The Lost Art of WWE Entrances
Credibility score: 42/100 — Mixed Credibility. Several questionable claims detected. Watch with healthy skepticism.
BSmeter analyzed "The Lost Art of WWE Entrances" and rated it 42/100 for credibility (a BS score of 58/100 — mixed credibility), on 2026-08-20. Its weakest claim — "Declares all 2026 themes are algorithmically forgettable — zero evidence" — scored 20/100 and was flagged as confidence mismatch. 38 claims were checked against the video transcript. Scores are produced by BSmeter's AI analysis of the transcript, not independent human verification.
Of 38 claims analyzed: 6 scored under 40, 31 between 40 and 69, and 1 at 70 or above.
Claims analyzed
Sets up a personal anecdote as a universal truth, framing a subjective feeling as a 'broken fundamental.' — Emotional Button (45/100)
At 0:00
One man's boredom becomes 'WWE broke something fundamental.' That's not a critique, mortal — that's a diary entry with ambitions. 😈
Why this score: The speaker takes a personal experience of not feeling excited at the Royal Rumble and immediately elevates it to a 'fundamental' breakdown in WWE. This uses an emotional appeal (disappointment) to frame a subjective opinion as an objective problem, setting the stage for a narrative of decline based on personal feeling rather than broader evidence. It's a classic move to make your personal gripe feel like a universal truth.
Original quote: “I need to tell you about the moment I realized WWE had broken something fundamental. [music] It's January 2026. Royal Rumble. I'm sitting in my living room trying desperately to do something that should be automatic. [music] Get excited when someone new enters the match. 10-second countdown. Buzzer…”
Claims perfect recall of 30-year-old theme as proof of decline — Confidence Mismatch (45/100)
At 0:57
One memory versus 60 current entrances — the sample size is doing the heavy lifting.
Why this score: He's using personal nostalgia as the baseline for quality. One perfectly recalled theme from 1996 is treated as evidence that the entire system has collapsed. The comparison is between a single standout memory and the average of sixty recent entrances — that's not proof the art is lost, that's proof one moment stuck with him.
Original quote: “I've been watching wrestling for decades. I can sing you Shawn Michaels theme from 1996.”
Declares all 2026 themes are algorithmically forgettable — zero evidence — Confidence Mismatch (20/100)
At 1:27
'Algorithmic white noise' sounds damning — but he never names the algorithm, the composer, or the data showing nobody remembers them.
Why this score: He presents a sweeping industry-wide diagnosis with zero receipts. 'Algorithmic' implies data-driven composition, yet he offers no proof of the actual production process, no comparison of current versus past composition methods, and no metrics on memorability. The confidence is absolute; the evidence is absent.
Original quote: “But in 2026, WWE's entrance music has become algorithmic white noise. Music designed by formula, optimized for nothing in particular, memorable to no one.”
Teases a recent event as proof the old formula works — no details given — Volume Game (45/100)
At 2:10
'Proved the formula still works' — then stops. The proof is promised, never delivered in this segment.
Why this score: He builds suspense around an unnamed recent incident that supposedly validates his thesis, but the clip ends before he reveals what happened. The claim is left hanging between 'something happened' and 'therefore the formula works,' with the actual evidence withheld. Classic volume game: loud assertion, quiet delivery.
Original quote: “But just a few weeks ago, something happened that proved I wasn't crazy. Something that proved the formula still works. WWE just forgot how to use it.”
Builds dramatic setup from injury to stardom — classic hero arc framing — Emotional Button (45/100)
At 2:32
Turns one injury into a mythic rise — the narrative does all the heavy lifting before the entrance even hits.
Why this score: The speaker sets up a zero-to-hero story from a partner's injury, then immediately cuts to the music. The framing makes the entrance the sole reason for success, skipping any mention of in-ring ability, booking decisions, or timing that also mattered.
Original quote: “Then his partner suffered a possibly career-ending neck injury, leaving him alone, directionless, with no character, no clear future. Watch what happens next.”
Claims entrance alone made him a star — ignores booking, matches, timing — Missing Context (45/100)
At 2:55
Says 'not through booking or storylines' — then credits only the entrance. That's a hell of a leap.
Why this score: The speaker explicitly rules out 'years of careful booking' as the reason for Kit Wilson's rise, yet the audience saw him on television weekly in matches, promos, and story beats. The framing sells the entrance as the lone magic bullet.
Original quote: “The Titantron shows actual video content, animated graphics, stylized silhouettes, not just his name in a generic font. Kit Wilson became the most unlikely star. Not through years of careful booking or elaborate storylines, but because of an entrance that made people believe.”
Edge's riff alone sells deception and betrayal — Loaded Language (45/100)
At 4:30
Loaded words — 'danger,' 'deception,' 'betrayal' — doing the selling while the riff itself is just an A-minor guitar line.
Why this score: The riff is atmospheric, sure, but the leap from 'minor key guitar' to 'entire character study of betrayal' is the speaker adding story the music never literally contains. It's mood, not a biography.
Original quote: “Edge's theme does the same work. That opening riff communicates danger before Edge is visible. The lyrics kick in. You think you know me and the music tells his story. Deception, betrayal, everything before he takes a single step.”
Undertaker's entrance alone established his character — Missing Context (45/100)
At 5:22
Skips that Undertaker had already been on TV for weeks with vignettes before that entrance.
Why this score: The video frames the gong as the sole introduction. In reality WWE aired multiple pre-debut promos and video packages. The music mattered, but it wasn't the first thing fans saw.
Original quote: “Survivor Series 1990. A 7-ft creature emerges through the curtain, and that gong echoes through the arena like a death note. The Undertaker hadn't cut a promo, hadn't won a match, hadn't explained his character, but everyone knew what he was. The music told them.”
Claims 15 interchangeable trap beats for every good theme, a specific ratio without data. 💀 — Confidence Mismatch (45/100)
At 6:30
Fifteen for one? That's not a statistic, mortal, that's a feeling dressed up as a fact. 😈
Why this score: The speaker gives a precise ratio ('15 interchangeable... for every success') as if it's a measured fact, but provides no data or methodology to back up this specific number. It's a subjective observation presented with objective certainty.
Original quote: “with something important happening, with the show getting better the moment he appeared. Johnston understood that wrestling was about belief, and music was the fastest route to making you believe. In 2020, WWE's music production was handed to Deere Rebel, and to be fair, they've created some…”
Calling the shouting of names 'pure panic' and 'admission' of failure. 🚩 — Loaded Language (45/100)
At 7:22
He's calling a creative choice 'panic' and 'admission of failure.' That's not analysis, mortal, that's just a tantrum with a thesis. 😈
Why this score: The speaker uses highly charged, negative language ('pure panic,' 'admission that your music can't do its job') to describe a production choice. This frames the decision as inherently flawed and desperate, rather than a potentially intentional shift in branding or audience engagement strategy. It's an emotional judgment, not an objective assessment.
Original quote: “That's pure panic. An admission that your music can't do its job. Johnston never needed to shout names. You knew it was Kane because the music sounded like industrial machinery grinding human bones. You knew it was Jericho because of that countdown and explosion. DeafRebel is being asked to create…”
Glorifying past entrances with hyperbolic language like 'destroy reality itself.' 🔥 — Loaded Language (45/100)
At 7:53
He says 'destroy reality itself' about a wrestling entrance. I've seen actual reality destroyed, mortal. This is just a light show. 💀
Why this score: The speaker uses extreme, hyperbolic language ('destroy reality itself,' 'coronation ceremony,' 'these people were concepts') to describe past wrestling entrances. While these entrances were impactful, framing them with such grandiosity serves to heighten the perceived decline of current entrances, appealing to nostalgia and emotion rather than a balanced comparison.
Original quote: “That's a philosophy problem. Before this, wrestling entrances used cartoon graphics and static logos. The Titantron changed the game. [music] Suddenly, you were watching a wrestler's movie. The screen showed highlights of their victories, symbolic imagery, close-ups of their face. [music]…”
Calls modern entrances 'efficient branding' that kills magic — Loaded Language (45/100)
At 8:36
Labels everything post-2017 as soulless corporate branding — no examples shown, just the verdict.
Why this score: The speaker equates 'efficient' with 'dead' without proving the older entrances weren't also branded products designed for maximum impact. The magic died because they stopped spending, not because efficiency itself is poison.
Original quote: “Most modern entrances look like this. Wrestller's name appears on screen in their designated font. Maybe a color wash. Maybe some generic motion graphics, efficient branding, but efficiency is the death of magic.”
Quotes exact pyro budget figures with zero sourcing — Anonymous Authority (45/100)
At 9:46
Drops dollar amounts like gospel — no receipt, no year, no line item. Just trust the number.
Why this score: I've watched this trick since before your grandfather tried it: throw a precise figure on the table and dare anyone to call you on it. The absence of any documented budget line turns the stat into a prop.
Original quote: “WWE spent $5 to $30,000 per episode of RAW on pyrochnics, 300,000 for a single Wrestlemania.”
Claims record profits prove they could afford pyro — Missing Context (45/100)
At 10:15
Assumes pyro money is the same bucket as AR screens — ignores that different line items live under different bosses and insurance rules.
Why this score: Profits don't equal 'we can spend it anywhere.' The speaker erases every internal budget fight, every carrier that won't insure open flame near LED walls, every venue permit that tripled after 2017. Money existed; permission and priority didn't.
Original quote: “WWE claimed cost cutting. A company making record profits, spending millions on LED screens and augmented reality graphics. They could afford Pyro.”
Camera cut every 1.5 seconds during entrances — specific production claim — Missing Context (45/100)
At 10:30
Gives the number but doesn't say where it came from. Anonymous stat.
Why this score: No source cited for the 1.5-second figure. Could be measured from actual footage or just felt. Without the methodology, it's impossible to verify.
Original quote: “His signature style, rapid camera cuts. During a typical entrance, the camera cut every 1.5 seconds.”
2017 Undertaker entrance fragmented into quick cuts, mystique destroyed — Opinion (60/100)
At 11:13
Calls it 'fragmented' and says mystique is gone. That's his taste, not everyone's.
Why this score: Some fans prefer the modern style. The claim that mystique is objectively gone is a value judgment dressed up as fact.
Original quote: “By 2017, that same entrance is fragmented. Face cut, hand cut, crowd cut. The mystique is gone.”
HD transition in 2008 killed physical props and unique set pieces — Missing Context (45/100)
At 11:28
HD made physical sets look cheap so they switched to LED. But some shows kept practical elements.
Why this score: While HD did push LED adoption, WWE still uses physical sets for major events. The total replacement narrative oversimplifies a gradual shift.
Original quote: “In 2008, WWE transitioned to HD television. The old sets with physical props, the giant fist for Wrestlemania X7, the elaborate structures giving each show unique identity, all had to go.”
Physical sets looked cheap in HD, so everything became LED — False Dilemma (20/100)
At 11:41
Presents two options: cheap-looking sets or LED screens. Ignores hybrid approaches.
Why this score: Modern productions mix LED with practical elements. The binary choice is a false dilemma — many shows use both without looking cheap.
Original quote: “In HD, they looked cheap. So, WWE replaced everything with LED screens.”
WWE shows only wrestler logos and motion graphics, making every entrance identical — Straw Man (20/100)
At 11:49
Claims every entrance is identical. Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania entrance proves otherwise.
Why this score: The transcript itself mentions Cody Rhodes' elaborate entrance later. You can't say every entrance is identical when the speaker's own example contradicts it.
Original quote: “Instead of creating unique visual environments, they displayed the wrestler's logo, maybe some motion graphics. Every entrance looked identical.”
WWE spends more on Cody than any other — anonymous authority — Anonymous Authority (45/100)
At 12:56
Says 'reportedly' and names nobody. Who reported this? 💀
Why this score: Anonymous authority move: uses 'reportedly' to sound sourced while giving zero source. Viewers can't verify the spending claim or compare it to anyone else's budget.
Original quote: “WWE reportedly spends more on Cody's entrance than any other wrestler.”
WWE belief = audience belief — causal leap — Confidence Mismatch (45/100)
At 13:16
Treats correlation as causation. No evidence that WWE's belief moves the crowd.
Why this score: Classic overclaim: takes one successful entrance and declares it proves a general rule. Could be reverse causation — crowd reacts, WWE invests more — or both could be driven by Cody's existing popularity.
Original quote: “When WWE believes in someone, audiences believe too.”
Gunther's walk proves he's a cold-blooded killer — Just Vibes (50/100)
At 13:27
Pure theater criticism dressed as character analysis. Works because it's fun, not factual.
Why this score: Not a factual claim — it's interpretive performance criticism. The speaker is reading menace into body language. Valid opinion, no evidence needed.
Original quote: “Gunther walks with zero theatrics, slowly, methodically, like a man who knows he's about to hurt you and feels nothing about it.”
Joe Hendry's theme alone made him an NXT phenomenon — Missing Context (45/100)
At 14:04
Credits the song for the rise — ignores the years of indie work and TNA appearances that built the audience first.
Why this score: Omitted timeline: Joe Hendry spent years wrestling in the indies and TNA before the 2024 WWE appearances. The song didn't create the phenomenon from nothing; it accelerated an already-developing act.
Original quote: “He took NXT by storm late last year. Yes, I mentioned his theme. I believe in Joe Hendry. Simple, direct, catchy. Within seconds, entire arenas sing along.”
Joe Hendry theme turned midcarder into star — Confidence Mismatch (45/100)
At 14:31
Credits the song with making him a 'draw' — no ticket or rating numbers attached.
Why this score: The speaker treats one catchy entrance as the sole reason for career elevation. Without gate or viewership figures, the leap from 'viral theme' to 'legitimate draw' is just narrative glue.
Original quote: “This viral appeal carried Hendry from TNA appearances to a full WWE contract to matches at major events, even to a Wrestlemania appearance against Randy Orton. The theme became so embedded in audience consciousness that it transformed a midcard wrestler into a legitimate draw.”
Nia Jax's entrance fails because the song is generic — Missing Context (45/100)
At 15:05
Blames the music alone for her not feeling like a monster — ignores booking and TV time.
Why this score: The speaker isolates the entrance as the sole reason the crowd doesn't buy her as dominant. In wrestling, presentation is one factor; consistent booking and screen time matter more. Without mentioning those, the diagnosis is incomplete.
Original quote: “Nia Jax is a powerhouse wrestler who should register as a genuine threat. She's larger than most of the women's division, strong enough to ragdoll opponents. But her entrance theme sounds like a rejected pop song. The music is loud, aggressive, energetic, but it communicates nothing about who Nia…”
Roxanne's theme is 'directionless noise' after Rumble star turn — Confidence Mismatch (45/100)
At 15:50
Calls the music meaningless right after praising her breakout moment — no data on crowd reaction.
Why this score: The speaker asserts the 2025 Rumble made her a star, then immediately claims the theme undermines that stardom. Without audience metrics or follow-up reactions, the contradiction sits on opinion, not evidence.
Original quote: “Roxan Perez had a star-making performance at the 2025 Royal Rumble, but her current theme is directionless noise. The beat changes every few seconds. It has no substance and doesn't represent who she is as a character at all.”
Machine Guns' theme flopped — crowd stayed silent at Rumble — No Frame (75/100)
At 16:10
Cites a specific live reaction: silence at the 2025 Rumble.
Why this score: The speaker ties the entrance directly to an observable crowd response. That's a clean, falsifiable observation, not an overreach.
Original quote: “The Motor City Machine Guns have a terrible entrance theme with forced raise your fist chanting that sounds cheesy. The song tries to force fans to chant rather than letting something occur naturally. During their tag team match at the 2025 Royal Rumble, they were met with silence.”
Generic music kills entrance — original theme proves it with crowd silence — Missing Context (45/100)
At 16:30
Assumes crowd silence means the music failed — ignores that Balor was mid-rumble return, not a full entrance
Why this score: The speaker treats audience quiet as proof the new theme flopped. But a Royal Rumble entrance is a 30-second run-in, not a full theatrical arrival. Without the comparison of a proper solo entrance, the silence could simply reflect the match context, not musical failure.
Original quote: “Finn Balor emerged during the 2025 Royal Rumble to the generic music handed to the Judgment Day faction. You could hear a pin drop in the audience. When he returned later in the year to his original theme, the difference was undeniable.”
New theme is objectively worse — fans used to party, now they don't — Loaded Language (45/100)
At 16:42
Converts personal taste into universal fact by claiming the new song 'doesn't have charm' as if it's measurable
Why this score: The speaker presents subjective preference as objective downgrade. 'Party atmosphere' is not a quantifiable metric; it's one person's memory of how the old song felt. The claim slips from 'I miss the old vibe' to 'this song is missing the beat,' turning nostalgia into evidence.
Original quote: “Naomi's glow is wild shouting that doesn't have the charm, impact, or beat of her former amazing theme. The opening is too long and drawn out. When Naomi came out to any version of amazing, it felt like fans were about to have a party. Glow doesn't create that same atmosphere.”
Sheamus hates the new song — fans and wrestler both begging for the old one — Missing Context (45/100)
At 17:06
Treats the lobbying as proof the new theme is bad — leaves out whether WWE has any financial or rights reason to keep the current song
Why this score: The speaker presents the campaign to restore the old theme as unanimous verdict. Without knowing the licensing situation for 'Written in My Face' or whether Sheamus's contract even allows theme changes, the lobbying could be blocked by contract terms, not creative laziness.
Original quote: “Sheamus was handed another generic Irishesque piece of music after briefly returning to his beloved Written in My Face. It was a downgrade on both his previous WWE theme songs. Both Sheamus and fans have lobbied to bring back his old song. The calls have fallen on deaf ears.”
Pyro removal makes Kane ordinary — walking to the ring is now the same as everyone else — False Equivalence (20/100)
At 17:27
Equates 'no pyro' with 'no distinction' — ignores Kane's size, mask, and reputation still separate him from the locker room
Why this score: The speaker claims removing pyro erases Kane's uniqueness. But Kane remains seven feet tall, painted red and black, and known to every fan. The equivalence 'walking = ordinary' only works if you pretend the rest of the visual package vanished too.
Original quote: “When Pyro gets cut from weekly shows. No more explosions for Kane. No more fireworks for Brock Lesnar. No more visual punctuation unless you were headlining Wrestlemania. Kane's entrance used to be an event. Lights drop. Red lighting floods the arena. Kane raises his arms and the ring posts explode…”
$1.3 billion profit in 2017 means they can afford pyro — choosing not to is pure greed — Missing Context (45/100)
At 17:53
Uses a 2017 revenue figure to imply current cheapness — ignores nine years of different economics, ownership, and production costs
Why this score: The speaker treats a single year's profit as permanent proof they can afford anything. WWE's 2025 Netflix deal, TKO merger, and live-event economics are all post-2017 realities. A 2017 number cannot explain decisions made under entirely different balance sheets.
Original quote: “Same thing happened to Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, everyone whose entrance relied on visual punctuation. WWE's justification cost cutting, a company that made $1.3 billion in 2017. They could surely afford Pyro, but they chose differently.”
Netflix deal forces shorter entrances — art dies because streaming hates patience — Confidence Mismatch (45/100)
At 18:11
Assumes Netflix's retention goals automatically kill long entrances — no evidence the deal even controls entrance length
Why this score: The speaker leaps from 'Netflix wants efficiency' to 'therefore entrances must shrink.' The $5 billion deal is a distribution agreement, not a production mandate. Without any reported clause limiting entrance times, the causal link is pure speculation dressed as corporate logic.
Original quote: “January 2025, Monday Night Raw moves to Netflix in a 10-year, $5 billion deal. Netflix's philosophy is content retention. They want you to click and keep watching. They want efficiency. Entrances are the opposite. Entrances are indulgent, patient. They ask you to sit with a feeling.”
1998 Taker silence proves patience > modern entrances — Missing Context (45/100)
At 19:12
One famous entrance becomes proof the whole art died — ignores every loud, theatrical crowd since.
Why this score: Uses a single revered moment as the baseline for what wrestling 'should' be, then treats any deviation as decline. The silence is treated as evidence of artistic superiority rather than a specific stylistic choice for that character. No data on whether modern crowds are less invested overall, just one snapshot elevated to gospel.
Original quote: “Thousands of people sitting in absolute silence watching a man walk to a ring. The philosophy that made this possible. The belief that wrestling deserves patience, that spectacle matters, that three minutes of a man walking to a ring can be more memorable than anything that happens inside it.”
Financial success proves creative failure — corporate metrics vs. soul — False Dilemma (20/100)
At 19:29
Two options only: either you're profitable or you're magical. Never entertains that both could exist at once.
Why this score: Frames money and magic as mutually exclusive. The 'algorithm' line implies the product is now soulless because it makes money, but never demonstrates that the creative choices were actually driven by spreadsheets rather than taste. Classic bait: if you like the money, you must hate the art.
Original quote: “WWE is making billions. They've signed the biggest streaming deal in wrestling history. By every corporate metric, they're wildly successful, but they've forgotten how to make you believe. They've forgotten that the entrance is the character, that the character is the entrance. They've turned art…”
Kit Wilson proves the old magic still works — 10k singing his name — Confidence Mismatch (45/100)
At 20:05
One jobber's sing-along gets promoted to proof the entire lost art is secretly alive.
Why this score: Elevates a single popular entrance into evidence against the thesis. If Kit Wilson proves the capability still exists, then the 'lost art' claim is already falsified by the example used to support it. The argument wants both decline and proof-of-concept at the same time.
Original quote: “But then I watch Kit Wilson walk to a ring in Berlin, in London, in Charlotte, and I hear 10,000 people singing Kit Wilson. And I see a wrestler who was nobody 6 months ago get a reaction bigger than established mainveners.”
WWE 'systematically destroyed' entrances for profit — blanket blame, zero proof. — Cherry-Picked (20/100)
At 20:30
Two decades of 'destruction' declared — no budget sheets, no internal memos, just the vibe. 🍒
Why this score: Speaker cherry-picks the profit motive as sole driver while ignoring every other documented change: shifting music licensing deals, wrestler input on themes, shorter TV slots, and the rise of in-house production teams. The 'systematic destruction' line sounds damning but skips the actual chain of decisions.
Original quote: “Rhodess. They proved it with Roman Reigns and Ria Ripley. They have the money, the resources, the talent, the production capability. But they stopped believing it matters. WWE, the company that perfected this art form, that understood it better than anyone, has spent two decades systematically…”
Wrestling entrances = collective magic that needs 'time' — emotional button, no receipts. — Emotional Button (45/100)
At 20:51
Turns a production choice into a spiritual loss — 'magic' and 'belief' do the heavy lifting. 😈
Why this score: The speaker frames the drop in spectacle as a moral or artistic failing rather than a business calculation. By invoking 'magic' and 'thousands of people deciding,' the argument sidesteps the practical constraints (TV time, music rights, wrestler preferences) that actually shape entrance design today.
Original quote: “I miss the spectacle. I miss the belief. I mean, thousands of people collectively decide that this person, this ordinary human in wrestling tights, is worth believing in. And I hope, God, I hope that someday someone in that company will watch the likes of Kit Wilson or Joe Henry get that reaction…”
See the full analysis with timestamps →