WWE is known for its immense library of theme songs, but there has been some friction between fans and the current composer, the much-maligned Def Rebel. A pseudonym for music production company DJDTP, Def Rebel has often been at the center of fan complaints since CFO$ folded in 2020. The themes produced by Rebel, while not as bad as Right to Censor (debatable), certainly don’t elicit excitement in the way their predecessors did.
Moreover, changing beloved themes of wrestlers under the WWE banner leaves a sour taste. Why fix what isn’t broken? Few of their tracks have improved on any earlier ones. It’s hard to engage with a wrestler when one of the most important ingredients to crowd excitement is the music they can identify with. It has to fit and instill the very image of talent.
I’ve written about the Pavlovian response to wrestling themes before in articles. I feel Def Rebel has ignored this important aspect.
Normally, I don’t typically compose articles like this—I’m mainly a writer who focuses on good vibes. However, with WWE adamant about owning the copyright to talent names and music, they will wait until this problem grows.
They’re aware this is a glaring issue, but they will drag their feet. All the while, fans will be subject to tasteless tracks until someone takes their place. But how did we get here? Why is Def Rebel so unpopular?
Brief History of WWE Music
From the 1980s to his release in 2017, legendary WWE composer Jim Johnston provided the soundtrack to many an event and wrestler. Several iconic themes accompanied them to the ring under his direction. From “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s “I Won’t Do What You Tell Me” to “Hitman” for Bret Hart, Johnston’s collection of themes is beloved within the fanbase.
Meanwhile, from 2012 to 2020, a production duo, John Paul Alicastro and Michael Conrad Lauri, formed CFO$ to provide other themes. Tastes on their themes vary, with Bobby Roode’s “Glorious Domination” and Shinsuke Nakamura’s “The Rising Sun” being the most popular.
CFO$ would disband in early 2020, leading to Doug Davis, Ali “Dee Theodore”, and Anthony Mirabella III founding Def Rebel. Davis, in particular, had many accomplishments and accolades, having scored for Paramount, Netflix, and Disney.
Theodore served on the rap/hip-hop side of Def Rebel, having worked extensively with Kool G Rap. Mirabella himself worked on the soundtracks to the Super Mario Bros. movie, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Def Rebel’s Unpopularity
To say that Def Rebel’s themes are highly disliked is putting it mildly. Severely so. They’ve had some hits, sure. Roman Reigns’s themes since becoming the Tribal Chief. IYO SKY’s culture is alive through “Tokyo Shock”. Liv Morgan’s “Nah Nah” brings her bratty nature to the forefront.
On that front, Def Rebel did well. Extra kudos for Reigns’s themes having a leitmotif of the Shield theme. But other themes don’t bring that same sort of pop. In fact, the whole point of wrestling themes is to guarantee a wrestler some pop. They should elicit chants or sing-alongs, palpable excitement ringing through venues.
Def Rebel doesn’t do that. Instead, it’s generic and formulaic. Toss in a catchphrase or nickname, hit some riff or beat. No substance, rinse and repeat. AJ Styles had this treatment in 2024 when “You Don’t Want None” played at WrestleMania, starting with him reciting the name of the song. At the 2023 Royal Rumble, Asuka emerged to “You Can’t Hide”, similar to “The Future” but with different vocals and a spoken-word “The Empress of Tomorrow!”.
If you need proof as to why these two themes didn’t work, look at when both returned in 2025 with “Phenomenal” and “The Future” respectively. Bringing back CFO$ music cements that WWE has lost confidence in Def Rebel as well. They chased “glass shatter” moments in their songs, not realizing that said glass was tempered.
What Could be Done
There is a strange duality to Def Rebel. Sometimes they’ll have a rare hit, other times a common miss. On the July 17 episode of NXT on the CW Network, such a case occurred. Jordynne Grace’s siren-less theme immediately fans while Blake Munroe (fka Mariah May) sported a warmly received debut of her theme.
Elsewhere, in her debut in All Elite Wrestling, former Stardom wrestler Mina Shirakawa sauntered to the ring to a new theme that was instantly met with utter repulsion.
Noticing this, Tony Khan made the call to revert to her original Empress Nexus Venus theme, instantly satiating the fans. That version is, as the kids say, a bop. A banger, if you will. While adhering to fan wishes is not always the best direction, audibles like these must be called.
Additionally, Def Rebel’s collaborations with outside artists have enhanced certain artists. Kerry King of Slayer with Damian Priest is such a gnarly pairing. Penta and Rey Fenix, who are getting a makeover courtesy of TOOL’s guitarist Adam Jones, have increased their wow factor. With how WWE loves to tout how well it’s doing business-wise, surely it wouldn’t take too much to collaborate.
With artists like Metro Boomin wanting to add themes, why not let them in on the fun? Or why not just let Def Rebel go and let these artists in? Many of them are already fans of either WWE, certain wrestlers, or pro wrestling as a whole.
The Importance of Entrance Themes
When fans greet wrestlers to their music, it should feel magical. Despite his current standing with fans, if Chris Jericho were to start using “Judas” again, fans would likely sing along as they did before. When Adam Copeland met the Brisbane crowd to “Metalingus” by Alterbridge at AEW Grand Slam: Australia, they sang along. Mexico City did the same for CMLL talent Mistico’s “Me Muero” by Natalia Jimenez at AEW Grand Slam: Mexico. That’s unity, an intangible bond between the performer and their audience.
I don’t feel WWE is in too much of a hurry with this. Otherwise, something would be done by now. Blake Munroe shouldn’t be a recent outlier, but a common standard of excellence. Def Rebel has a litany of accomplishments.
Despite this, they are clearly not suited for the world of sports entertainment. There’s a plethora of contenders who could easily slot in. Some artists would love to work with WWE, most notably Metro Boomin. Downstait, who has lent many original songs to the company, could fill in for talents that would fit their style—it worked for Cody Rhodes.
I’m no expert on making music. For that, Def Rebel has my sympathies, because I can’t fathom how difficult it must be to capture a wrestler’s essence. But if something doesn’t work, then change it. Make compromises until you can “own” the song someone can use, which is pathetic, by the way, for a huge entertainment corporation that often touts its success.
Image is everything. The lack of enthusiasm due to poor, mediocre music by Def Rebel taints that. Your talent deserves better, and your fans deserve better.
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