By Paulo Camacho
WWE’s SummerSlam featured some of the biggest names in professional wrestling. It also featured their iconic wrestling theme songs.
Raise your hand if you watched the Biggest Party of The Summer.
No, I’m not talking about this.
WWE’s second-biggest pay-per-view event — SummerSlam — went down last Sunday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. It was a night of big matchups, bigger storylines, the biggest names in the industry, and great sports entertainment.
Former MMA megastar Ronda Rousey won her first WWE Championship after only 8 months in professional wrestling, taking the Raw Women’s title over Alexa Bliss; best of friends became worst of enemies, as fan favorite Becky Lynch turned on new Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair; a storyline fit for a soap opera headlined the WWE Championship between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe; years of deep-seated conflict came to a head between longtime rivals Daniel Bryan and Mike “The Miz” Mizanin; and after multiple times coming up empty, Roman Reigns finally won the Universal Championship over incumbent Brock Lesnar.
For fans, it was an opportunity to celebrate their favorite personalities, and live the experience of watching the five-hour spectacle, whether it was on TV, their computer screens, or live in Brooklyn as part of the weekend-long festivities.
It also allows the millions of fans to sing along to their favorite WWE Entrance Themes. They are a large part of the superstars’ gimmick, as well as their on-screen personality — and something I’ve discussed multiple times in the past. Briefly, here are 15 WWE Superstar themes that played a large part at The Biggest Party of the Summer:
Alexa Bliss: CFO$ — Spiteful
The latest iteration of her theme song, “Spiteful” encapsulates Alexa Bliss’ character as a whiny, selfish, sniveling “Heel” (the pro wrestling equivalent of a villain). The song is similar to her NXT theme, “Blissful,” with a sinister twist — gone is the upbeat melody of the original, replaced by the modern dubstep elements, further accentuating its sniping attitude.
Becky Lynch: CFO$ — Celtic Invasion
Lynch is one of the darlings of the WWE Women’s Division, and her modern Irish anthem is a testament to it, sung by packed audiences every time she appears in the ring. From the easily-repeatable chants at the start of the track, to the high-energy melody, it’s considered one of the catchiest themes in all of WWE. Considering her recent “heel turn” (switching her character from good to evil), however, it wouldn’t surprise if her theme changed along with it.
Braun Strowman: CFO$ — I Am Stronger
It’s a menacing theme to go along with a menacing presence on the WWE Roster. Strowman is called “The Monster Among Men” — and at 6-foot-8 and 369 pounds, he is no doubt one of the most imposing men in professional wrestling. His undeniably feral roar to begin his theme song is a huge indication to his nigh-unstoppable character — a hulking bruiser that can, and will, destroy anything in his path.
Brock Lesnar: Jim Johnston — Next Big Thing
A theme song that has struck fear in the hearts of fellow superstars for years, “Next Big Thing” is a song that exemplifies his signature catchphrase: “Here Comes The Pain.” Aggressive and unforgiving, Lesnar’s theme helps characterize the 6-foot-3, 286-pound behemoth’s penchant for unbridled violence in the ring — something he has demonstrated since his sensational debut back in 2002.
Carmella: CFO$ Feat. Nicole Tranquillo — Fabulous
With an intro reminiscent of Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” The Staten Island Princess’ theme helped establish the heel character she introduced back in 2016. The lyrics spit an antagonistic, flaunting, entitled attitude that the former Smackdown Women’s Champion displays in her character as vintage, stereotypical “Staten Island”.
Charlotte Flair: CFO$ — Recognition
Charlotte is the daughter of pro wrestling legend Ric Flair, and her resume in WWE has lived up to her father’s legacy. Her theme is another reflection of The Nature Boy, whose original theme — “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss (better known as the theme from “2001: A Space Odyssey”) — is heavily sampled for Charlotte’s upbeat, modernized anthem. It actually works for Charlotte’s character both in good and evil: As a “babyface” (a “hero” in wrestling vernacular), it works as a legacy to one of the greats in WWE; as a “heel,” however, it reflects her character’s monumental entitlement.
Daniel Bryan: Jim Johnston — Flight of the Valkyries
Using a modern version of the popular Richard Wagner piece, “Ride of the Valkyries,” one of the most popular personalities in the company’s history rode with the theme (no pun intended) as a reflection of who he represented in WWE — a beloved, undersized underdog whose never-say-die spirit as a “babyface” lit a fire under a generation of wrestling fans with a sense of empathetic fervor. It was a corny theme song for a corny guy, and Bryan basically made it work with nothing but sheer will.
Dean Ambrose: CFO$ — Retaliation
Better known as one-third of the uber-popular wrestling stable known as The Shield, as well as “The Lunatic Fringe,” Dean Ambrose — a lovable-yet-unhinged wild man both in and out of the ring — works well with his theme. With a shredding guitar imitating the unmistakable rev of a muscle car, audiences are clued into Ambrose’s high-octane, almost unstoppable motor in the ring. The assertive melodies that spring from that guitar intro match the aggressiveness audiences see every week from Dean’s character.
Dolph Ziggler: CFO$ Feat. Downstait — Here To Show The World
Ziggler’s theme reflects the nature of his character, no matter what state he finds himself in. As one of the most overlooked main roster mainstays in the company — growing from a bit performer as a member of the derided stable The Spirit Squad to winner of multiple championships in WWE — Ziggler has shown time and again throughout his 10-year career on the roster that his resume in the ring speaks for himself. Take one look at the lyrics of his theme song, and they perfectly summarize his run with the company — as a guy who never stops having something to prove.
Jeff Hardy: Zack Tempest — Loaded
A theme song that has followed him through multiple runs with WWE, as both a solo performer and as a member of the legendary Tag Team, the Hardy Boyz, “Loaded” is the exemplification of ’90s rocker attitude, mixed with a healthy dose of “athletic daredevil exploits.” He and Matt Hardy helped define a generation of death-defying, high-flying wrestling, and his theme only serves — especially today — as a reminder of that legacy.
Roman Reigns: Jim Johnston — The Truth Reigns
Another member of The Shield, Roman Reigns is the most polarizing figure in WWE since John Cena. While a popular figure among certain populations of wrestling fandom, others feel like his push to be the face of the company is a blatant, obnoxious “anointing” of a figure that WWE higher-ups will stop at nothing to establish. Reigns’ theme is actually a reflection of this attitude — as a slight variation to the original stable’s main theme, “Special Op,” those who are Anti-Roman believe this was a calculated move by WWE’s Creative team: Play the theme, make fans think about The Shield, reflect that nostalgia upon Reigns. Judging by the strong, undeniable boos from amongst the crow, it seems that the strategy backfired a long time ago.
Ronda Rousey: Joan Jett — Bad Reputation
Recognized as one of the most successful fighters in UFC Women’s Bantamweight history, Rousey rose like a phoenix from her disastrous downfall on the heels of two knockout losses, and found herself as a headliner for WWE’s talented women’s division. Also known as “The Baddest Woman On The Planet,” Rousey parlayed her vaunted UFC career into a (thus-far) successful run as the newest Raw women’s champion. Her theme — the same she used as a walkout song from her time in UFC — is a reflection of the current popularity and success she enjoys in pro wrestling.
Samoa Joe: CFO$ — Destroyer
The 6-foot-2, 282-pound Samoan Submission Machine’s theme best suits his character. Presented as a violent, unstoppable force in the industry, his calm demeanor is merely a front for the menacing fury that lurks within his fighting spirit. The first seconds of his intimidating theme — punctuated by a Godzilla-like roar — foreshadows the unbridled, destructive furor of Samoa Joe’s character.
Seth Rollins: CFO$ — The Second Coming (Burn It Down)
Considered one of the best workers in the industry today, the third member of the Shield is one of the most popular superstars in WWE. The aggressive, hard rock anthem that is “The Second Coming” reflects his dark, renegade spirit that had served him well as both a heel and a babyface. Fun Fact: Rollins’ recently-established mantra, “Burn it down,” was an addendum to his original theme as a “fix”: CEO Vince McMahon believed that the pause at the beginning of the original theme stood out too much — and not in a good way. The war-cry style of the phrase was added to give the theme more of a renegade rocker attitude, and the rest is history.
The Miz: CFO$ Feat. Downstait — I Came To Play
From “Real World” participant to WWE Champion, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin has experienced just about every high and low of the industry — all with the same unapologetic arrogance befitting of a standout heel character who associates himself with Hollywood glitz and glamour every chance he gets. And he has been game through every step of his career — which is why his theme is so befitting. It’s another aspect of his conceited, despicable personality as a heel, ordering his audience to “get down your knees and pray” to the overconfident jerk who can back up all of his bravado, and then some.