Greg Wyshynski, ESPNApr 8, 2024, 09:08 AM
WrestleMania is a spectacle. The crowd is enormous. The matches feel more vital. The moments are extra memorable.
Every year, a quintessential part of that spectacle are the entrances before the matches. Shawn Michaels on the grapple line. John Cena and his army of John Cenas. Triple H on the throne. Each one setting the stage for the spectacular matches to come.
WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia had its share of memorable entrances over two nights of action. Here are the match entrance Power Rankings for the weekend:
10. DIY (Night 1)
Not only did Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa wear D-Generation X-inspired gear, including Johnny Wrestling's Shawn Michaels cowboy hat, but their entrance had the neon green, scratchy video look of DX's iconic arrivals. Alas, there was no DIY tank.
See what you've done, @RonKillings?! 😂#DIY just went into full D-Generation X mode at #WrestleMania XL and we've got a special Awesome Truth entrance too! pic.twitter.com/C6g7Re5aX4
— WWE (@WWE) April 6, 2024
9. Bayley (Night 2)
The fan favorite went full-on Cleopatra before her title match, as she was carried in on the shoulders of beefy men wearing Sphynx masks. It was a bit "Charlotte Flair and her Roman centurions" from WrestleMania 34, but it was still great.
What a #WrestleMania entrance for @itsBayleyWWE! pic.twitter.com/27GUATkU30
— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024
8. Roman Reigns (Night 2)
Reigns was played in with live accompaniment from the Philadelphia School District All-City Orchestra, which was a nice touch and an extra boost of percussion for his already booming theme song.
— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024#RomanReigns has arrived for the main event of #WrestleMania!
ACKNOWLEDGE your Tribal Chief! pic.twitter.com/NGHaeYNwfP
7. Logan Paul (Night 2)
Paul rode atop a rather enormous truck to the entrance ramp, standing behind a giant bottle of Prime energy drink, Paul's beverage company and a WrestleMania sponsor. But it wasn't just a bottle, it was a cannon, as Paul pointed it at the Mania sign to set off a bunch of pyro.
It's PRIME TIME for #USChampion @LoganPaul at #WrestleMania XL! pic.twitter.com/mk0bEODwzq
— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024
6. Drew McIntyre (Night 2)
With a gaggle of bagpipers and a phalanx of Scottish warriors raising their swords in his honor, it was an extremely McIntyre-coded entrance but also one that made him look like an absolute champion -- short-lived as it was.
DM Hunk has arrived!@DMcIntyreWWE is #WrestleMania ready with a special entrance! pic.twitter.com/TAZwrLKHgb
— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2024
5. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton (Night 2)
After Paul's ostentatious vehicular entrance, Owens offered a low-fi parody of it by driving to the ring in a golf cart with a sign that read "KO" taped to the front. When Orton made his entrance, Owens threw that bad boy in reverse and went back to pick up a reluctant Orton. They motored to the ring, with Orton asking him to slow down at one point while standing on the back.
Add in a prematch pep talk from newly crowned Intercontinental champ Sami Zayn, and it was a delightful entrance.
BROTHERLY LOVE. ❤️#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/0wpuHoSV9P
— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024
4. The Rock (Night 1)
The Rock leaned into his "Final Boss" moniker with an epic video game-inspired entrance. After a swirl of lightning -- he's never going to let us forget "Black Adam," folks -- The Rock emerged from a ring of fire in the shape of his "Brahma Bull" logo. As a remixed "Heel's Version" of his theme played, The Rock walked to the ring holding The People's Championship, a belt that was gifted to him by Muhammad Ali's wife, Yolanda, at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
Finally, the Rock had come back to WrestleMania.
The FINAL BOSS of #WrestleMania.@TheRock has come back to Philadelphia to team with @WWERomanReigns against @CodyRhodes & @WWERollins in the biggest tag team match in @WrestleMania history! pic.twitter.com/z1sMsm9asR
— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2024
3. Jey Uso (Night 1)
Rap icon Lil Wayne performed "A Mili" while wearing "YEET" glasses before bringing out Jey to face his brother Jimmy. That got an already amped-up crowd into a frenzy, as they waved their arms and chanted "YEET" all the way down.
— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2024YEET x WEEZY
Jey Uso + @LilTunechi is the hottest #WrestleMania collab! pic.twitter.com/4hEq575y1E
2. Cody Rhodes (Night 2)
On a night when he would "finish the story" and win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Rhodes wanted to underscore how traumatic his journey to the end of that story has been. So as dramatic music swelled and images of blood-soaked battle flags appeared on the screens, Rhodes emerged from a cloud of smoke wearing a skull mask resembling his "American Nightmare" logo.
The whole thing felt like if "King of Kings" era Triple H hosted a Fourth of July parade, but it worked. The entrance lasted nearly a dozen minutes as Rhodes played to the crowd, embraced his loved ones and took in the moment.
Can #CodyRhodes finish the story TONIGHT at #WrestleMania XL? pic.twitter.com/wVIZyhVyVS
— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024
1. Seth Rollins (Night 2)
The top WrestleMania entrance in our ranking was the perfect combination of capturing the spirit of a performer and the vibe of the host city.
Rollins found the ideal Philadelphia reference point to complement his Joker-fied flamboyance, bringing out the Philly String Band for the Mummers Parade, the New Year's Day folk parade known for its gaudy costuming. It looked like Mardi Gras by way of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and Rollins absolutely soaked it in.
PHILA-FREAKIN-DELPHIA!@WWERollins arrives on #WrestleMania XL Sunday with the Mummers of Philadelphia! pic.twitter.com/mOsgCNJX2G
— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2024
Dishonorable mention: AJ Styles the Phenomenal One debuted a new theme song along with a new all-black heel look. It sounded like someone told AI to create something that tried too hard, yet was incredibly generic.
