AEW have utilized licensed entrance music in a fantastic way, adding even more to the characters of many different stars.
While the company have created a number of fantastic songs for their talent, sometimes you simply cannot beat a classic tune to get the crowd riled up.
In this article, we’ll go through every wrestler to use a licensed song for their entrance music in AEW.
This list will include AEW stars who use real-life songs as their entrance music. This does not count music that was created specifically for the use of entrances (like Adam Cole’s music) or stock music that has been used for years (The Hardy’s entrance).
CM Punk (Cult of Personality, Miseria Cantera)
AEW could not have brought CM Punk back to wrestling without the iconic Living Color song “Cult of Personality”.
From his debut in August 2021, all the way to his final match, CM Punk has used Cult of Personality as his entrance music in AEW – except for once.
At AEW Revolution 2022, MJF slyly used CM Punk’s song for his own entrance, leaving Punk with a change of tune for one iconic entrance/
Entering in his classic white fight shorts and “XXX” jacket, CM Punk entered the ring to the AFI classic “Miseria Cantare” – a carbon copy of his iconic entrance from Ring of Honor.
This showed that Punk was rolling back the rings, bringing out a more vicious side of his personality in his battle with MJF, and created one of the best entrances in AEW history.
Chris Jericho (Judas)
Since his debut in NJPW in 2018, Chris Jericho has used his own music as his entrance theme.
Owing to him being the lead singer of Fozzy, he was easily able to use the licensed song Judas for his entrance against Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom, and again for his run in AEW.
The song has since become iconic. Crowds sign along every week as Jericho makes his entrance, much to the delight of Le Champion.
They even sang along to it without any music, which was part of one of the greatest entrances in AEW history.
Orange Cassidy (Jane, Where Is My Mind?)
One of the first wrestlers to gain a licensed entrance theme was Orange Cassidy – and he’s now had two different songs!
He first had licensed music in 2021, when he started entering to the Pixies song “Where is my mind?”, from the album Dolitte.
However, in 2023 he reverted back to his entrance music from his days on the independent scene. Inspired by the movie Wet Hot American Summer, Orange Cassidy used Jane by Jefferson Starship as his entrance theme, with the iconic opening riff always popping the crowd.
Orange Cassidy debuted his new theme song on the AEW Dynamite after Forbidden Door, to a huge pop.
Ruby Soho (Ruby Soho)
With her name inspired by the Rancid song itself, Ruby Soho seemed destined to come out to the song Ruby Soho for her debut at All Out 2021.
After leaving the WWE in 2021, she was still searching for her new name in pro-wrestling.
It was then suggested by Rancid’s Lars Fredriksen that she use the name Ruby Soho, and he arranged for her to come out to the song as her entrance music in AEW.
Jungle Boy (Tarzan Boy)
After some years in AEW using a theme created for himself, Jungle Boy opted to use the Baltimora classic “Tarzan Boy” as his entrance theme.
The song is fantastic to sing along to (as Taz proved weekly on AEW Rampage), and fits his character perfectly as a Tarzan-esque figure (although he has moved away from that over the years).
He was one of the first wrestlers to get their own licensed entrance music, showing just how important Tony Khan and AEW view Jungle Boy going into the future of the company.
Hook (The Chairmen’s Intent)
While he started out simply as a meme, the hype behind Hook became too much in the lead up to his debut on AEW Rampage.
He entered for his match on the October 12, 2021 episode of AEW Rampage to a familiar son – “The Chairman’s Intent” by Action Bronson.
Hook is said to be a close friend of the rapper, meaning that obtaining the licensing for the song was a lot easier than maybe it could have been otherwise.
The song makes Hook feel like a big deal in AEW, and the young star is already presented as a future main eventer in the company – thanks in part to his licensed entrance music.
Saraya (Zombified)
Saraya was given a licensed entrance song since her first appearance in the company. She debuted on September 21st, 2022 on AEW Dynamite, at the Grand Slam episode of the show.
Saraya’s entrance mucis is “Zombified” by American band “Falling In Reverse”. She has used the song as her entrance theme since 2022, when she left the WWE to sign for AEW.
The first time Saraya used Zombified as her entrance theme was at AEW Grand Slam 2022, where she made her shock debut in the company.
“Zombified” is a song by American rock band Falling in Reverse. It was released on January 5, 2022, through Epitaph Records. The song was released as the first single from the band’s upcoming EP titled Neon Zombie, and has become one of their biggest hits.
The lead singer of the band is the current boyfriend of Saraya, which explains why she has a fully-licensed song as her entrance music in AEW.
Adam Page (Ghost Town Triumph)
Hangman” Adam Page debuted new entrance music at AEW Revolution 2023. As fans expected to hear “Ghost Town Triumph” accompany him for his entrance, they quickly got a big surprise.
Suddenly, the familiar sound of “(Ghost) Riders In The Sky” by The Outlaws blared through the arena. The song was originally performed by Stan Jones, but was most famously covered by country legend Johnny Cash.
The version used by “Hangman” Adam Page as his new entrance music was “Ghost Riders In The Sky” by Florida-based Rock Band The Outlaws. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as the greatest Western song of all time.
The slow, deliberate opening was a perfect start to what would become a brutal death match. The slow, sombre opening gave gravitas to a huge, career defining match. It gave Page a moment to think about what he was about to do.
The Gunns (Many Men)
Before their unfortunate title loss to FTR on the May 4, 2023 episode of AEW Dynamite, Austin and Colten Gunn had one of the best entrances ever.
The AEW Tag Team Champions entered the ring to 50 Cent’s classic rap song “Many Men”, something nobody had expected beforehand.
It added a big fight feel for the match, and made the duo feel like a much bigger deal than they ever had previously.
Bryan Danielson (The Final Countdown)
Bryan Danielson debut the song “The Final Countdown” by Europe as his entrance music at Forbidden Door.
He had previously used the music as his entrance theme in ROH, before the cost to use the licensed music became too much.
However, with the songs rights being sold days ago, a deal became available to use the music as Bryan Danielson’s entrance music again.
The song was apparently good luck, as The American Dragon forced Kazuchika Okada to tap out at Forbidden Door, in an incredible main event match.
Bryan Danielson brought the song back for his match against Ricky Starks at AEW All Out 2023.
Saraya (We Will Rock You)
Saraya paid tribute to Queen’s Wembley Performance at Live Aid by entering at All In to the classic song “We Will Rock You”.
The English star brought the entire “Knight” wrestling family to the ring with her, paying tribute to her historic Norwich wrestling family.
The music was good luck. After being clapped and sung to the ring by the 81,000 strong English crowd, Saraya pinned Toni Storm to win the AEW Women’s Championship for the first time.
Toni Storm (God Save The King)
Complimenting her new “1930s Hollywood starlet” character, Toni Storm entered Wembley Stadium to a tune that is very famous around the world.
Despite being from New Zealnd (while growing up in Australia), she entered the ring at All In to the British National Anthem.
“God Save The King” was sung by many as the former AEW Women’s Champion made her way to the ring, although she would ultimately suffer defeat to her Outcasts teammate Saraya.
Sting & Darby Allin (Seek and Destroy)
Tony Khan paid out the big bucks to bring back one of the most iconic entrance themes of all time.
For AEW’s debut in the UK at Wembley Stadium, Sting and Darby Allin entered the ring to the classic Metallica song (and Sting’s WCW theme), Seek and Destroy.
The crowd singing this classic tune surely helped hype the pair up for their coffin match against Christian Cage and Swerve Strickland, which they won by locking Swerve in the coffin after a great match.
Rob Van Dam (Walk)
Rob Van Dam was brought in to AEW to wrestle against Jack Perry in August 2023, and was given his classic ECW theme by noted ECW fan Tony Khan. Khan has admitted to begging his father to take him to see ECW in the 1990s, the same company where Rob Van Dam became a huge wrestling superstar.
RVD walked out against Jack Perry to the Pantera song “Walk”, which had fans cheering in delight by hearing the classic tune. While he lost on his debut, Rob Van Dam is certainly top of the list for one of the best theme songs in AEW history.
Adam Copeland (Metalignus)
When he made his debut in AEW at the end of WrestleDream 2023, Adam Copeland brought his famous entrance music from the WWE with him – much to the delight of the fans.
As a good friend of the band Alter Bridge, Copeland was able to convince the group to let him use the song “Metalingus” as his entrance music in AEW. He used the song as his entrance in the WWE for nearly two decades, so Adam Copeland would have felt out-of-place without his classic licensed music.