25 greatest WWE entrances of all time (2024)

The Undertaker's mystique begins with his entrance. (WWE)

Troy L. Smith, Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – First impressions mean a lot in wrestling.

Many a WWE star has failed based on a lousy entrance. If you can’t captivate the crowd upon first impact, why would they want to watch you in a wring for 20-plus minutes.

Thankfully, WWE has had several amazing performers with the entrances that could match their in-ring and mic skills. Even today, crowds find themselves in awe of those opening moments when their favorite star arrives.

Here are the 25 best entrances in WWE history that put us on the edge of our seats and kept us there.

25. Edge

Edge’s storybook entrances go back to his days with The Brood and teaming with Christian. But there was nothing quite like when he was on top of the WWE. Those thunderous drums and fireworks were so high energy. They, along with those words “You think you know me,” were the only things that could match his fire in the ring.

24. Roddy Piper

Oh those bagpipes. Rowdy Roddy Piper walked a fine line between sane and crazy, which is what made him so much fun. He could move from baby face to villain with ease. Either way, those iconic bagpipes signified a man with endless amounts of charm was coming to the ring. He was one of a kind.

23. Rick Rude

Ravishing Rick Rude would walk to the ring as if he was God’s gift to the world. He’d take off his robe, do his hip swivel and insult the city of whatever town he was in. Finally, Rude would invite a woman from the crowd into the ring that he would kiss. Then she would faint.

22. Brock Lesnar

When you’re one of the most destructive forces in WWE history, it doesn’t take much to get the fans fired up. But Brock Lesnar comes to the ring like it’s a championship fight that the other person has no chance of winning.

21. Bobby Roode

It almost feels like a parody, doesn’t it? Is there anything more over the top than Bobby Roode’s “glorious” entrance. It’s both funny and thrilling. Fans eat it up no matter how many times they see it.

20. The Shield

The Shield wasn’t the first group of wrestlers to walk through the crowd to the ring. But the way Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns performed, we felt like Armageddon was upon us. They would consume the ring like no other imposing force in WWE history. All hell was about to break lose.

19. Kane

There really isn’t much else to say after fire explodes and a giant monster walks to the ring. Kane first arrived billed as the Undertaker’s brother. So he had to have a haunting entrance. Missioned accomplished. Kane’s arrival struck fear in the hearts of every opponent he went up against.

18. Goldust

Shattered Dreams Productions is what it said on the screen. Goldust was such a unique persona and never broke character. It was disturbing on some levels, but impossible to turn away.

17. Mr. McMahon

How do you create the perfect entrance for the perfect villain. Well, you go with a song that screams, “No chance in hell!” and you let that villain, Vince McMahon, come to the ring with the most pompous and ridiculous strut you’ve ever seen.

16. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt’s entrance feels like a religious experience. The lights go out and all you see is a sea of cellphones. Wyatt creeps to the ring with a lantern in hand. Basically, it’s the WWE entrance version of someone playing “Free Bird” during an encore.

15. Randy Savage

Macho Man was essentially WWE’s version of Ric Flair, a brilliant in-ring performer who could thrill fans with his presence. Macho Man also had a great entrance that was as elegant as he was. The guy somehow made the graduation song cool, especially when he strolled out with Miss Elizabeth.

14. Finn Balor

Finn Balor’s regular entrance is quite spectacular. But there’s nothing like when he dresses as a demon and appears through a crowd of smoke in body paint. It’s the most stunning thing the WWE has to offer these days.

13. John Cena

Think back before John Cena became the most polarizing figure in WWE history. He was as beloved as any superstar of the past two decades. If you want to know what an amped up crowd looks and sounds like, watch Royal Rumble 2008 when Cena made his shocking return from injury. It will give you chills.

12. Legion of Doom

When wrestlers talk about entrances they focus on pop. It’s the level of noise the crowd makes when they know who is coming out. Few had a bigger pop than the Legion of Doom. Think about it. You had these two massive, terrifying looking guys with spiked shoulder pads walking to the ring with one thing on their mind: Annihilation.

11. Goldberg

This is cheating a bit since it extends back to the WCW days. Goldberg’s win streak became iconic and so did his entrance. How dangerous is a guy who has to be escorted from the locker room to the ring by armed guards? Goldberg brought that same iconic entrance to WWE for the later part of his career. It wasn’t as fresh, but it still had an awe factor that could knock you off your feet.

10. D-Generation X

“Are you ready?” That was the question that kicked off D-Generation X’s theme music, followed by a teaser video that let you know what was upon us. Shawn Michaels and Triple H embodied everything fans loved about the Attitude Era, from the crotch thrusts to their “Suck It” bit.

9. The Ultimate Warrior

No one’s entrance was shorter than The Ultimate Warrior’s. That’s because he sprinted to the ring. There was no concern over wasted energy. The Warrior was fired up and so were the fans. Things only got crazier as he shook the ring ropes and ran back and forth. It was that entrance that skyrocketed him to the top of the WWE ranks.

8. Stone Cold Steve Austin

There was no sound that could whip WWE crowds into frenzy more than the breaking of glass that announces Stone Cold Steve Austin is on his way to the ring. From there it was all business, as the Texas Rattle Snack walked with purpose to the ring and hit every turnbuckle. It was as intense as entrances get.

7. Shinsuke Nakamura

There was so much hype surrounding Shinsuke Nakamura’s arrival to both NXT and WWE. And he brought perhaps the best WWE intro song ever with him. Those flashing lights and crowd chants are something to behold every time he comes to the ring. But it gets even better when a live violinist accompanies Nakamura.

6. Triple H

I don’t know if anyone took more pride in their entrance than Triple H. So much so, he’s given us some of the longest entrances in WWE history. You can pull that off when you’ve got metal icon Lemmy singing your theme. Triple H knew how to work it, capping things off from spitting all that water into the air. Fans couldn’t wait.

5. The Rock

There was no mistaking who was coming to the ring once the Rock’s voice. “If ya smell what The Rock is cookin!’” But let’s be honest, this was all about the swagger of the most charismatic performer in WWE history. The Rock brought a level of showmanship with him to the ring that no one else could. Just bring it!

4. Chris Jericho

You have to remember how Chris Jericho debuted. Weeks leading up to his WWE debut, there was a “countdown to the millennium” clock. When Jericho finally arrived, it was two the lights going out and a huge explosion, followed by “Break the Walls Down,” a swaggering anthem perfect for the loudness of Jericho.

3. Hulk Hogan

Quick story about Hulk Hogan’s iconic theme song “Real American.” It began as a tune by singer Rick Derringer on 1985’s “The Wrestling Album” (Derringer produced most of the songs on the album). At the time, Hogan had a different theme. But WWE soon attached the track to its biggest superstar and it routinely took the roof off of every venue Hogan entered. You’d never felt anything like it.

2. Ric Flair

Everything about the Nature Boy was over the top, including his entrance. Ric Flair walked out to “Dawn,” the section from Richard Strauss’ “Also sprach Zarathrusta” tone poem (made famous by “2001: A Space Odyssey”). Flair milked it for all it was worth, wearing lavish robes that probably cost more than your car. It was an entrance worthy of the greatest wrestler of all time.

1. The Undertaker

It was all about the mystique. Early in his career, the Undertaker’s entrance was terrifying based on the way he looked alone. But once the put the whole package together – the gong intro followed by the lights going out – things got epic. You also had to admire his patience in pacing his slow walk to the ring before raising his hands to bring the lights back on. It was both precise and mesmerizing.