One would be surprised to know just how much non-wrestling is involved in packaging a wrestler to feel like a bona fide WWE superstar.
Cast your mind to any of your favourite wrestlers over the years and the immediate vision of them is their larger-than-life persona and the aura created as a result of the hype surrounding their character.
And a major part of creating that hype around wrestling characters is their entrance theme. Whether it is of the slow, brooding kind or instantly climactic, the entrance music of a wrestler is necessarily their first interaction with fans and a memorable theme song plays a key role in creating a wrestler's brand value.
Over the years, WWE have created some banging entrance themes that have propelled the wrestlers into feeling like a big deal. Here are 13 of the best entrance themes, ever.
13 Bayley
Remember Babyface Bayley?
The hugger section, the explosion of inflatable tubes and Bayley just being extremely happy while walking out to the ring. Accompanied by the music, it made for a very feel-good introduction to a wrestler.
Charming as she was, when you saw her walk out to her Babyface theme, it was impossible not to like and root for her!
12 The Ultimate Warrior
One way to create hype about yourself is to be very, very hyped while entering.
And The Ultimate Warrior seemed to have mastered that at a time when wrestlers were not really doing much in terms of their entrance themes.
Running down full throttle to the ring as his beats dropped and jumping on the ring apron to intensely gyrate the ropes, few could match the Ultimate Warrior in terms of gassing up a live audience.
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11 Cody Rhodes
In a few years, this will rank higher in a similar list as with every passing week, Cody's WWE entrance theme just gets better.
The song is a banger, the voiceover at the start is great for self-identification and when it comes to that part, it is incredible how loud the live audience gets bellowing "WOOOAAAH!" as Cody Rhodes poses, looking at the heavens with arms wide open.
The entrance screams superstar and as he tours more arenas as a WWE main event player, there is little stopping this one from becoming truly iconic.
10 Kane
If you started watching WWE in the mid to early 2000s, watching Kane march to the ring and invoke bursts of fire was scary and mind-blowing in equal proportions.
That slow march to the ring, the look of anger mixed with disgust on his face when he was not sporting a mask, the arena lighting itself in ominous red and then having the supernatural fire-invoking element to top it all off.
It was such a clear placement of a wrestler - here is Kane and you better be scared of him because he is not from your world!
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9 Eddie Guerrero
One of the greatest in-ring technicians also had one of the best entrance themes of all time.
Plenty of wrestlers have used vehicles to enter but 'Latino Heat' Eddie's is one the streets will never forget. Imagine showing up to work in a shiny low rider, bouncing up and down before getting down to business.
It was everything you'd want from wrestling. Silly, funny and thoroughly entertaining, elevated by a charming personality.
8 The Brood
Kane made fire and red feel scary. These guys took those elements and made the whole thing feel so cool.
And WWE were all-in, having the wrestlers enter the arena through the entrance ramp, ascending into vision through a ring of fire!
It would be great if that were all. But wait, Gangrel topped it off by seemingly drinking blood from a container and spitting out blood mist with Edge and Christian by his side, in the arena bathed in red.
7 Hulk Hogan
A patriotic song that speaks about being a "Real American" and fighting for what's right, which is the right of every man associated with a babyface who is fighting for his nation in the storyline in the mid-'80s. Is there a better introduction to an entrance theme?
Circa 1985, Hulk Hogan debuted the "Real American" in a feud against Iranian wrestler Iron Sheikh, and it became an instant hit. The lyrics aligned perfectly with Hogan's character and how WWE wanted to portray him.
The music, while being patriotic, was contemporary garage rock, and it made for a perfect fit because of its easy groove factor.
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6 Shinsuke Nakamura
If you ever needed to understand just how big of a deal Shinsuke Nakamura is, this video would have given you a fair idea!
Instant goosebumps! Few other entrances in WWE epitomise what the company term 'superstar' actually means with the Japanese wrestler's entrance and theatrics. The 'King of Strong Style' has one of the best pure anthems which is elevated further by the wrestler's enigmatic antics.
The tune of Nakamura's entrance music is so good, that you can almost forget about the live audience, even those watching at home sub-consciously start humming along. This lends this entrance theme extra brownie points and makes it an unforgettable experience.
5 Triple H
There are various ways of creating hype and Triple H chooses the slower, more intense path. His special entrances aside, the weekly march of Triple H following the initial lyric of "Time to play the game" had an unmissable air of inevitability to it.
And if you did not already understand he was a big deal, he would go all the way in knocking believability down the watcher's throat too. Carrying that bottle of water, standing on the ring apron, making his challenger wait in the ring as he spat a mist of water and roared.
It all looked so cool and let's just face it, we have all tried that water mist thing.
Triple H just gets this business.
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4 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt's entrance with the Wyatt family was very good, but The Fiend takes it up a few notches.
WWE's production crew, when at it, is unrivalled in creating spectacular moments. Turning off the arena lights, one section at a time, to leave just enough vision for the audience to see the grotesque mask on Bray's face as he walks out with a lamp within what is basically his old character's severed head.
The music accompanying this is beautifully crafted - the remix of his Wyatt family entrance, bettered by the effect of the tune drowning.
It is such effective communication. Bray Wyatt is dead, and from it, has risen The Fiend!
3 The Shield
'Sierra Hotel India Echo Lima Delta SHIELD!'
Entrance themes usually establish one superstar. This one established three! As Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose walked through the crowd in their all-black combat attire, there was a sense of legitimacy to the whole thing.
It was a very simple exercise made superbly attractive by three guys who would all become the top champion of the company in the years to come. As far as impact goes, The Shield's entrance theme communicated the arrival of three no-nonsense men who were coming out to battle.
Roman continuing to use the entrance theme following the faction's split has somewhat diminished the value of this but for those who experienced it at the time, this will always be very special.
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2 Stone Cold
It is ridiculous to think that a Texan walking out angrily talking smack while glass shatters would become iconic.
But that Texan just happened to be Stone Cold Steve Austin. There is not much more to say really.
A constant pop machine and the face of the company's greatest era, Stone Cold the character took a decent entrance theme and made it the most cheered sequence of all time.
Come to think of it, some of the loudest pops in WWE history coincide with someone pressing a button that plays the sound of glass shattering. The whole thing is crazy and that is just how over Stone Cold was (and perhaps still is)!
1 The Undertaker
The smoke, the climactic music, his grim all-black attire, the slow walk. Everything screams character spooky, everything screams superstar and even if you'd never watch him speak a single word or bust a wrestling move, you would know who The Undertaker is and exactly what he does.
Near the latter stages of his career, Undertaker's entrance theme became as much an attraction as his matches. Watching the 'Deadman' walk out to the ring is in itself one of the 'I was there' moments in sports entertainment.
It seemed as though time stopped still to watch an icon take measured strides towards his yard.
No other wrestler has been able to create such an aura around themselves and with how the world is today, nobody likely ever will.
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World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. WWE has a long history in professional wrestling and has since branched out into other entertainment ventures such as films, live events, publishing and music to name a few.
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