Ranking Jaida Parker and the Greatest WWE Main Roster Debuts by NXT Stars

Jaida Parker's arrival on WWE Raw on Monday left the wrestling world buzzing about how bright her star might shine, not to mention its place among the other main roster debuts by NXT Superstars.

From two trios who shaped the future of the industry to individual stars who have gone on to have championship-filled runs on Raw and SmackDown, who are the Superstars with the greatest first-night impressions on the WWE Universe?

Find out in this countdown, based on the immediate impact of the debut while also considering historical context in the event of a tie.

8. The Women's Evolution Arrives

Addressing the braggadocious claims made by the Bella Twins about championing the evolution of women's wrestling in WWE, Stephanie McMahon interrupted and introduced the next wave of competitors who would carry women's wrestling to new heights.

On the July 13, 2015 episode of Raw, the industry's most powerful woman introduced Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks to the uninitiated, kicking off the official Women's Evolution in WWE.

All three were still tied to NXT in one form or fashion, but it was clear their time on the main roster had arrived.

It was not nearly as dynamic a debut as others on this list, nor was it met with the energy or excitement that big-time arrivals by top-tier NXT women would be today, but it was essential to the renaissance of the women's division.

All Flair, Lynch and Banks did was go on to become three of the most decorated stars of any gender of their generation, with The Queen and The Man making history by becoming the first women to main-event WrestleMania four years later.

7. Sami Zayn

The heart and soul of NXT during his time with the brand, Sami Zayn made an emotional and energetic debut on the main roster on the May 4, 2015 episode of Raw, live in his hometown of Montreal.

Answering John Cena's open challenge for a shot at the United States Championship, he was introduced to the crowd by the legendary Bret "Hitman" Hart and showed incredible energy as he exploded through the curtain.

Too much, as it turned out, as he suffered a dislocated shoulder before he even set foot in the ring.

Undeterred, he delivered a phenomenal performance against Cena, coming an eyelash away from dethroning him for the gold.

Despite the loss, it was a tremendous first appearance from the future two-time WWE champion and evidence of the raw emotion he would consistently bring to his performances over the next decade-plus.

6. Paige

There was little doubt that Paige was destined for huge things on the WWE main roster. She was treated like a star from the moment she debuted on NXT television, defeated Emma to win the vacant women's title at the brand's first live event special on the WWE Network, and was among the most popular performers on the company's developmental roster.

Somehow, that still did not prepare fans for the impact she would have right out of the gate.

On the heels of WrestleMania 30, where she successfully retained her title against the entire women's division, AJ Lee was in the midst of an ego-boosting in-ring promo when the British competitor stepped through the curtain for the first time on WWE Raw and confronted her. After being condescended to and slapped down by Lee, Paige accepted a championship match.

A few minutes later, she fought out of the Black Widow, delivered the Paige Turner, and unforgettably won the title.

5. Jaida Parker

The most recent entry on this list, Parker made her main roster debut in stunning fashion on the September 28 episode of Raw.

First surprising The Usos and Jacob Fatu with her appearance in a silver SUV, she claimed she was there to see Adam Pearce, presumably about an opportunity on the red brand.

Flash forward two-and-a-half hours later as she was running over Fatu in the parking lot and feigning concern before uttering the words, "no one's safe" and leaving with 946's Royce Keys in a stunning creative development.

Not only did Parker's debut take place as part of a hugely significant angle in the middle of a main event storyline, but it was met with big reactions from fans.

The audience is aware of online speculation about her off-screen relationship with Jey Uso, which earned her first appearance Monday night a nice reaction, and the ultimate betrayal later was handled so well that the audience ate it up.

It remains to be seen where things head from here but the former NXT star and former collegiate soccer player suddenly finds herself smack dab in the middle of a storyline featuring the biggest stars in the company.

It is even more impressive when considering that championship gold of any kind evaded Parker during her entire NXT run.

4. Kevin Owens

Before he was the prizefighter, Owens was the hottest star in NXT and one of the most buzz-about performers under the WWE umbrella. Much of that had to do with a dazzling debut that saw him beat CJ Parker (also known as Juice Robinson), then shockingly betray his best friend, Sami Zayn, later in the same show.

A great in-ring worker with an even better promo, Owens was an indy darling who had passed his first test by making an immediate impact in NXT.

There were real questions about how he would be treated on the main roster, though, thanks to long-running expectations of what a star in WWE looked like. Any concerns about his creative well-being on the main roster were eased on his first night there.

Owens debuted on the May 18, 2015, episode of Raw, confronting John Cena and answering his United States Championship Open Challenge. He laid out the industry's top star, setting up a match at Elimination Chamber, where he would defeat him and put an exclamation point on his momentous arrival.

3. The Nexus

It may have been a different incarnation of the NXT that we know and love today, but it is impossible to forget the unnerving debut of Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, David Otunga, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield, Darren Young, and Daniel Bryan.

Driven for revenge after being humiliated every week during the inaugural season of NXT, the competition show designed to create the next big WWE Superstar, they attacked John Cena, CM Punk, and everyone around the ringside area in a defiant and destructive Monday Night Raw debut.

Bryan was even fired the next day for his brutal assault on ring announcer Justin Roberts, whom he choked with his own necktie and infuriated toy sponsors in the process.

Having left two of the top stars in the company lying and the ringside area utterly destroyed, they stood tall as the wrestling world buzzed about the potential creative plans for this new, invading force of nature.

Of course, history tells us that the faction was neutered in relatively short order after Cena overcame the odds and defeated them two months later in the main event of SummerSlam, but for that one moment in time, their debut shook the foundation of the WWE Universe and left fans in awe of what might have been for the new generation of developmental performers.

2. Finn Balor

If fans did not know that Finn Balor was a huge deal in NXT, they found out in short order when he made his main roster debut on the July 25, 2016 episode of WWE Raw.

The former NXT champion earned a No. 1 Contender's Match right away, defeating Kevin Owens, Cesaro, and Rusev in a Fatal 4-Way Match. Later that night, the Irish-born wrestler did the seemingly unthinkable, defeating Roman Reigns to cash his ticket to SummerSlam and a chance to become the inaugural Universal Champion.

It was as emphatic a statement from WWE officials that a Superstar was to be taken seriously as a main event performer right out of the gate as we have seen in the company's modern history.

Balor would go on to defeat Seth Rollins at SummerSlam that year and win the title. Unfortunately, a devastating shoulder injury suffered during that contest would immediately put him out of action. Balor would never return to that height again, at least as of now.

Still, one is hard-pressed to find a more impressive one-night arrival than that of the Bullet Club's founding member.

1. The Shield

Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose exploded onto the scene in WWE at the 2012 Survivor Series, interfering in the night's main event and assisting CM Punk in retaining his WWE Championship.

It was a momentous and buzzworthy debut for the trio, who drove Ryback through the announce table, which allowed Punk to cover a fallen John Cena and win the high-stakes Triple Threat Match.

The WWE faithful were intrigued by the trio's arrival and eager to find out the reasoning for their actions. There was genuine intrigue about a product that lacked it at the time.

Little did fans know that those three Superstars jumping the guardrail that night and beating down Ryback would change the course of professional wrestling history as Reigns, Ambrose, and Rollins would define the company's next era.