aaamusic | On 29, Nov 2019

The World Wrestling Entertainment franchise has always known how to walk that fine line between sport and entertainment. Yet there’s more to it than burly guys with silly names taking each other on in a mixture of fight and choreography. From the moment WWE first arrived on the scene in the 1990s, the organisers understood that it needed to be an all-in entertainment package with the razzmatazz of a Super Bowl surrounding every fight. 

That also means ensuring all the peripherals are in place. Bookmakers were on hand to provide odds on WWE fights, pundits and former fighters threw in their opinions with as much conviction as Saint and Greavsie discussed the football. But above and beyond all that was the music. Today, even cricketers and snooker players have walked on music. But it was in the world of WWE that it all began. Let’s revisit some of the classics. 

It’s Conquered – The Rock

Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock brought a genuine sense of Hollywood to WWE. His intro music, with the gradual organ build up, clearly took inspiration from Alan Parsons’ Sirius, made so famous by the Chicago Bulls basketball team. He only actually used the piece for a handful of fights, but it stuck in the memory of everybody who heard it and became part of WWE music folklore.

I Won’t Do What You Tell Me – Steve Austin

Perhaps the most memorable use of It’s Conquered was in The Rock’s 2003 bout against Steve “Stone Cold” Austin. It was a clash of WWE’s two titans of the period, and Austin’s own entrance song, was just as iconic. The introductory sound of shattering glass took on one and only one meaning for WWE fans in the late 90s and early 00s: Things were about to get real. 

Unexpected Cena – John Cena 

Here’s one for the YouTube generation. John Cena’s self-rapped intro had flown largely under the radar until it was picked up by the social media world and went viral in 2015. It’s become synonymous with that period of WWE and paved the way for others to create their own entrance songs. 

The Game – Triple H

In comparison to Unexpected Cena, Triple H’s entrance song, performed by Motörhead is decidedly old school. Lemmy’s unmistakable rasping tones added a sense of all-star quality to the fighter’s growing reputation. 

Sky’s the Limit – Sasha Banks

As well as recording this song, Snoop Dogg appeared in person to sing it live at Wrestlemania 32 in 2016. He had a personal reason to do so, as with Sasha Banks, it’s more than just a business collaboration. She’s also his cousin. It became something of a theme for the event and is a song you could easily envisage achieving radio airtime on its own merits.

Root of All Evil – Aleister Black

With his vampire-like persona, his “death stare” and his refusal to speak a word, Aleister Black is one of the most recognisable and unsettling figures in WWE. His entry music, performed by Code Orange and Incendiary, has an apocalyptic feel and was undoubtedly the musical highlight of the Summerslam in 2017.