Entrances are a huge part of professional wrestling. When glass breaks, you know Steve Austin is about to wreak havoc on whoever’s in the ring. Goldberg’s entrance adds to his bigger-than-life persona. Enzo Amore’s entrance makes you listen to him attentively. The Undertaker’s entrance tells you everything you need to know about The Deadman.
Sometimes, all it takes to excite a dead crowd is a good entrance. Take The New Day’s entrance, for instance. No matter how uninspiring the show has been up to that point, the audience find themselves on their feet when Big E shouts, “Don’t you dare be sour. Clap for the world-famous five-time champs and feel the power.” Based on multiple factors, including theme music, entrance video, lighting, audience reaction and camera angles, here are some of the best entrances in WWE at the moment.
10 Jinder Mahal
Jinder Mahal now finds himself chasing the 24/7 Championship. However, there was a time when his victory against Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton felt like nothing out of the ordinary. During that phase, the former WWE Champion came out to the Punjabi song Sher. While the Singh Brothers flanked him, he used to walk down the red-carpeted ramp wearing a crisp suit and a turban.
With majestic TitanTron graphics behind him, he looked like a superstar. Although he couldn’t back it up in the ring, he more than made up for it with his presence, looks, and entrance.
9 Becky Lynch
Until recently, the only redeeming aspect of Becky Lynch’s character was her theme music. She didn’t have a lot going for her, but the fans almost always sang along to her theme music every time she made her entrance, especially in Europe. Since her transformation into The Man, however, her entrance is received with boisterous response from the live audience.
The fans pop for her like they do for no other wrestler today. The fact that she holds the Raw Women’s Championship strap adds to her entrance. The wrestler herself admitted recently that she might have the coolest theme music despite not being the fastest or most athletic.
8 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn hasn’t won a title since moving to the main roster. However, he’s one of the most consistent performers today. One needs to look no further than his entrance for the proof. The fans have always sung along to his theme, irrespective of the character he portrays.
Even the small things he does while coming through the curtain add to the spectacle. For instance, his dancing created an upbeat atmosphere when he was a face, while his antics make the fans boo him these days. He understands wrestling like few others do.
7 The New Day
This is a no-brainer. At one point, the fans reacted so positively to their entrances that WWE was forced to turn them face. With Big E making an extravagant introduction, Xavier Woods playing the trombone and Kofi Kingston throwing pancakes into the crowd while swiveling his hip, they make for exciting TV.
It only helps that their entrance music, created by former WWE employee Jim Johnston, is one of the catchiest themes in wrestling today. It’s understandable that the WWE Champion has retained the stable’s theme despite being atop the pecking order today.
6 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar may not be the most popular figure in WWE today, considering the fact that the fans are now sick and tired of The Beast. The WWE has booked him to hold the biggest prizes in the WWE today, namely the Universal Championship and the Money in the Bank briefcase.
However, you can’t deny that you get all pumped up when his theme music hits. His entrance almost always tells the fans that something huge is about to happen. You can see seated fans rising up in anticipation every time his music hits. It's not grand or elaborate, but it's simple and effective.
5 The Demon King
Finn Balor’s entrance itself is a sight to behold, thanks to excellent camera work from Kevin Dunn and co. His The Demon King entrance, though, is on a completely different level with the entire arena often partaking in it. When he comes out as his alter ego, fans understandably convince themselves that something huge is set to unfold.
With The Undertaker slowly being phased out and Bray Wyatt looking to adopt a new theme, he now comes across as the new face of terror. What he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in his aura.
4 Roman Reigns
Here’s a bit of an unpopular entry. Not many fans take to his entrance and, in fact, a majority believes he should already drop The Shield’s entrance and use a new one. They’re the same set of people who wanted The Usos to shed their old Haka theme music in favour of a new one, and it’s worked.
However, for The Big Dog, it'll be difficult to create a theme that suits his persona as well as his current one does. The boos that come with his entrance only add to it all. Iit’ll be some time before the WWE even considers changing his theme, as it’s now so familiar.
3 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins had a pretty generic theme until recently. Many reliable sources claimed it was Vince McMahon’s decision to add "Burn It Down" to his theme. It’s worked wonders going by the fans’ reaction to his entrance of late. Even when he readies himself for the Curb Stomp, we can hear the fans chant it.
It’s amusing how a small addition to his theme music has had as big an influence on his overall character as it’s done. The fact that he now holds the Universal Championship while coming through the curtain only makes him a bigger attraction than he already was.
2 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe has had as much success as a TNA original of his age could do. He won’t ever reach the heights A.J. Styles has, but he’s managed to carve out a name for himself despite not having the archetypal WWE look. The former US Champion has been a formidable presence on the main roster and has been one of the four performers – alongside Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins – who have looked like they stand a chance against Brock Lesnar.
Of course, you need to be exceptional to reach that point, but his entrance – with the fans chanting loudly – has been a small yet significant reason why he’s become as big as he has.
1 R-Truth
Finding R-Truth this high up the list may shock a lot of fans, especially when The Undisputed Era, Tommaso Ciampa and Aleister Black have missed out on a place in the list. However, the former US Champion and the 24/7 Champion has revolutionized entrances.
His rapping down the ramp along with his companions makes for exciting television and his catchphrase is easily one of the best in recent times. While he’ll remain one of the most underrated stars of any generation, his entrance will always be one of the all-time greats considering the effect he has upon the fans.