Lord Tensai: Why New Superstar Should Debut for Team Johnny at WrestleMania

Plenty of intrigue surrounded the vignette for a new superstar named Lord Tensai that aired on Monday, and many are interested to see how he might debut. There are plenty of theories, but the most effective way to make him relevant is to allow him to be a part of John Laurinaitis' team at WrestleMania.

It has been concluded that Lord Tensai will be played by Matt Bloom, who previously portrayed Albert, or A-Train, during the Attitude Era and a bit after. That has caused some to temper their expectations for the new superstar, but if introduced correctly, he can be a major player.

Laurinaitis and Teddy Long will both be fielding six-man teams for a 12-man tag match at WrestleMania, with the winning team earning the captain full control of both Raw and Smackdown. Although most of the spots are filled, the creative team should leave one spot open on Team Johnny heading into April 1.

At WrestleMania, Laurinaitis can reveal Lord Tensai as the final member of his squad. This would automatically make him seem important, as he would be introduced on the grandest stage of them all. Then, in the match itself, he could be made to look dominant against some of the fan favorites on Long's team.

This would give him instant credibility with the fans, and it could possibly lead to an immediate feud with somebody like Santino following WrestleMania. Santino obviously isn't a very serious wrestler, but he is a big-time baby face, and Lord Tensai would pick up a lot of heat if he went over him in a feud and won the United States Championship.

Whether Laurinaitis' team wins or not, Tensai can be booked quite strongly, as he wouldn't have to take the pin if Team Teddy were to win. This type of formula has worked before, most notably with The Undertaker at the 1990 Survivor Series. At that event, The Undertaker made his debut and was announced as a surprise member of Ted DiBiase's team.

The Undertaker was an absolute beast, as he made two eliminations, while he was eliminated by double count out so as not to look weak. Taker was an instant success, and it didn't take him long to become the WWE Champion and a top heel in the company.

Many likely already new The Undertaker as "Mean" Mark Callous in WCW, but they ate up the Undertaker character anyway. If the WWE dips back into the annals of history and does something similar with Lord Tensai, then perhaps people can look past the Albert gimmick and Tensai can become an instant success.

In fact, large team competitions have marked the beginning of many incredible careers in the WWE. The Undertaker is just one example, but another good one is the man who will be headlining this year's WrestleMania: The Rock.

He debuted at the 1996 Survivor Series as Rocky Maivia and was the sole survivor for his team. Then, just a few months later, he won the Intercontinental Championship. While it took a character transformation from Rocky Maivia to The Rock in order for the fans to buy in, it is another instance of a high-profile, impactful debut leading to a great overall career.

Lord Tensai is somewhat different in that he is pushing 40 and may not ever become a main-event star, but he can go as far as the WWE wants to take him. Allowing him to score the victory for Team Johnny at WrestleMania could lead to be things.

Perhaps all it will take is exercising a tried-and-true method.