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Why is entrance music so instrumental to our overall enjoyment of Professional Wrestling? There are most likely many answers to this question. Amongst other things, it helps us get into the correct mindset in order to enjoy a match. It contributes greatly to the storylines and character gimmicks infiltrating the action.
Perhaps most importantly, a good entrance theme can take us back to when wrestling is always at its most entertaining - when we were children without a care in the world.
Whether we are jumping around to a playful, bouncy anthem or swaying gently to a dark, twisted lullaby, entrance music transports us to the very center of the action and gives us an outlet to enjoy the sport without the use of logic and words.
So, who does have the greatest entrance music in wrestling today? While we understand this to be a largely subjective question, here are our top 5 choices nevertheless:
#5 'Stardust' - Tetsuya Naito
Anyone who knows their current Japanese wrestling will appreciate how much of an unlikely success story Tetsuya Naito has turned out to be. Once the Far East's answer to Roman Reigns, the former Stardust Genius was roundly rejected by the New Japan audience as the next Ace of the company, culminating in the main event of the Wrestle Kingdom 8, being taken away from him by a now legendary fan vote.
Naito would then go on to spend time in Mexico, honing a new image and attitude that outright rejected the need for fan approval, turning him into a special kind of anti-hero heel as a result.
In a way, his current theme music ought to have died long ago. The feel of the tune conjures up the kinds of associations and images linked with his failed Stardust Genius gimmick. It is quite cheesy, upbeat and almost child-like, exactly the kind of thing his Ingobernables faction rebels against.
He is basically carrying the music as a badge of honor, turning what he once was against his haters, and becoming one of the most beloved superstars of his generation.
#4 'Live in Fear' - Bray Wyatt
The Bray Wyatt character may have fallen quite dramatically since his highly anticipated main roster debut in 2013, but there is still something about his entrance that gets people on their feet and engaged, and this, at least, is worthy of a mention on this list.
One gets the feeling that no matter how un-invested the WWE Universe becomes in Wyatt as a performer, the fans will always love being a part of the visual display and aura surrounding the ring during his entrance. When people turn on their mobile torch app and start swaying their arms around, they know they are personally contributing to setting a particular mood.
Bray Wyatt, on paper, is a demented genius who has psychological powers over people through verbal manipulation. The sight of so many people choosing to become one of his 'fireflies' while his theme music plays is complementary of this, which sets up his matches perfectly.
Even without taking all of this into account, the song itself is an effective one. It is spooky and methodical, everything that Bray is supposed to be.
It is also the ideal song to help you get inside your adversary's head. The opponent is left with no clear concept of what is coming, and if the darkness, fireflies and handheld lamp is not enough to disorient you, the creepy, nightmarish tune ringing in your ears most definitely is.
#3 'The Rising Sun' - Shinsuke Nakamura
Whether the high level of fan involvement in Shinsuke Nakamura's entrance is down to the quality of the theme music or a direct result of the amount of love the fans hold for him, no one can deny that it is arguably one of the most enjoyable moments in Smackdown and its associated PPVs.
The melody is simple enough to allow people to sing along but complex enough for it to give the WWE's resident rockstar appropriate levels of credibility and class.
The company has had Japanese superstars grace its squared circle before, but Shinsuke is quite possibly the most important test case we've seen so far. If his time in the US turns out to be a success, other big names from Japan might be tempted to follow suit, so it is paramount that we get behind him.
From the very first bars of the violin to the rip-roaring chorus, 'The Rising Sun' encapsulates a delicate mix of American rock n roll and Japanese eccentricity. It also marks the arrival of somebody we ought to take seriously above most others.
And of course, we must take into account the man himself. If the humming along of the audience wasn't enough to create the spectacle, Nakamura's bizarre, unrestrained moves really turn it into the theatre scene that professional wrestling is meant to be.
Who wouldn't want to see the man succeed after having so much fun watching him approach the ring?
#2 'Kaze Ni Nare' - Minoru Suzuki
When it comes to deciding on good, effective entrance music, one might take many things into account. Does the style and sound of the song suit the character? Is it enough to get the fans involved and singing along? Does it help to strike fear into the opponent they are about to face?
Sometimes, however, entrance music is enjoyable simply due to it being a great sounding song. This is very much the case with Minoru Suzuki's theme 'Kaze Ni Nare'.
That is not to say that it doesn't contain all of the aforementioned qualities. The Japanese crowd loves singing along to the signature line, despite the Far East audience traditionally being more reserved. It also hits at the perfect time, just as Minoru steps through the ropes and into the squared circle.
The music also carries a sufficient amount of class deserving of such a talented legend. Fans hold far too much respect for the man to see him come to the ring accompanied by cheerful, over-the-top musical notes. A soul-warming ballad is exactly what a man like Suzuki needs.
But the effectiveness of the theme really stems from the contrast between Suzuki's well known sadistic nature and the rather pleasant vocals of the female singer. When you're facing Minoru, you know you are about to endure a lot of pain, but at least he will dish it out beautifully.
#1 'Glorious Domination' - Bobby Roode
Professional Wrestling has taken on a number of different characteristics over the years from cartoonish-like theatrics to R-Rated establishment bashing. But through it all, the business has always been at its very best when those involved were reminded to have fun.
Despite how seriously we might take our wrestling at times, it is first and foremost an escape from reality, a chance for us to kick back, shed the skin of everyday life and be like children again.
We do this by participating as far as possible in the action. This might come in the form of chanting during matches, finishing a superstar's promos off for them or providing an annoying distraction designed to put the athletes off.
When it comes to 'Glorious Domination', the theme tune associated with Bobby Roode since his arrival at WWE, we have the perfect outlet. The brilliant combination of words and melody simply beg us to sing along and throw our arms out like excitable kids on a playground.
The gesture that we copy from Roode can almost be seen as the physical manifestation of the escapism wrestling attempts to provide us with. We throw away our troubles and reservations about life along with the doubt and self-questioning we occasionally feel about the current state of the business. It is a moment in time when everything makes sense and professional wrestling envelopes our lives and imaginations once again.
Words cannot do this theme tune justice, apart from maybe one...glorious!
