WWE: Ranking the 10 Greatest Wrestling Entrances of All Time
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One of the most important parts of being a successful wrestler is the entrance.Today’s wrestling product is all about entertainment, and nothing is more entertaining than a grand entrance.
From the moment the wrestler steps out from behind the curtain to the time he enters the ring, his entrance can make or break him.
Just as much as it is about intimidating the opponent, the entrance is also there to start telling the story.
Who is this guy? Where is he from? What is he all about?
That entrance should be over the top with explosions, fireworks or music—something to make the person coming down the ramp stand out from the rest of the crowd. At the same time, it needs to grab the fans by the throat, get their juices pumping and get them out of their seats.
Not surprisingly, the WWE dominates this list. Vince McMahon's outfit has the most money and the most visibility.
There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of wrestlers through the years. These 10 entrances stand out from all the rest.
Honorable Mention: The Great Muta
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The only reason this one doesn’t rank on the list is because most wrestling fans have probably never seen it.
But once you see it, you’ll never forget it.
In 2007, The Great Muta teamed up with RG to face Tajiri and Yinling in HUSTLE.
A few minutes into the match, Muta hadn’t arrived, but there was a genie lamp sitting on the ramp. RG jumped out and began to rub the lamp. When nothing happened, he threw it down.
A sudden, violent eruption of smoke covered the ramp. When it cleared, RG was standing behind a man that was covered head to toe and seemed to tower over everyone.
He slowly made his way to the ring while Tajiri quivered in fear.
The man ripped off his hood to reveal The Great Muta beneath. His face was painted, he had a headdress that was made of two dragons and his eyes glared with anger.
It was an awesome spectacle that could have been No. 1.
10: NWO
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One of the greatest wrestling stables in history also had one of the greatest entrances of all time.
It all started with the distorted male voice saying “N…W…O,” followed by Hollywood Hogan and the others strutting in.
With Jimi Hendrix playing across the arena, The nWo strolled down the aisle with great disdain and lack of interest in any kind of formality. They were the anti-heroes of the wrestling world. If the WCW were a high school, they would be the cool kids.
They took tradition and shoved it down the toilet.
9: The New Age Outlaws
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Road Dogg Jesse James and Bad Ass Billy Gunn optimized the Attitude Era, and their entrance was just as over the top as they were.
No flashy pyrotechnics were needed with these two—just some music and a whole bunch of words.
Road Dogg would start speaking before they even stepped out from behind the curtain, live mic in hand. As they walked down the ramp, he would go through their laundry list of edgy, provocative lines.
Once in the ring, Road Dogg would embark on a spin-off of the classic wrestling announcer, introducing themselves as the "soon-to-be WWF Tag Team Champions of the World!"
Gunn would then grab the mic and let everyone know what they could do if they weren't down with that. In unison, the entire audience would scream, "Suck It!"
The New Age Outlaws captivated the audience with their slew of slogans and phrases.
8: Stone Cold Steve Austin
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The shattered glass.
The simple thumping music.
Austin striding down to the ring mouthing something that we never got to hear.
It was simple and to the point.
Just like Austin.
7: Triple H
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Moments after his music hits, words are spoken that set the tone:
“It’s time to play the game!”
Triple H is so good in the ring that it isn’t really a surprise that his entrance is so good, too.
Coming out, Triple H exudes a confidence that matches what he does in the ring. The wet hair, the water bottle, the flex on the side of the ring.
He takes his time at first, scanning his surroundings, almost daring anyone to interrupt him before he begins his focused walk to the ring. Jumping up on the side, he takes it all in again before unleashing a shower of spray above his head.
His flex to the crowd conveys his intensity and a final spray of water shows his disdain for authority.
His opponent is psyched out before the match even begins.
6: The Sandman
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This is perhaps the least flashy entrance of anyone on this list, and yet, it's also one of the most memorable.
The Sandman enters to Metallica’s "Enter Sandman," weaving his way through the crowd, beer in hand, cigarette in mouth and trademark kendo stick in hand as well.
The Sandman is a ‘you-see-what-you-get’ kind of wrestler. Hardcore to the core, he is more interested in beating people up than anything else.
His entrances get the entire crowd involved. They sing along to the music, they get sprayed with beer and some hit themselves with the kendo stick.
The whole event feels like the greatest spectacle ever, and we're all invited.
5: The Brood
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The Brood may not be remembered for what they did in the ring, but how they got to the ring is truly memorable.
Edge, Christian and Gangrel were a Gothic trio that played up a vampire angle.
With the lights dimmed and their music thumping, they rose up from beneath the stage, with the edges of their platform igniting in fire once they reached the top. The trio strode to the ring, where Gangrel drank from a cup at ringside before spewing back into the crowd.
When the lights came back up, Gangrel was covered in blood, most of it dripping from the fangs in his mouth.
Vampires aren’t real, but The Brood’s entrance was very frightening.
4: AJ Styles
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There’s something about the straightforward approach to the entrance of AJ Styles that fits him perfectly.
The man who has won every single title in TNA enters the arena almost like Rocky, with his hood pulled up over his head and the fireworks spraying out behind him. After holding his hands out in front, he whips the hood off and spreads his arms wide.
It’s an entrance that says he’s here to fight—take it or leave it.
It gets your blood pumping, and the TNA crowd eats it up every time.
3: Ric Flair
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Does the entrance make the man or does the man make the entrance?
When it comes to Ric Flair, who cares?
While in the NWA/WCW, his was one of the grandest entrances of all time, which is absolutely fitting for one of the greatest wrestlers off all time.
With the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey blasting through the arena, Flair would stroll down the aisle in one of his custom-made, flashy robes. Sometimes he had a beauty (or four) on his arms, sometimes not.
But when the legend made his entrance, the fans paid attention.
The moves, the music, the look…they all screamed greatness.
2: Hulk Hogan
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The Classic Hogan entrance from the ‘80s perfectly captures what Hogan was all about: being the larger-than-life hero.
There were no fancy pyros with this one. Just Hogan, his yellow and red gear, his bandanna and his song, "Real American," pumping through the arena.
In the ‘80s, Hogan was the WWE hero and he was our hero. He fought against all the evils set forth in the federation, including The Iron Sheik, Sgt. Slaughter, Andre the Giant and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase.
He strode through the crowd just close enough for the fans to touch. Even though there were thousands screaming his name, he seemed to acknowledge every single one.
He would get to the ring and point at his adversary, who would jump to the floor.When he ripped his shirt off, it was time for Hulkamania to run wild. He'd face every direction of fans from the ring, his hand clasped to his ear, listening for—and needing—the cheers of the fans.
This entrance will still give you goose bumps with its power.
1: The Undertaker
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No other wrestler in the history of the sport has a more iconic or memorable entrance than The Undertaker.
And it all starts with the tolling of the bell.
The lights drop. The music hits. The Undertaker strolls slowly down to the ring, robes draped around his massive frame as the smoke curls around his body in an eerie embrace.
The camera then cuts to the classic look of fear from his opponent in the ring.
Once he steps in, The Undertaker keeps his head lowered as he removes his trench coat. The he slowly removes his wide-brimmed hat to reveal his face, with his eyes rolled into the back of his head.
It all works perfectly and leaves no doubt in your mind that what you are about to see is a legend in the flesh.