After losing two dark matches in the World Wrestling Federation as TNT in July 1993, Rivera debuted as Kwang on January 10, 1994. This gimmick incorporated clichéd elements previously used to portray mysterious "Asian" wrestlers, including a mask, a stereotypical martial arts moveset, and Asian mist. The WWF aired promotional vignettes in the weeks before his televised debut, which happened on January 22, 1994, when he, managed by Harvey Wippleman, was the fourth man to enter the 1994 Royal Rumble. During the match, he teamed with the fifth entrant, Owen Hart, battling the face wrestlers to a stalemate until Diesel entered seventh and eliminated all the previous entrants.