie Blassie, Mike Rotundo, Barry Windham, Lou Albano, Andre The Giant, John Studd, Bobby Heenan, Wendi Richter, The Fabulous Moolah, Leilani Kai, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff & Bob Orton. TOTAL: 30
WrestleMania 2: Don Muraco, Mr Fuji, Randy Savage, Miss Elizabeth, George Steele, Jake Roberts, George Wells, The Haiti Kid, Velvet McIntyre, Corporal Kirchner, Pedro Morales, Tony Atlas, Ted Arcidi, Danny Spivey, Hillbilly Jim, King Tonga, B Brian Blair, Jim Brunzell, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith, The Dynamite Kid, Hercules Hernandez, Adrian Adonis, Uncle Elmer, Terry Funk & Hoss Funk. TOTAL: 27
WrestleMania III: Rick Martel, Tom Zenk, Billy Jack Haynes, Little Beaver, Little Tokyo, Lord Littlebrook, Harley Race, Dino Bravo, Jacques Rougeau, Raymond Rougeau, Danny Davis, Butch Reed, Koko B Ware, Slick & The Honky Tonk Man. TOTAL: 15
WrestleMania IV: Bad News Brown, Boris Zhukov, Jim Powers, Ken Patera, Paul Roma, Ron Bass, Sam Houston, Sika, Virgil, Ted DiBiase, Jim Duggan, Billy Graham, Frenchy Martin, One Man Gang, Bam Bam Bigelow, Oliver Humperdink, Rick Rude, The Ultimate Warrior, Peggy Sue, Haku, Tama, Ax & Smash. TOTAL: 23
WrestleMania V: Akeem, Big Boss Man, Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty, Luke Williams, Butch Miller, Mr Perfect, The Blue Blazer, The Warlord, The Barbarian, Ronnie Garvin, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, The Red Rooster & The Brooklyn Brawler. TOTAL: 15
WrestleMania VI: Earthquake, The Genius, Sapphire, Sherri Martel, Sato & Tanaka. TOTAL: 6
WrestleMania VII: The Texas Tornado, Brian Knobs, Jerry Sags, The Undertaker, Paul Bearer, Genichiro Tenryu, Koji Kitao, Crush, Hawk, Animal, The Mountie, Sgt Slaughter & General Adnan. TOTAL: 13
WrestleMania VIII: El Matador, The Repo Man, Ric Flair, Tatanka, Typhoon, Irwin R Schyster, Skinner, Owen Hart, Sid & Harvey Wippleman. TOTAL: 10
WrestleMania IX: Luna Vachon, Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner, Samu, Fatu, Afa, Doink The Clown, Razor Ramon, Bob Backlund, Lex Luger, Giant Gonzalez & Yokozuna. TOTAL: 12
WrestleMania X: Dink, Alundra Blayze, Mabel, Mo, Oscar, Pierre Carl Ouellet, Johnny Polo, Jim Cornette, Adam Bomb & Diesel. TOTAL: 10
WrestleMania XI: Jacob Blu, Eli Blu, Uncle Zebekiah, The 123 Kid, Jeff Jarrett, The Roadie, Billy Gunn, Bart Gunn & Pat Patterson. TOTAL: 9
WrestleMania XII: Vader, Ahmed Johnson, Steve Austin, Savio Vega, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Sable, Goldust, Marlena & Jose Lothario. TOTAL: 9
WrestleMania 13: Mosh, Thrasher, Blackjack Windham, Blackjack Bradshaw, Henry Godwinn, Phineas Godwinn, Doug Furnas, Phil LaFon, Rocky Maivia, The Sultan, Chyna, Mankind, Ken Shamrock, Faarooq, Wolfie D, JC Ice, D’Lo Brown & Clarence Mason. TOTAL: 18
WrestleMania XIV: Sunny, Bodacious Bob, Taka Michinoku, Aguila, Marc Mero, Kama Mustafa, Mark Henry, Cactus Jack, Chainsaw Charlie, The Rock, Road Dogg, Kane, Miguel Perez Jr, Jose Estrada Jr, Jesus Castillo, Recon, Sniper, Chainz, Bradshaw, Ricky Morton, Robert Gibson, Scott Taylor, Brian Christopher, 8-Ball, Skull, Steve Blackman & Flash Funk. TOTAL: 27
WrestleMania XV: Hardcore Holly, Al Snow, Test, Debra, Ivory, The Big Show, The Blue Meanie, Ryan Shamrock, Triple H, Tori, Shane McMahon & X-Pac. TOTAL: 12
WrestleMania 2000: Bull Buchanan, The Godfather, Crash Holly, Albert, Trish Stratus, Edge, Christian, Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Terri, The Kat, Mae Young, Val Venis, Grand Master Sexay, Scotty 2 Hotty, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, Rikishi, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon & Mick Foley. TOTAL: 28
WrestleMania X-Seven: William Regal, Tazz, Jacqueline, Steven Richards, Raven, Duke Droese, Tugboat, The Goon, The Gobbledy Gooker, Brother Love, Michael Hayes, Kamala & Kim Chee. TOTAL: 13
WrestleMania X8: Rob Van Dam, Diamond Dallas Page, Maven, Booker T, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Chuck Palumbo, Stacy Keibler, Jazz & Lita. TOTAL: 10
WrestleMania XIX: Shannon Moore, Rey Mysterio, A-Train, Nathan Jones, Victoria, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, Chavo Guerrero, Rhyno & Brock Lesnar. TOTAL: 10
WrestleMania XX: John Cena, Garrison Cade, Mark Jindrak, Rene Dupree, Rob Conway, Randy Orton, Batista, Miss Jackie, Torrie Wilson, Chavo Guerrero Sr, Ultimo Dragon, Jamie Noble, Funaki, Nunzio, Billy Kidman, Tajiri, Akio, Goldberg, Danny Basham, Doug Basham & Molly Holly. TOTAL: 21
WrestleMania 21: Tyson Tomko, Christy Hemme, Akebono & John Bradshaw Layfield. TOTAL: 4
WrestleMania 22: Carlito, Chris Masters, Finlay, Lashley, Jillian Hall, The Boogeyman, Sharmell, Mickie James & Candice Michelle. TOTAL: 9
WrestleMania 23: Mr Kennedy, CM Punk, King Booker, The Great Khali, MVP, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, The Sandman, Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, Kevin Thorn, Ariel, Umaga, Armando Estrada, Melina & Ashley Massaro. TOTAL: 17
WrestleMania XXIV: Hornswoggle, John Morrison, Beth Phoenix, Santino Marella, Maria, Vickie Guerrero, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder. TOTAL: 8
WrestleMania XXV: Kofi Kingston, Santina Marella, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella, Eve Torres, Gail Kim, Joy Giovanni, Katie Lea Burchill, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Maryse, Michelle McCool, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes & Tiffany. TOTAL: 16
WrestleMania XXVI: The Miz, R-Truth, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, Evan Bourne, Sheamus, Luke Gallows, Serena & Bruce Hart. TOTAL: 12
WrestleMania XXVII: Alberto Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez, Brodus Clay, Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler. TOTAL: 9
WrestleMania XXVIII: Daniel Bryan, AJ Lee, David Otunga, John Laurinaitis, Teddy Long & Aksana. TOTAL: 6
WrestleMania 29: Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Ryback, Big E Langston, Fandango, Tensai, Cameron, Naomi, Damien Sandow & (probably) Kaitlyn. TOTAL: 11
