The 15 greatest Superstar entrances

The 15 greatest Superstar entrances

The WWE Universe packs into arenas around the world to see the exciting in-ring action that only the Superstars and Divas can provide. But part of the experience of seeing WWE live and in person is the spectacle of it all: the bright lights, booming fireworks and, of course, the Superstar entrances.

Watch:  10 awesome entrances on WWE Network

WWE Superstars crank their personalities up to 11 as they make their way to the ring, ensuring that every fan in attendance, from the front row to the nosebleeds, knows what they’re all about. Whether they spent their entrance tearing off a T-shirt or rising up through a ring of fire, these 15 Superstars dazzled the WWE Universe so much before the bell that they’ll be remembered forever. ( PHOTOS | VIDEO PLAYLIST)

Who do you think has the greatest entrance of all time? Let us know in the comments below or at Facebook.com/WWEClassics.

15

Goldust

This Superstar personified bizarre. Everything about him, from his unique ring attire to his unsettling behavior, creeped out competitors and fans alike. That all started with Goldust’s strange ring entrance.

Watch The Bizarre One's Backlot Brawl Watch the debut of Stardust on Raw

As The Bizarre One approached the ring, the arena took on a golden hue. Goldust’s opponents were made uneasy as he slowly neared the ring, clad in a glimmering robe. The unusual Superstar stepped in the squared circle and took off his brilliant coat before climbing the ropes. As Goldust removed his blond wig, gold confetti rained down on the WWE Universe as they wondered what the deal was with the gilded Superstar in front of them.

If everything else about him wasn’t enough to make people remember him, Goldust’s bizarre entrance ensured that they would never forget the name…

14

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Kerry Von Erich make their way to the ring: SummerSlam 1991

The Dragon puts on an impressive display as he breathes fire.

When he returned to WWE in 1991, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat began to take his nickname literally.

Clad in an outfit that made him look like the mythological creature, Steamboat demanded the arena be darkened, lit only by the torch he carried with him. During his time away from WWE, “The Dragon” had apparently learned how to control the flame.

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He climbed atop the turnbuckles, letting the WWE Universe get a glimpse of the scaly tail that hung from his chestpiece. Just as they took that in, he surprised them by breathing a giant fireball that lit the entire venue! Audiences were awed by his firebreathing skills, and his opponents, if they didn’t have their eyebrows singed off, were intimidated by the future WWE Hall of Famer.

13

Glacier

OK, we know Glacier gets a bad rap as one of WCW’s lamer characters. But seriously, how awesome was his entrance?

We get chills watching old clips of the martial arts master arriving to the ring. When the arena turned a cold shade of blue and lasers shot from wall to wall, fans’ attentions were frozen on the combatant walking out of an icy fog. Clad in armor reminiscent of the Shogun warriors of Japan, Glacier calmly entered the ring, ready for battle.

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He then gave a display of his martial arts expertise, showing off a flurry of kicks and punches, before letting out a primal scream that led to snowfall in the arena. If his opponent wasn’t suffering from hypothermia by the opening bell, they often fell victim to his devastating Cryonic Kick.

12

The Sandman

The 15 greatest Superstar entrances

Talk about a real man of the people. The Sandman never had the muscular physique of his fellow Superstars. He looked more like the kind of guy you’d see in a bar on a weekday afternoon. Embracing his blue collar look and personality, the ECW Original chose not to make his entrance from the massive stage as his colleagues did. Instead, Sandman walked down arena steps, through the WWE Universe.

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With his Kendo stick in hand, Sandman pushed through the cheering masses, stopping to raise his weapon of choice, letting his foes know exactly where he was. The Hardcore Icon climbed atop the security barrier to make one last statement before stepping in the ring.

Grabbing a cold one from his pocket, The Sandman bashed the beer can against his head, busting himself open before his opponent could dish out any damage. Showing that pain was nothing to him let The Sandman’s foes know that they were in for a long night. 

11

The Wyatt Family

The Wyatt Family makes their way to the ring

Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper & Erick Rowan make their slow walk towards the WWE Universe.

It’s almost redundant for Bray Wyatt to whisper “We’re here” before he and the rest of The Wyatt Family hit the ring; there’s almost no other Superstar – today or any other era – whose arrival is so profoundly announced. It goes like this: Bray and his boys appear on the TitanTron, he blows out a lantern and emerges, slowly marching through the blackened arena to the eerie strains of Mark Crozer’s “Live in Fear,” while Luke Harper zombie-walks beside him and Erick Rowan lugs The Eater of Worlds’ signature rocking chair to the ring.

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Wyatt’s arrival is also unique in that it has suddenly taken on a life of its own, with WWE Universe members involving themselves by clapping along to Crozer’s theme and bathing Bray and the fam with the glow of their cell phones, briefly turning the arena into a starlit sky. (The most elaborate version of this entrance was at WrestleMania 30, when Crozer and his band The Rels threw on face paint and plague masks, and played Wyatt to the ring.) The end result is much like Wyatt himself: Always evolving, hypnotic and all-encompassing. It began as something merely spectacular, but now it has become a communal experience. Just the way he wants it, man.

Oh, almost forgot: Run.

 

 

10

Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio's WrestleMania 22 entrance: WrestleMania 22

Rey Mysterio makes an impressive entrance before his World Heavyweight Championship Match at WrestleMania 22.

The Master of The 619 has dazzled the WWE Universe with his colorful masks and aerial ability. But the highflier knows how to get a crowd behind him from the second he leaps out from the curtain, or from under the stage.

When Mysterio arrived in WWE in 2002, he was launched from the depths of the arena, up through the air before landing on the stage. Through the years, his entrance has evolved to include stunning fireworks, smoke and more.

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What makes Rey’s entrance stand out from his fellow Superstars, however, is the connection he makes with the younger members of the WWE Universe. Before he steps into battle, Mysterio seeks out children donning his trademark masks and puts his head up against theirs, creating a very personal moment that the youngster is sure to remember forever.

9

Gangrel

The Brood's sinister entrance to the ring

Watch The Brood - Gangrel, Edge and Christian - make their way to the ring for competition.

Vampires are pretty scary on their own, right? The fangs and drinking blood is enough to make any normal person uneasy. But Gangrel took everything about the vampire lifestyle and cranked it up, weirding out the WWE Universe beyond belief.

As his eerie gothic music started up, the arena turned a gory shade of red. When fans turned their attention to the stage, they were surprised to see a ring of fire forming. Soon, the mysterious Gangrel rose up from the flames as a palpable tension broke out among the crowd.

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The vampire walked down the aisle, clutching a chalice in his hands. In some sort of mystic ceremony, Gangrel stood at the top of the ring steps, then faced out to the crowd as he took a sip from his cup. He then spit out a viscous red liquid into the WWE Universe, dribbling some onto his white shirt.

When the lights came back on, Gangrel revealed his frightening fangs, now covered in the red liquid. If that’s not enough to make someone think twice about agreeing to the match, then what is?

8

The Rock

The Rock returns to help Mick Foley: Raw, December 8, 2003

The Rock makes a surprise appearance to help Mick Foley out in a confrontation with La Resistance.

It doesn’t take much for The Great One to electrify the WWE Universe, which makes his entrance stand out from the pack. From the moment his catchphrase “If ya smellllll … what The Rock is cookin’” echoes throughout the arena, all eyes are on The Brahma Bull. 

The Rock walked down the aisle with more swagger than all of your favorite rappers, stopping to survey the situation before he headed up the steps into the ring. The People’s Champion would then make a beeline for the ring post, climbing to the top rope and simply raising his arm, sending the millions and millions of his fans into a frenzy.

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The Great One then walked to the opposite corner, once again thrusting his fist into the sky, as flashbulbs lit up the ring with his fans trying to capture the perfect image of their hero. Clearly, The Rock’s entrance played a huge part in his earning the nickname “The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment.”

7

Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan returns: Raw, December 10, 2007

Hulk Hogan makes a shocking return to save Hornswoggle from The Great Khali.

One of the first Superstars to embrace the entrance as part of his larger-than-life persona, Hulk Hogan’s unmatched energy turned us all into Hulkamaniacs.

As soon as the opening chords of Rick Derringer’s “Real American” blared through arena speakers, The Hulkster was a ball of fire, pointing to his foe in the ring as he marched down the aisle, turning to the throngs of screaming people and giving them a call to action to cheer him on.

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When he hit the ring, Hogan expended all that built-up energy in one last show of force to his opposition. Grabbing at the collar of his cut up yellow T-shirt, Hulk used his 24-inch pythons to tear through every fiber, ripping it from his muscular frame.

With a frenetic Superstar pacing across the ring and thousands of people clamoring for their defeat by the time the bell rang, Hulk Hogan’s opponents didn’t stand a chance.

6

Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho claims to be the best in the world at everything he does. Of course, that braggadocious assertion was backed up with one of the most epic entrances of all time.  

As sirens blared throughout the arena, a 10-second countdown alerted the WWE Universe that Y2J was about to grace them with his presence. The atmosphere among the WWE Universe built to a fever pitch with each passing second. As the countdown reached its crescendo, the arena lights went out, just before a wall of fireworks bursts from the stage.

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When the smoke cleared, Jericho appeared with his back to the WWE Universe and his arms spread out. Y2J always took a few seconds to absorb the adulation of the roaring crowd, before turning around to give them their first glimpse of his smiling mug.

5

Goldberg

Goldberg's WWE debut: Raw, March 31, 2003

Who's next? The People's Champion, that's who. Goldberg makes his exciting WWE debut on Monday Night Raw and immediately paints a target on The Rock's back.

The rise of Goldberg from unknown WCW rookie to sports-entertainment megastar was unprecedented. A mountain of a man in nondescript black tights and boots, he was happy to steamroll opponent after opponent, week after week. But as the myth of Goldberg grew with each victory, so too did his entrance.

It didn’t start when he entered the arena. No, Goldberg’s battle march began backstage, where security knocked on his door, letting him know it was time to fight. He emerged from his locker room, pacing through the dank hallways with his own security force. He grunted and threw punches to warm up.

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As he emerged into public, fireworks engulfed him. Unfazed by the pyrotechnics surrounding him, Goldberg stood in solitude, contemplating the battle ahead of him. When the smoke cleared, he let out a snarl, clearing the smoke from his nostrils, and went through one last shadow boxing routine. After this, there was only one question on his mind: Who’s next?

4

Triple H

Triple H's WrestleMania 22 Entrance

Triple H's WrestleMania 22 entrance has a "Conan the Barbarian" type feel as The King of Kings rises above the entrance way on a throne and adorned by battle armor on April 2, 2006.

Be honest, anytime you drink water, you secretly want to pour some over your head and spew it out in epic fashion. Maybe it’s because Triple H looks so cool doing it.

After the opening chords of Motorhead’s “The Game” eerily hushed the crowd, Triple H stood serenely on the stage, pouring water over his noggin before spitting it out to show the time for peace and serenity was long gone. No matter the length of the entrance ramp, he somehow always made it to the apron in time for Motorhead lead singer Lemmy to interrupt the theme, laugh maniacally and say, “Time to play the game!” With a spotlight on him, The King of Kings again spit out his water before heading into the ring to climb the turnbuckle and stretch his arms out like a conqueror.   

With such a calm but terrifying entrance, it’s no wonder Triple H is respectfully called The Cerebral Assassin. 

3

Kane

Raw: A masked Kane returns during John Cena's clash with Mark Henry

Raw: A masked Kane returns during John Cena's clash with Mark Henry

The Undertaker’s demonic brother, Kane, makes no bones about his personal history. After surviving the inferno that razed his parents’ funeral home to the ground and scarred him for life, The Devil’s Favorite Demon embraced the fire.

From the moment he arrived in WWE, Kane terrified the WWE Universe as he walked through hellfire that exploded through the stage. Stunned crowds watched as the monster stalked his way to the ring with the arena draped in red light, symbolic of the monster’s unmatched rage.

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Just as the smoke settled from the initial explosion, Kane stepped to the center of the ring. The Big Red Monster then slowly raised his massive arms, seemingly summoning all the fury contained within his soul. He forcefully brought them back down, making towering flames shoot out from all four ring posts. If there were any doubts about the anger contained within the evil soul of Kane, his unforgettable entrance leaves no questions unanswered.

2

The Ultimate Warrior

From the moment that iconic guitar riff and drum beat hit, the WWE Universe found itself in a frenzy. It was the only appropriate reaction considering the man making his way to the ring acted equally bananas. Though The Ultimate Warrior’s entrance lasted only seconds, few entrances could match the sheer madness it created.

Warrior charged out of the entranceway, rushing toward the ring at his highest gear with his right fist pumping. With his tassels blowing in the wind, Warrior would spin onto the apron as the WWE Universe went bonkers. The powerful Superstar then shook the ropes in a fit of rage before starting to pump his arms at random.

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Quite frankly, it’s baffling how he had any energy left to actually wrestle, let alone dominate his competition. By the time the former WWE Champion’s entrance ended, the WWE Universe was so winded and amped that they needed a minute to catch their own wind.

1

The Undertaker

The Undertaker returns at SummerSlam 1994

The Undertaker returns from the darkness to confront the fake Undertaker.

Whenever the WWE Universe heard the toll of a funeral bell, the cheers were deafening. Those not familiar with what comes next might find their reaction a little off-putting. They could even be a little unsettled when the arena lights went out and the cheers got louder. But when a cloudy, purple haze came over the crowd and a figure clad in a long, black trenchcoat and black hat emerged from the smoke, any questions they may have had were answered.

The Undertaker didn’t change much about his entrance during his tenure in WWE, which made it all the more special. The arena dimmed as a funeral dirge began to play. The Deadman slowly paced to the ring, always looking straight ahead, staring down his opposition.

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When he stepped up to the squared circle, The Phenom seemed to take control of the arena’s lighting with his supernatural abilities. With a raise of his arms or the removal of his hat, Undertaker restored light with a thunderous crack.

With an entrance as epic as his vaunted WrestleMania Streak, The Undertaker has carved out a dark corner in WWE history all for himself.

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