Wrestlemania is often referred to as “the grandest stage of all” and the “showcase of the immortals”. It’s the one night where everyone strives for perfection, from wrestlers to announcers to producers as they all want a “grand spectacle”. However, one aspect of Wrestlemania that I look forward to are the unique entrances. Often times a bigger, more larger than life entrance can really set the tone of a match and give it a “big fight” feel. As I looked back on some of my favourite walks down the aisle, I realized just how memorable some of them are. So here it is, my top 10 favourite Wrestlemania ring entrances. (Note: to add some variety, I chose to not repeat any wrestlers. I mean, I could have made a top 10 from Undertaker’s entrances alone.)
10. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan – Wrestlemania IX I may be a part of the minority, but I’ve always liked the Classical Rome theme of Wrestlemania IX. There were a lot of fun entrances, but none as great as Bobby Heenan’s. What made it great wasn’t his coming out backwards on a camel, but his commitment to his role. Heenan was always the heel, the “weasel” and his entrance was made purely on how he sold it. Although Randy Savage lifting Bobby’s toga was a nice comedic touch.
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9. The Dudley Boyz – Wrestlemania XVIII (I always hated that they called it “X-8”) There have been a lot of live bands playing wrestlers out to the ring at Wrestlemania. Motorhead and Drowning Pool (R.I.P. Dave Williams) have both played Triple H to the ring, and most recently Living Color played CM Punk out. But few have embraced the band playing their theme quite as much as The Dudleys did at Wrestlemania XVIII. It doesn’t hurt that I was a huge Saliva fan but to see Bubba and D-Von headbanging along with the Memphis-based group made it fun. Seeing Stacy Keibler dancing with singer Josey Scott didn’t hurt either.
Billy and Chuck vs The APA vs The Dudley Boyz… by puropwgwwestuff
8. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan – Wrestlemania XVIII Part of what makes this entrance is the anticipation to the Icon vs. Icon match itself. Part of it was that this was the first time in nine years that Hulk Hogan was at Wrestlemania. But to me, the biggest part was to see Hogan, clad in nWo gear, post Monday Night War, walking to a WWE ring. It was something special. Something I am sure many fans at one point, didn’t think they would ever see.
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7. Rey Mysterio – Wrestlemania XXV I’ve always enjoyed Mysterio’s unique attire at Wrestlemania. Many of which are superhero inspired. As an avid comic book reader, that becomes a lot of fun for me, but what I enjoy most is that Rey gets into the part for his entrance. None more evident than Wrestlemania XXV before his Intercontinental title match with JBL. Mysterio added a little quirkiness to his walk, spinning a little here and there. Also, if you look closely, Rey moves his tongue around his mouth, similar to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight film. It was also nice to see Rey play the villain for once, one could say.
6. Mini Wrestling Rings – Wrestlemania III & VI I suppose this could be considered a bit of a cheat, since it doesn’t refer to a specific wrestler but there’s something iconic about those tiny squared circles. I wish they would bring them in every year, even if for just one match. Although, I suppose they might look silly now, with the huge open stadiums that Wrestlemania is held in, and the rather large ramps.
5. Ric Flair – Wrestlemania XXIV There isn’t really anything over the top with this entrance (aside from maybe Flair’s extravagant robe), but at the time this could have been (and in fact was) the last time The Nature Boy would walk the aisle of Wrestlemania as a competitor. That made this entrance something special. You can see it in Flair as he came down that aisle.
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4. John Cena – Wrestlemania XXV John Cena has made a point of having unique entrances at Wrestlemania. From smashing into the arena in a tricked-out Mustang to being played out by a marching band. My favourite John Cena entrance at a Wrestlemania though is one I’ve dubbed “attack of the clones” While Cena gets a lot of hate thrown his way, there was something interesting and neat looking about all those guys decked out in Cena attire coming out to Basic Thuganomics.
3. Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania XII They don’t call him Mr. Wrestlemania for nothing. Granted, it probably has more to do with the stellar matches he puts on than his entrances but no one can say that he doesn’t know how to make an impact. And at Wrestlemania XII, with the biggest match of his career looming, that’s just what he did as he took a zipline from the top of the Anaheim Pond all the way down to ringside, landing amidst his fans. Without a doubt, one of the most memorable moments in Wrestlemania history, and certainly a worthy entrance of a man nicknamed Mr. Wrestlemania.
2. The Undertaker – Wrestlemania XXIX As I said at the beginning, I could have made a top 10 of Undertakers entrances alone. No one has had as many awe-inspiring, visually-enticing, and chilling entrances as the Deadman. From Roman funeral chariots to druids surrounding the ring as Undertaker seemingly floated to the ring, no one has had so many awesome entrances. My favourite of his is actually his most recent. At Wrestlemania XXIX the phenom emerged from a fog as an undead legion reached for him like their undead saviour. It was, in a word, haunting.
1. Triple H – Wrestlemania XXVII As Triple H prepared to challenge The Undertaker’s streak for the second time, what better song to usher him in than Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” (or a reasonable facsimile if you watch the DVD)? As the metal riff blared through the Georgia Dome, centurion soldiers surrounded the top of the ramp. Hidden behind their shields they slowly made their way forward until a spotlight appeared, revealing a demonic warrior clad in a shining metallic skull mask ready for battle. As the lights went out, that warrior transformed into the cerebral assassin, no less ready for a battle. Rumour has it Triple H has that skull mask hanging in his office nowadays.
As with many lists of this nature, it is completely subjective. These are my favourite Wrestlemania entrances. What are yours? Let us know, include #BestManiaEntrance and #LWOS.
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