Road to the Main Event: Live Entrance Music at WrestleMania
Ronda Rousey has been walking out to the unmistakable sounds of “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett since her Strikeforce days, and the 1981 classic grew closely associated with her dominant reign as UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.
Things will come full circle this Sunday at WrestleMania 35, as Jett is slated to perform the song live as Rousey makes her way to the ring to defend the WWE RAW Women’s Championship in the first-ever women’s WrestleMania main event match against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch—appropriate, as if you’ve kept up with her actions and words in recent weeks on RAW, it’s clear that she indeed does not give a damn ‘ her bad reputation.
Jett’s upcoming gig at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey is the latest in a long line of famous musicians playing wrestlers to the ring at WrestleMania, from Motörhead to Snoop Dogg—here’s a look at some of the most memorable live entrance music performances at “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”
Motörhead, WrestleMania X-Seven
“We are Motörhead, and we’re gonna kick your ass.” Whether or not you’re a hard rock fan, you have to respect Motörhead and their late frontman Lemmy, who began their performance at 2001’s WrestleMania X-Seven (because “17” simply would not have been 2001 enough) with those words. Motörhead’s “The Game” is one of the most iconic pro wrestling entrance themes of the past 20 years and contributed in a big way to defining Triple H‘s character, with this performance standing as an iconic moment in “The Cerebral Assassin’s” ascent (even if he lost this match to The Undertaker).
Limp Bizkit, WrestleMania XIX
Yeah, it’s easy to mock Limp Bizkit in hindsight. (Okay, it may have been easy back then, too.) But there’s no denying that Limp Bizkit performing “Rollin'” in a late March afternoon in 2003–as the Undertaker rides his motorcycle to the ring, in front of more than 50,000 fans at Safeco Field in Seattle–is a very specific vibe and a moment in time worth appreciating. This was perhaps the most iconic moment for the “American Badass” era Undertaker, who was more concerned with protecting his metaphorical yard than supernatural trickery. Credit where it’s due, it was a dynamic performance from Limp Bizkit, with Fred Durst making his way down the entrance ramp into the ring, and exchanging a tender bro hug with Taker, before his handicap match against Big Show and A-Train.
Motörhead, WrestleMania 21
Motörhead was such an influential force in Triple H’s career that they actually performed three different entrance songs for “The King of Kings”—including the theme for the Evolution stable of Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair. However, by 2005’s WrestleMania 21, Evolution had imploded, and Triple H and Batista found themselves in opposite corners in the main event—the perfect opportunity for Motörhead’s encore performance of “The Game,” four years after their ‘Mania debut.
Living Colour, WrestleMania 29
Before “Bad Reputation,” the most famous modern example of a WWE wrestler coming to the ring to an existing famous song was likely “Cult of Personality,” which CM Punk used as his entrance music from 2011 to 2014 (and before that, on the independent scene). At 2013’s WrestleMania 29—also last at MetLife Stadium—Living Colour performed “Cult of Personality” live as Punk took the ring to face The Undertaker, where he became the final victim of “The Deadman’s” vaunted WrestleMania winning streak.
Snoop Dogg, WrestleMania 32
Snoop Dogg performing Sasha Banks‘ entrance music at 2016’s WrestleMania 32 is special for a few reasons: For one, it’s Snoop Dogg, which is already pretty rad. Second, Sasha Banks and Snoop Dogg are actually cousins, so it’s a genuinely heartwarming family moment. Third, Snoop Dogg was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame that weekend, fitting with many of the (mostly random) celebrities who have been given the distinction. Fourth, it was the true arrival of the Women’s Evolution to WrestleMania, Banks, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte met in a triple threat match for the newly introduced WWE Women’s Championship, supplanting the old Divas Championship.
Also, it’s a good performance, with Raven Felix singing the hook, and Snoop Dogg providing new lyrics for the verses of “Sky’s The Limit,” one of the best entrance songs in modern WWE history. (Seriously, if that chorus doesn’t get you pumped up, you may be broken.)
Honorable mention goes to Salt-n-Pepa performing “Whatta Man” during Lawrence Taylor’s entrance at WrestleMania XI, which has been scrubbed from all subsequent releases of the show following the original broadcast… but I am sure it was awesome.
And don’t forget: You’ve got until April 10th to cop this new LIMITED EDITION Ronda Rousey shirt.