This Sunday, the 29th installment of WrestleMania will take place at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. With pro wrestling’s humble beginnings, it’s hard to imagine that sports entertainment would have evolved to the spectacle that it is now. Annually selling out football stadiums across the country, the big show usually calls for big entrances. In many cases, the entrances sometimes overshadow the actual matches. Not many people can tell you a memorable spot from Shawn Michaels' and Bret Hart’s Iron Man match, but they can tell you they saw him slide in from the arena’s roof and into the crowd.
A wrestler’s entrance is essentially real life people living out every grown-man’s fantasy. How awesome would it be if a badass song played every time you entered an establishment with fireworks going off around you and thousands of people going crazy? Exactly. Pro wrestling, at one point in your life, was awesome to you. No matter how old you are, at least one time of the year, WrestleMania reminds you how awesome pro wrestling was or still is to you.
We take a look back at the 50 Greatest Pro Wrestling Entrances of All Time ranging from WWE, WCW, ECW, and more. From Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage to The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, a memorable entrance is sometimes the best part of any wrestling match. It says “oh shit, he’s here! He’s here!” without saying it. Peep the first 25 after the jump, and check back tomorrow for part two.
Written by Kazeem Famuyide (@RealLifeKaz)
RELATED: A Complete History of WrestleMania Personalities Dying Before the Age of 60
This Sunday, the 29th installment of WrestleMania will take place at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. With pro wrestling’s humble beginnings, it’s hard to imagine that sports entertainment would have evolved to the spectacle that it is now. Annually selling out football stadiums across the country, the big show usually calls for big entrances. In many cases, the entrances sometimes overshadow the actual matches. Not many people can tell you a memorable spot from Shawn Michaels' and Bret Hart’s Iron Man match, but they can tell you they saw him slide in from the arena’s roof and into the crowd.
A wrestler’s entrance is essentially real life people living out every grown-man’s fantasy. How awesome would it be if a badass song played every time you entered an establishment with fireworks going off around you and thousands of people going crazy? Exactly. Pro wrestling, at one point in your life, was awesome to you. No matter how old you are, at least one time of the year, WrestleMania reminds you how awesome pro wrestling was or still is to you.
We take a look back at the 50 Greatest Pro Wrestling Entrances of All Time ranging from WWE, WCW, ECW, and more. From Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage to The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, a memorable entrance is sometimes the best part of any wrestling match. It says “oh shit, he’s here! He’s here!” without saying it. Peep the first 25 after the jump, and check back tomorrow for part two.
Written by Kazeem Famuyide (@RealLifeKaz)
RELATED: A Complete History of WrestleMania Personalities Dying Before the Age of 60
50. Razor Ramon
Event: Summerslam
Date: 8/27/1995
Razor Ramon took on Shawn Michaels for a rematch of their epic ladder match at Summer Slam 1995. Why is this on the list? Because Razor was one of the kings of wrestling swag, chico.
49. MVP
Event: WrestleMania 23
Date: 4/1/2007
Montell Vontavious Porter might be one of the most overlooked and underrated superstars in WWE history. His entrance at WreslteMania 23, complete with cheerleaders and pyrotechinics, went right along with his gimmick of being the highest-paid superstar in Smackdown history.
48. Rey Mysterio
Event: WrestleMania 22
Date: 4/2/2006
Rey Mysterio has had a string of impressive WrestleMania entrances and costumes. That string began at WrestleMania 22 as P.O.D. performed his entrance theme to the ring.
47. The nWo
Event: No Way Out
Date: 2/17/2002
The nWo returned to the WWE to "destroy the company" with Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. The hilarious tongue in cheek promo they cut about simply wanting a "clean slate" couldn't get over on the hyper crowd that popped hard for Hall's "Hey Yo" and the Immortal One.
46. Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli
Event: Glory By Honor IX
Date: 9/10/2010
K.O.W. are now property of WWE. Chris Hero (Kassius Ohno) and Claudio Castagnoli (Antonio Cesaro) would enter the ring to Cody B. Ware's "K.O.W." The high energy entrance theme would be performed live at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The long-reigning ROH Tag Team champions would have their initials chanted throughout the arena as the standouts got ready to throw dem bows.
45. Jeff Hardy
Event: Smackdown
Date: 12/19/2008
Jeff Hardy has been one of the longest running fan-favorite's in the history of the WWE. When he finally captured the WWE championship, he returned to Smackdown to a hero's welcome that the crowd completely ate up.
44. Daniel Bryan
Event: WrestleMania 28
Date: 4/1/2012
The birth of the standard "Yes!" chants can be dated back to WrestleMania 28 in Miami. Internet wrestling darling, Daniel Bryan, made his long-awaited debut at the biggest wrestling stage in the world as a champion. Before, during, and after his match, chants of "Yes!" rang out throughout the stadium, so when Bryan kicked the evening off with his match, his pop was nuclear. Too bad his match lasted 18 seconds.
43. The Brood
Event: Raw is War
Date: 1998
Did you know Edge and Christian were vampires? Well, Edge and Christian were Vampires. Led by Gangrel, The Brood's impressive entrance which had the trio rise from the depths of "hell" was complete with some badass music and a Triple H-like spat of blood. Hold that, Twilight.
42. Scott Steiner
Event: Survivor Series
Date: 11/17/2002
Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner made his much anticipated return to the WWE at the 2002 Survivor Series at Madison Square Garden. With a simple police siren and a bunch of intimidating flexes, Steiner simply asks for "his fucking mic" after putting the paws on Matt Hardy and Chris Nowinski.
41. Ric Flair
Event: WrestleMania 24
Date: 3/30/2008
For the final time in WWE history, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair made his way toward the ring to compete at WreslteMania 24 in the stylingest and most profilingest (if those are words) way possible. With a flashy robe and even flashier pyrotechnics, Flair strutted to the ring for one last time (or so we thought).
40. El Generico
Event: Final Battle
Date: 1/16/2012
El Generico is the latest in a long line of ROH standouts who have been recently signed by the WWE. Joining CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, and many more, "The Generic Luchador" will make his debut in the WWE in the near future and we hope they haven't changed a single thing in his gimmick. As over the top as his cheesy gimmick is, you cannot deny how much that crowd is into it. Ole!
39. The Undertaker
Event: WrestleMania 23
Date: 4/1/2007
No matter how old you are, how casual a fan of wrestling you are, or how jaded you've become over the years, nothing is cooler than The Undertaker making his entrance. Period.
38. Edge
Event: WrestleMania 26
Date: 3/28/2010
The "Rated R Superstar" always knew how to make a hell of an entrance. After returning to WrestleMania after a neck injury that eventually cut his Hall of Fame career short, Edge kicked his already awesome entrance into high gear in Glendale, AZ.
37. Al Snow & "Head"
Event: Unknown
Date: Unknown
As Joey Styles so eloquently put it, "would you believe it if you didn't see it yourself?" No, Joey, I wouldn't. I still don't believe it. But back in the day, everybody wanted a little head from Al Snow. Pause, pause, pause.
36. Sting
Event: Starrcade '97
Date: 12/28/1997
The Man Called Sting performed for the first time in one full calendar year when he ditched the rafters and walked through the entranceway to take on Hulk Hogan for the WCW Heavyweight Championship. Inspired by "The Crow," Stinger made his stunning entrance after a stoic poem.
35. The Rock
Event: Monday Night RAW
Date: 2/14/2011
Dwayne Johnson made his long-awaited return to the WWE to host WrestleMania 27 in Atlanta. "The Great One" sure milked this one and planted the seeds for his current feud with current WWE top dog, John Cena.
34. The Undertaker
Event: Survivor Series
Date: 11/27/2005
After being dealt with by "The Legend Killer" Randy Orton, The Deadman returned to action via his druids, a coffin, and some kickass special effects. It has GOT to be hot in that damn box.
33. Rob Van Dam
Where: Guilty As Charged
Event: 1/7/2001
ECW's most beloved superstar sure knew how to make an entrance. Rob Van Dam's entrance to Pantera's "Walk" lit every crowd it touched on fire. His return at 2001's 'Guilty As Charged' Pay-Per-View stunned everyone in attendance as he made an unannounced return to the "House Of Hardcore."
32. Diesel
Event: WrestleMania XI
Date: 4/2/1995
Big Daddy Cool walked into the main event of WrestleMania XI to take on his best friend Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship. He also got to come out with Jenny McCarthy and eventually Pamela Anderson. Swag you out, sir.
31. Bret "The Hitman" Hart
Event: Survivor Series
Date: 11/17/1996
After the Hitman took a hiatus from wrestling after his legendary "Iron Man Match" with Shawn Michaels, he made his triumphant return to the squared circle at the 1996 Survivor Series. The Hitman was in all his pink and black cheesy glory handing out sunglasses and strutting his stuff, and the Garden crowd ate it up. All up until Stone Cold Steve Austin came out.
30. Macho Man Randy Savage
Event: WrestleMania V
Date: 4/2/1989
Macho Madness was running wild at Atlantic City, NJ as he made his way to the ring flanked by security and holding the World Wrestling Federation Championship. Never has "Pomp And Circumstance" ever looked more menacing. Oh Yeah!
29. CM Punk
Event: Monday Night Raw
Date: 7/25/2011
After CM Punk won the WWE Title and took off from the company and hadn't been seen in weeks, John Cena and Rey Mysterio fought in a tournament final to determine a new champion. Cena (surprise!) won the title, but his celebration was cut short after Living Colour's "Cult Of Personality" blared throughout the stadium. Mainstream fans didn't know what was going on, but fans of Punk from his Ring of Honor days knew that the "Straight Edge Superstar" had returned.
28. John Cena
Event: Royal Rumble
Date: 1/27/2008
The WWE likes to call John Cena "controversial" but let's just call a spade a spade. Cena's Superman act wore thin very fast within fans of the WWE, and that's why he gets booed in almost every arena he enters. However, when he does legitmate Superman shit, it's hard to not be in awe of him. Weeks prior to the Royal Rumble, all signs seemed to point at Cena winning the annual Battle Royal for a shot at the WWE Championship before he legitimately tore his bicep. Plans were changed, and all chips were in on Triple H as the favorite. As the 30th and final entrant was sent to enter the ring at Madison Square Garden, Cena surprised the notoriously hard-to-please New York City fans as he returned from injury approximately two months ahead of schedule to win his first Royal Rumble.
27. The New Age Outlaws
Event: Raw is War
Date: 1998
Oh, you didn't know? The "Road Dogg" Jesse James and the "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn were kings of crowd participation when it came to their entrance. Their call and response style entrance was great enough to make any rapper blush.
26. Evolution
Event: Monday Night Raw
Date: 2004
At a combined weight of 1,072 pounds, as Lillian Garcia awesomely put it, Evolution's badass entrance on this episode of Monday Night RAW is when the faction was at the top of the world. Consisting of the company's past in Ric Flair, it's present in Triple H and future in Randy Orton and Batista; Evolution was the jacked up version of The Four Horseman.