The Shield, Elias and the Best and Worst Entrances in WWE Today

WWE Superstars aren't just wrestlers. They are performers who are expected to portray fully developed characters with a certain level of pageantry.

First impressions are important, and for a pro wrestler, their entrance can be a great way to connect with the WWE Universe while simultaneously intimidating their opponent.

Arguably, the most iconic entrance of all time is The Undertaker's. As soon as the first note of his music hits, everyone in the arena pays attention. Some of his entrances have involved dozens of people, while others have relied on props.

In fact, some of his WrestleMania and pay-per-view entrances have been longer than his matches. That is how special it is.

Unfortunately, many of today's Superstars have generic entrances that do nothing to enhance their characters, but every so often, someone comes along who wows the crowd simply by walking to the ring.

This article will look at the best and worst entrances in WWE today.

Best: Aleister Black

Aleister Black is a newcomer to the main roster, but he already has one of the best entrances in the company.

The song WWE created for him matches his character perfectly, but the best part is the unique way Black seemingly rises from the stage like a vampire being resurrected in an old movie.

The smoke machines and dark lighting add mystique to an already enigmatic character. If there is anyone who could develop their entrance to be as iconic as The Undertaker's, it's The Dutch Destroyer.

Hopefully, WWE doesn't water it down by having him just come out like everyone else. Having something to set him apart from the crowd is important.

Worst: Lucha House Party

Kalisto, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado are a great trio with unlimited potential as a tag team and singles stars, but their entrance isn't helping them.

Their song is fine, but you can tell someone in WWE management just saw some noisemakers and a pinata at a party store and thought to themselves, "This is exactly what we need to give Lucha House Party."

It might be fun for the kids in the audience, but they should be portrayed as more than what we have seen. These are three men who are carrying on the proud tradition of Lucha Libre. They should be able to be proud of their entrance too.

Best: The Shield

Whenever the crowd hears the beginning of The Shield's entrance song, everyone gets up and looks around to see where they will be coming from.

Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose didn't invent coming to the ring through the crowd, but they certainly perfected it.

Not only does this give fans who aren't sitting at ringside a rare chance to interact with some of their favorite Superstars, but it also establishes the group as rebels.

None of them have been able to capture the magic of their group entrance as singles stars. That should tell you something about how iconic their stable entrance is.

Worst: No Way Jose

Out of all the Superstars who have been called up from NXT over the past few years, No Way Jose has been the least successful, and a big part of the problem is his gimmick.

For some reason, WWE always thinks it has to have someone who dances during their entrance and matches, and it never ends up being a good thing.

Before Jose, Adam Rose suffered from the same issue. They are both good wrestlers who are forced to play comedy characters, dancing around with a group of people dressed in random outfits.

This is obviously done for the younger fans, but he would be getting more screen time if his antics were actually popular with the younger audience.

Maybe CEO Vince McMahon is secretly a fan of conga lines. Who knows?

Best: The New Day

Unlike No Way Jose, when The New Day comes out dancing, the entire arena gets up and starts moving to the beat while hoping to catch a pancake or two.

Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods have been doing roughly the same shtick for the past few years, but the reason they can keep it going so long is that they are great at what they do.

When they need to get serious, The New Day can be as dangerous as anyone else on the roster, but they also know when it's time to party.

Woods playing his trombone, Francesca 2, was annoying at first but soon grew into one of the best parts about their entrance.

Part of the reason their gimmick works better than Jose's is because you can tell a lot of what we are seeing is coming from the minds of Woods, Kingston and Big E, while No Way Jose was given his character by management.

Worst: Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens might be one of the most entertaining Superstars working today, but nobody will say it's because he has a great entrance.

The Prize Fighter simply walks out to his music, which is a generic rock song without any lyrics. It's about as basic as it gets in WWE.

Luckily for KO, he doesn't need a flashy entrance because his character is the opposite of flashy. He is a regular guy who just happens to be an incredible wrestler.

Giving him a bunch of pyro or smoke machines wouldn't help his character, so even though his entrance is about as elaborate as buttered toast, it fits him perfectly.

Best: Ember Moon

Ember Moon hasn't found as much success on the main roster as she deserves, but the one thing she has over most of the women's division is a killer entrance.

Everything from her music to the lighting to the attire she wears makes her entrance one of the most entertaining in the company.

However, WWE's clear lack of ability to realize what made her so special in NXT has led to her being lost in the shuffle in recent months.

With any luck, The War Goddess will make everyone realize why she should be one of the top contenders for the women's title in 2019.

Worst: Baron Corbin

When Baron Corbin first arrived on the main roster, he had a cool entrance featuring spotlights that would follow him on to the stage.

Then, for no logical reason, WWE changed his entrance music and gave him a much more standard introduction without any special flare to it.

The once-intimidating Lone Wolf has become little more than a lackey for the McMahon family and a heel with little to no direction. He probably wouldn't be doing much better with his original entrance setup, but at least it made him look cool.

Best: Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura is unique in many ways, and one of the things that helps him to stand out from the crowd is his entrance.

The music, the way he choreographs his walk and his overall presence give The King of Strong Style a different feel compared to his fellow Superstars.

One of the best things WWE has done with him is having live musicians play him to the ring for special occasions. Nita Strauss and Lee England Jr. both brought something different to their performances, and somehow they both fit with Nakamura perfectly.

His special entrances on the main roster have been great, but nothing will beat the first time he came out with England playing the violin in NXT.

Worst: Elias

Some people might be surprised to see Elias appear on this list as one of the worst entrances, but there is a good reason why: He doesn't have one.

Whenever he appears, WWE just cuts to the ring and he is already sitting on a stool preparing to play a song. You might say that is his entrance, but an entrance involves entering the arena, not showing up out of nowhere.

Most WWE fans probably couldn't pick out his entrance music from a list of 10 generic songs because we almost never get to hear it.

The only time it ever plays is when he wins a match, and that doesn't happen nearly as often as it should. His gimmick is awesome, and Elias has mastered the art of controlling the crowd. But that doesn't excuse him from making this list.

Bonus Best and Worst: Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose Separate and Together

Remember those movies on Cinemax you weren't allowed to watch as a kid? That is what Mandy Rose's entrance is supposed to resemble.

The music, the soft focus from the camera and the way she walks to the ring are all meant to make you think of something specific, but the thing that makes it weird is when she has to enter the ring with Sonya Deville by her side.

When Rose is alone, her entrance kind of makes sense because of the way she plays her character, but Deville has a contrasting personality, so it's strange when Rose is acting seductively while Deville is off to the side shadowboxing. 

The worst part is Deville has a much cooler entrance. The song WWE gave her and the way it uses lighting help make the former MMA fighter's entrance one of the best in the women's division.

When they come out as a team, it should be to Deville's song, not Rose's. Their entrances work well separately for their respective gimmicks, but it's just awkward whenever they come out together, which is almost every time they appear.

Honorable Mentions

WWE is the best when it comes to production value, and creating unique and interesting entrances is one of the things it does best, especially with certain Superstars.

The Hardy Boyz are a great example of how two guys can make an entrance exciting without a bunch of pyrotechnics. Their signature song and flashing lights are all they need to get a crowd on its feet.

Then you have someone like Bobby Roode. Everything about his entrance is supposed to be a throwback to those of legends like Ric Flair and Gorgeous George.

Finn Balor's rarely used Demon entrance is one of the few spectacles WWE hasn't overused, and Bray Wyatt is able to get the entire crowd to participate in his entrance by holding up lights.

Countless WWE Superstars could have made this list in both the good and bad category, but there is only room for so many.

---

What do you think are the best and worst entrances in WWE today?