Making an entrance

[Fatty Facesitter]

Been watching a lot of late 90's/early 00's WWE recently and with a few exceptions, some of the superstar entrances and their music to go with it just don't cut the mustard compared to days gone by. Maybe I'm just too jaded with WWE's main roster and the way people are presented and it might also partly be down to nostalgia, but past entrances from both a visual and audio perspective just seemed so much more memorable. It would also be nice if they shelled out once in a while for a song that wasn't created in a WWE music studio. 

 

Using the below criteria, post the following:

1. Your favourite entrance/entrance music of all time and why it's your favourite. 

2. Current favourite wrestling entrance. 

3. Take one of today's WWE/NXT (other promotions also available) entrances and make it better. You could change up the music, the presentation, their mannerisms as they come down to the ring, etc.  

4. Favourite guilty pleasure entrance music. 

5. Worst entrance/entrance music of all-time. 

6. How you'd make your own entrance if you were debuting in a promotion of your choosing in terms of how you'd come down to the ring and what banger you'd have playing in the background. 

 

[Briefcase]

Will have to think about question six. I do miss proper video entrances, its all lights, video panels etc now.

1. Your favourite entrance/entrance music of all time and why it's your favourite. 

I think this would have to be either Triple H or Undertakers just because of the music/aura it gives off. Triple H has always had top notch music, 'My Time' is brilliant. Undertakers speaks for itself really in the aura it gives off, especially during the early years. Also if you have been in attendance then gives you the chills.

2. Current favourite wrestling entrance. 

I will go with Nakamura since the heel turn, love the music, love his eccentric heel mannerisms. Also love Samoa Joe as well.

3. Take one of today's WWE/NXT (other promotions also available) entrances and make it better. You could change up the music, the presentation, their mannerisms as they come down to the ring, etc.  

I would like Rusev to come out to a big pyro pop when he does the little jump at the top of the ramp (I miss pyros these days) 

4. Favourite guilty pleasure entrance music. 

X-Factor, Nevilles, The Ascension & more recently Kairi Sane. 

5. Worst entrance/entrance music of all-time. 

Because I hate Ziggler and he is more recent I will go with him. Otherwise will go for Balor as I just cannot take to him so watching a long entrance is quite tedious. I did like in NXT when they did the little intro thing in London though. I would have thrown in Nakamura too for similar reasons but since his heel turn its now probably one of my favourites both as music/entrance & character.

[air_raid]

1. Apparently your instinct is always right and my first thought was "Demolition, obviously." Probably helps that the first time I ever, as a child, thought of any wrestlers as looking the business, it was Ax and Smash coming down in their cart at Mania VI. I had already assumed you'd need some kind of big deal to be a realistic challenge for "ANDRE THE GIANT" and his mate, then I saw those two lads and thought "Yeahhhh.... I reckon they're up for a fight."

All I knew about "Demolition" before watching that tape is they'd been in a six man at SummerSlam 89 and lost the tag belts to The Hart Foundation at SummerSlam 90 which I'd read on the back of trading cards, but the combination of hearing that riff and seeing their scary leather masks, immediately I thought "I get it." Later on when I bought my first tape of my own, Survivors 89, watching the pair of them come out to tag up with Hogan and Jake against what as a kid looked like impossible opposition, it was very much "Well if you didnt know why The Hulkster wanted these pair, the music would tell you." what the best themes do, for me. Add to the visual so you know who you're looking at. Warrior, Ric Flair, Ravishing Rick, Jake, Rockers, Demos.

Go home boys, you're fucked.

Might come back to the rest, it'll get tl:dr if I do it in one.

[Joe Blog]

1. Few choices as this includes entrance music and entrances which I feel are two different aspects. 

Entrance: 

• New Age Outlaws - always got the crowd into it and the Outlaws are cool as shit. 

• Kane - His original, the lights out, the slow organ music, the pyro once he got in the ring.

• The Rock - Simply electrifying, the camera panning to the crowd side shot is a huge part of this. Funnily enough when he returned as guest host during the lights out you could make out that the camera was in this position due to phones flashing so that gave away that it was The Rock for me. 

• Bray Wyatt - for obvious reasons, captivating and chilling. 

•Nakamura - he really is on another level when it comes to showmanship. 

• The Vaudevillains - loved this so much. 

Entrance Music:

• Mr Ass - “I’m an ass man *parp* *parp*.

• Austin - The Glass the Guitar.

• The One Billy Gunn - Look at all he’s got. 

• The Miz - Lovely stuff. 

2. Nakamura pre heel turn. 

3. I would get rid of Drews horrid bag pipe shite. We get it, he is Scottish no need to bludgeon us over the head with it.

4. I don’t think I have one. 

5. Right to Censor - not even a good heel theme just massively annoying. Was magic when they finally got binned off, only for that awkward prat Cesaro to ressurecy the twat siren anyway. Fuck Cesaro for doing that. 

[King Pitcos]

One of the things in this era is that there are some really good ring entrances, but because the wrestlers themselves are often dull and do little that resonates, it can take the sheen off a great entrance. Bray Wyatt is a fine example of it. One of the best entrances ever on its own merits, but it’s not exciting because he’s shite once the lights come back on. Bobby Roode has nothing to offer besides an entrance, either, and that’s taken the shine off the entrance.

[SpursRiot2012]

I can only answer a few of these as I'm not currently watching any wrestling so wouldn't be able to comment on current guys music or presentation.

Unsurprisingly, my favourite entrance music and entrance was Razor Ramon in the WWF. He just looked like such a cool bastard and he had pyro, which not a lot of guys had back then. Honourable mention to the New Age Outlaws.

My guilty pleasure entrance music is mid-late 1995 Paul Orndorff. It's brillliant

[Grecian]

1 - So many! Warrior's is up there for the impact, Undertaker's for the goosebumps down the spine when I've seen him live, Edge's Metallingus is an awesome song. The classical music that played whenever Mankind won a match.

All-time favourite is probably LOD's though.

2 - Current favourite is probably Nakamura's. Pre- and post-heel turn.

3 - It'll never happen, but more WWE guys coming out to actual licensed music would be awesome. Velveteen Dream coming out to Purple Rain, for instance, or Dean Ambrose coming out to Audioslave's Cochise. Something along those lines.

  I'd also give Roman Reigns new music. I've had enough of that Shield song now.

4- Shawn Michaels. But the early version, sung by Sherri. They ruined by as soon as Shawn started singing it himself.

5 - I've never liked the guitar version of Flight of the Valkyries that Daniel Bryan comes out to. I much prefered the classic version he used when he first earlier in his career.

6- Firestarter, Prodigy. Lots of pyro.

[Briefcase]

I forgot to mention Edge as an entrance with Metalingus. One of my favs. 

Would also like to add Goldberg to my list, the whole intensity, walking to the ring from the knock on the door and the escort to him standing in the sparking pyros. What's not to love about that?

[air_raid]

1 minute ago, Briefcase said:

Would also like to add Goldberg to my list, the whole intensity, walking to the ring from the knock on the door and the escort to him standing in the sparking pyros. What's not to love about that?

Anyone who hasn't seen that Nitro match where Glacier wrestles Pat Tanaka and the wee ex-Orient shuffles out to what became Goldberg's music, do so. It's amazing. I'd love to have been present when somebody decided a JTTS even by WCW 96 standard should march out to that musical warhammer.

[Joe Blog]

34 minutes ago, Grecian said:

3 - It'll never happen, but more WWE guys coming out to actual licensed music would be awesome. Velveteen Dream coming out to Purple Rain, fo

I honestly think this is an awful idea. Dream obviously takes some of his influence from Prince but there are elements of so many others in his act as well. Using Purple Rain would only make him seem like a tribute as opposed to his own character. It would be like if Nakamura used a Jackson song for his entrance, we all know who he is influenced by but it does not have to define their act. 

Licensed music is a good idea if it is used to enhance a gimmick as opposed to define it. Take for instance when Taker used ‘ain’t no grave’ that was exactly the way his character should have gone at that point, old and beaten up but still fight in the dog. It’s a shame his entrance is so iconic as I would have loved an Old Man Taker gimmick for his final years. 

[CL Punk]

Current favourite - Shinsuke Nakamura (Smackdown Debut)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8izXHKZSXw

[air_raid]

Finally have my answer for 3.

"The Sheild" has taken on a life of it's own.

[Dolph Pigglers]

1. Your favorite entrance/entrance music of all time and why it's your favourite. 

It's the 4 horseman track.  Epic build with the horse gallop, heavy drum beat and then THAT guitar solo.  Ooof

2. Current favourite wrestling entrance. 

I've gotten into NJPW over the last year and a bit and I absolutely love Evil's entrance.  Great looking entrance gear with the hood and the scythe and the ominous music.  Bit of mood lighting, smoke and the up close camera angles and it's a wonderful entrance.

3. Take one of today's WWE/NXT (other promotions also available) entrances and make it better. You could change up the music, the presentation, their mannerisms as they come down to the ring, etc.  

Aj Styles fed song...it just never seemed to fit with me.  I always saw him as having more of a rock type of song rather than a rap one.  Just doesn't suit him for me anyway and it hasn't grown on me at all.

4. Favourite guilty pleasure entrance music. 

Rick Rude's "Simply Ravishing" WCW theme from 92/93.  It's an utter banger of a track and is pure cheese.

5. Worst entrance/entrance music of all-time. 

Most WCW tracks they took from the sample CD they used.  Generic, interchangeable tracks that told you nothing about the person or character coming to the ring.  Jericho on his podcast said his WCW theme was something like Basketball #3 or something as it was from a CD of songs used on basketball broadcasts...for me that's just awful.

6. How you'd make your own entrance if you were debuting in a promotion of your choosing in terms of how you'd come down to the ring and what banger you'd have playing in the background. 

I got into Indy wrestling in 2001, so obviously Down With The Sickness by Disturbed is a must.  Flames going up the side of my baggy, shiny pants that are tucked into my kick pads...sick underground band t shirt on...no glitz cause I am one of those cool heels who acts like a face until I'm not.

[Scott Malbranque]

1. Your favourite entrance/entrance music of all time and why it's your favourite. 

My favourite entrance and entrance theme of all time belong to Sid. The music, still to this day, makes the eyebrows furrow and every hair on my body go on end. I knew it was all fake, but when Sid came out, I believed again.

2. Current favourite wrestling entrance. 

Probably The Shield. I like the way Ambrose holds his arms up to his head when coming through the crowd. I'm not even sure if he does that anymore. Nothing or nobody else stands out and everything is a load of gik.
I enjoyed Sanity's theme and entrance on NXT because the tune was akin to My Name is Mud, but that's it.

3. Take one of today's WWE/NXT (other promotions also available) entrances and make it better. You could change up the music, the presentation, their mannerisms as they come down to the ring, etc.  

Roman Reigns needs a complete overhaul. He's still the same bloke, in the same outfit that he was 6 years ago and I really believe that's a wee part of the animosity towards him.

4. Favourite guilty pleasure entrance music. 

Big Daddy Cools'. It sounds like the theme song from Roseanne, but every time I hear it I smile and just for those few minutes, I think it's the coolest thing I've ever heard. I also loved Chaz's theme.

5. Worst entrance/entrance music of all-time. 

There's been a few absolute shitebag themes but Drew McIntyre and that Broken Dreams nonsense immediately springs to mind.

6. How you'd make your own entrance if you were debuting in a promotion of your choosing in terms of how you'd come down to the ring and what banger you'd have playing in the background. 

Liberty X's 'Being Nobody'. Doesn't matter where or how.

 

[CL Punk]

How you'd make your own entrance if you were debuting in a promotion of your choosing in terms of how you'd come down to the ring and what banger you'd have playing in the background.  

Probably the same one that I used on Smackdown vs. Raw. An Edge like video followed by shortened version of Stone Sour's 30/30-150, hit the ramp at the scream, pose (for the benefit of those with flash photography) and then run down to the ring.