Are WWE Entrance Themes Getting Better?
One of the most important aspects of being a professional wrestler is having an impactful entrance theme. The moment the crowd hears the first note and they start to go ballistic, good or bad, is because they know exactly who is coming out. It has not felt that way for a few years. WWE’s entrance theme has taken a dramatic turn after DJDTP, better known to fans under the pseudonym “Def Rebel”, took over the music production for entrance themes. They have been trending on Twitter for a number of months now because fans have noticed that their work is not as impactful as Jim Johnston or even CFO$. Though lately, it seems they have been improving
In 2019, Def Rebel was appointed to handle all of WWE superstar entrance themes while CFO$ were in a dispute with their WWE on royalties that they thought were owed to them. Since WWE declined their offer to buy them out, they were released from the company, and Def Rebel was appointed full-time. Constant WWE superstar themes were changing and they were only getting worse. Sounding more generic and less relevant. To the point where fans don’t know who is coming out unless they focus on the screens. Sometimes they have wrestlers record their names or catchphrases at the beginning of their theme so they can know before the song plays. Making it feel lazy. The 2024 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event was a big example with entrance themes playing and fans being confused about who is coming out.
After the Royal Rumble #FireDefRebel began to trend worldwide on Twitter. FightFul Select reported that WWE was “aware” of the criticism. They have had some hits since they joined WWE, such as Iyo Sky, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins to name but a few, but it seems they have had more misses than hits in their career. Such as Bayley, Austin Theory, and Bron Breakker have not been received well by fans. Sheamus is one of the more recent with having his iconic Written in Your Face theme replaced. Their more recent releases however feels like they are starting to get it together. As with Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Ethan Page, and Jade Cargill’s themes have been met with acclaim. Fans are even starting to come around to AJ Styles’s new theme even if they still prefer his original. Cargill’s theme in fact was one of the main reasons why her debut took so long because they wanted to make sure her presence was similar if not better than what it was in AEW. There is some sort of change in WWE’s music department, even if they are taking baby steps.
