An entrance theme is one of the most important weapons in a wrestler’s arsenal.
A really good entrance theme can define a gimmick and take it to new heights. Just look at what Motorhead’s masterpiece has done for Triple H. On the other hand, though, a bad entrance theme can ruin even the most effective of gimmicks.
So, clearly the point I’m getting to is that with the importance of entrance themes, sometimes when one is assigned to a wrestler it might not be wholly original. If a theme fits a wrestler, they should most definitely use it regardless of who was using it in the past, and this is a mindset that is prevalent in the WWE.
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While some names on this list might be obvious, there are some which are truly unbelievable with how in sync the wrestler and their respective themes are. So, without further ado, here are 5 WWE entrance themes which were recycled:
#5 CM Punk’s theme
Before his run with The Cult of Personality as his signature tune, CM Punk made his entrance with a pretty epic heavy metal track called “This Fire Burns” by Killswitch Engage. It perfectly encapsulated everything about the Chicago native and was the perfect entrance theme for him especially considering that this was during his early ECW run.
Punk would soon go on to make the theme his own by incorporating it into his entrance gimmick. It was a match made in heaven. Seriously, just check out this video showing his electric entrance in his hometown above and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
Also read: Top 5 rock based WWE entrance themes
What is not all that well-known, though, is that the theme was originally earmarked for one Mr Randall Keith Orton. That’s right, This Fire Burns was originally supposed to be Randy Orton’s theme song and he even made one entrance to this song on an episode of Smackdown before Punk took it up.
Luckily for everyone, Orton decided it didn’t quite suit him and gave it up for Punk before taking on the now iconic “Voices” theme which has served him well for nearly a decade. All in all, this worked out perfectly for everyone involved.
#4 Cesaro’s theme
Cesaro’s weird techno entrance theme isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but it pretty much suits the Swiss Superman.
With his suave personality, charming good looks, and overall sense of style, you can see why the theme makes perfect sense for him. But weirdly enough, the WWE used this same theme more than a decade ago for one Mr Dean Malenko.
Those who are hardcore fans of pro wrestling will know that Dean Malenko is an elite level wrestler who never got the credit he deserved at WWE after he made the jump over from WCW.
In all its supreme idiocy, the WWE decided to give Malenko a weird womanising, James Bond type gimmick and gave him pretty much the same theme Cesaro uses today.
It was one of the worst decisions ever taken as Malenko was a serious technical master and not a suave, charming, stylish man like a certain Cesaro. It seems like WWE got its wish for it wanted from Malenko through Cesaro.
#3 Daniel Bryan’s theme
Daniel Bryan’s theme is Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” It is an epic song that has seen popularity in different walks of life but nothing the likes of what it had seen till Yes-Mania took hold of the WWE Universe.
It has become a theme symbolic of the struggle that Daniel Bryan – and by extension, the whole wrestling community – had to go through to get to the very top of the business and what a gigantic triumph it was when he got there.
A very little-known surprise, though, is that this song was once used by ECW Original Stevie Richards for one week only as part of a silly gimmick. What a long way this theme has come.
#2 Kurt Angle’s theme
Kurt Angle’s theme has become the stuff of legend today. It became a hugely integral part of Angle’s gimmick as the only Olympic Gold Medalist in the history of sports entertainment and served to underscore his sense of patriotism.
But, more importantly than all this, it gave rise to the iconic chant – “You Suck”. It is impossible to imagine Kurt walking down to the ring with anything other than the “You Suck” chants reigning down from all around the arena.
When Angle was first handed the song, it had been used for very short periods by both Sgt. Slaughter as well as an ill-fated gimmick known as The Patriot. Regardless of this, the theme didn’t stick on to the first two, and in The Patriot’s case, he didn’t stick around either.
What will stick around though is the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony where Kurt Angle will be inducted to the sounds of the one theme that truly defines everything he has achieved in the world of wrestling.
The whole building will chant “You Suck” and it will be music to his ears.
#1 Hulk Hogan’s theme
Hulk Hogan’s “Real American” theme is so iconic that is pointless to go into any sort of detail about the song and just what an impact it had on the world of pro wrestling and the part it played in the rise of Hulkamania.
This song, though, was originally written for the tag team of Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda that went under the team name of The U.S. Express. Once Windham left the WWE, Hulk Hogan made the song his own and created an entrance gimmick which far surpassed the realms of just pro wrestling.
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