It wasn’t always like this.
There were times when wrestlers were wrestlers. They were old-school tough guys who were there to FIGHT and SMASH, kinda like The Hulk. Guys like Undertaker, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan (I just threw up in my mouth a little bit), and Mr. Perfect would not have been seen dead referencing pop culture in their entrances. No no no! They may have even been threatened with Wrestler’s Court for even the notion of doing something weird while they walk to the ring.
But not today! The new era of wrestlers has ushered in a time where experimentation and pop culture references are to be celebrated. And that was no more evident than at this year’s AEW All In, specifically with Will Ospreay.
I have beef with Ospreay as a wrestler (I really don’t like him), but even I can admit his entrance struck a chord. It was f*cking cool.
So, in its honor, let’s take a look at his entrance and four other cool walk-outs inspired by different media.
I was at All In at Wembley, and seeing this entrance live was something to behold. Despite my booing (like I said, I really don’t like him bruv), I couldn’t help but appreciate what had been done. The promotion for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the upcoming Ubisoft game set in Japan was one thing, but the video package was something else.
Ospreay uses a move called Hidden Blade, which is directly inspired by the Assassin’s Creed games, specifically Assassin’s Creed II and Brotherhood. They managed to get Roger Craig Smith, the voice of Ezio Auditore da Firenze himself, the protagonist of those games, to introduce him. Finishing everything off by dressing in an assassin’s jacket was just the icing on the cake.
It was *chef’s kiss*.
I wish he lost, though. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Zelina Vega, real name Thea Trinidad, entered the 2023 Royal Rumble dressed in full Juri cosplay. Vega is the cosplay queen of wrestling, and she’s done many different outfits over the years. This one was different, though. She even used some of Juri’s moveset and taunts during the match itself.
Thea is actually an alternative commentator in Street Fighter 6, so it makes sense why she’d be promoting the game. This doesn’t detract from how awesome this entrance is and how she eliminates Xia Li. Zelina is great.
#PushZelina
Ok, so this probably doesn’t belong on the awesome list, but I just couldn’t exclude it! What’s not to love? Rick and Morty and Best Friends, including my guy Orange Cassidy, dressed as Lazy Rick. Not only that, but Justin Roiland as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith introduced them while clips from the show were cut into their normal entrance video.
Also, the commentary team having to act like it’s normal is hilarious. Legendary commentator Jim Ross saying “Wubba Lubba Dub Dub” is one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard in my life. You can almost hear the despair in the tone of his voice. It’s like, “so this is my life now?”
The NEWW DAYYY are the pop culture kings of WWE. Xavier Woods, AKA Austin Creed, has his own YouTube channel called UpUpDownDown, where he gets other wrestlers to join him in video game tournaments. Kofi Kingston and Big E are also no slouches on this front, and it culminated in their Wrestlemania 32 entrance.
They tip out of a box of Booty-O cereal and emerge in full Dragon Ball Z outfits. Hell, they even have the hair to boot! Hearing Michael Cole say “Vegeta” is something I never thought I’d experience. The New Day’s love of DBZ is well-noted, having crowned it the best TV show of all time on their now-sunsetted podcast.
This is so badass. Kenny Omega, widely regarded as one of the best to ever do it, entered the Tokyo Dome in January 2023 to Sephiroth’s theme from Final Fantasy 7. He looked like the final boss (sorry Rock, but he does) dressed in an outfit comparable to Cloud’s arch-nemesis. And the titantron with the one-winged angel? Simply sublime.
What makes this even better is Kenny went on to beat Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Championship. Take that OSPREAY! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
What is your favorite wrestling entrance based on pop culture? Are you secretly mad that I didn’t choose Tommaso Ciampa’s Kratos entrance? Sound off in the comments!
