When it comes to professional wrestling matches, the entire atmosphere of a bout can change with a great and special entrance. Throughout AEW history, there have been several entrances that have stood out as being better than just any other normal or average entrance.
RELATED:
Whether it be special attire, live music, or something else which helps to make it that bit better than everything else, special entrances have proven to go down well in AEW. Of course, some of this may be subjective, as there will be fans who would expect to see Cody Rhodes’ throne-bashing Double or Nothing entrance included, although it could be argued that it was one of the goofy entrances in AEW history too.
10 MJF, Double Or Nothing 2023
MJF looked like a million bucks when he made his entrance at Double or Nothing 2023 prior to his ‘Four Pillars’ AEW World Championship defense. He donned the devil mask and had rich attire on too.
He was suspended high above the air on a throne, which steadily dropped with a cover of his theme song. He finally reached the bottom, removing the mask and making his way to the ring with several women in masks reaching for him as he walked by.
9 Best Friends, Dynamite: Fyter Fest 2020
This was an example of something being simple but very effective. Trent’s Mom arrived in her minivan at Daily’s Place, giving Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor a lift to their match.
The cheesy line of “have fun” and her giving Trent a kiss on the cheek was wonderful, and it fits perfectly well with how the Best Friends were being presented at the time. It is moments like this in which it feels like a shame to see the duo not given their flowers in AEW in recent years.
8 Chris Jericho, Revolution 2020
Although this may not be the last time a Chris Jericho entrance is mentioned here, this one was still pretty damn good. Ahead of his AEW World Championship match against Jon Moxley at Revolution 2020, Jericho was brought to the ring by a choir who sang his Judas theme song.
It gave a very different vibe and played as the perfect lead-in to the actual song playing out loud. The crowd was thunderous in their rendition, and it made for a big fight feel for the main event of the show.
7 Kenny Omega, Dynamite 2020
Kenny Omega’s slow burn turn to the dark side in AEW came with a brand-new entrance. Justin Roberts ran down an extensive and almost silly list of Omega’s accomplishments, followed by some dancing women with brooms, a silhouetted Omega in the tunnel, and then his music.
RELATED: 10 Best AEW Wrestlers (Who Aren't Actually Signed By The Company), Ranked
His first use of this on an episode of Dynamite for a match with Sonny Kiss was absolutely fantastic. Even though it wasn’t necessarily for a big match, it was still a spectacle (even though it was over-the-top).
6 Bryan Danielson, Forbidden Door 2023
When Bryan Danielson arrived in AEW, there was some discussion about using Final Countdown for his entrance song, which he used back in ROH. However, due to the obscene price to be paid for even just one use of this track, it wasn’t worth it.
At Forbidden Door 2023 though, Tony Khan went deep in his pockets, describing the price close to that of a wrestler’s contract during the post-show media scrum, and enabled this song to be used for Danielson’s entrance. Danielson was clearly emotional, and the crowd played their role to make it arguably the best entrance of the whole night.
5 Chris Jericho, Dynamite Jericho Cruise 2020
The edition of AEW Dynamite which was held on the Jericho Cruise back in 2020 was among the most unique episodes AEW has ever put forth, and it also sparked one of the best entrances in the company’s history.
When Chris Jericho emerged for his match, the singing along with his entrance music of Judas began here, with the crowd serenading him with his own track. Even the despicable heel Jericho couldn’t help but let a smile loose as the fans sang.
4 Lucha Brothers, All Out 2021
The Lucha Brothers emerged at All Out 2021 for their AEW World Tag Team Championship Steel Cage match with a brilliant entrance.
Their entrance song was performed live, in a rare example of that actually heightening the impact and quality of the song. Their entrance attire was simply stunning too, with over-the-top accessories which really made their walk to the ring feel special. It was very well put together, and it helped to make them feel like stars.
3 CM Punk, Revolution 2022
CM Punk counteracted MJF’s mind games by emerging at Revolution 2022 with his iconic Ring of Honor theme, keeping with the many call-backs to Punk’s time in ROH throughout this rivalry.
The lighting, the music, the dramatic smoke, and an incensed Punk all made for a very intense entrance. The crowd responded in a big way, with those who were familiar singing along with the music. Punk was ready for war here, and the tension in his Dog Collar match built massively due to this entrance.
2 CM Punk, Rampage 2021
CM Punk has had more than one great entrance in AEW. The “First Dance” episode of Rampage hinted at the debut of CM Punk, though without any official announcement, there was still an atmosphere of needing to see it before believing it.
RELATED:
The buzz in the United Center was palpable, and when CM Punk’s music hit it resulted in one of the biggest pops of all time in professional wrestling history. An emotional Punk came out on stage, embracing the crowd, jumping into the sea of screaming fans like a returning hero. It was a phenomenal entrance (though not quite the very best) and one hell of a debut.
1 Dark Order, Dynamite 2021
By far the greatest entrance in AEW history came when “Hangman” Adam Page fully embraced being an honorary member of the Dark Order when the group fought The Elite back in 2021 on an episode of Dynamite in ten-man tag team action.
With a goosebump-inducing video package that had brilliant production, along with matching purple cowboy attire and a red-hot crowd, this faction came out in what is still up there with the best AEW moments full stop.
