I haven’t done a Top 10 list in a long time, so it’s probably high time for one, but I wanted to discuss the new look and feel of ECW now that its entire main event roster save Tommy Dreamer and Christian have moved to different brands.
I’ve been intrigued about WWE signing a Japanese talent ever since I first heard about it last year. His real name is Naofumi Yamamoto, but his ECW name is Yoshi Tatsu. Now, I’ve never actually seen him wrestle anywhere else, since I’m only starting to scratch the surface of both indy and international wrestling, but the guy’s definitely got the look to be a star. And if it’s true what Matt Striker said, about Yamamoto…I mean Tatsu…being a strong-style wrestler, and WWE allows him to perform strong-style, we could see a very dynamic shift in ECW. His first match, while short, did make an impact against the apparently now goofy heel Shelton Benjamin. Tatsu’s kick looked stiff, and Shelton sold his ass off for that one move. I’d expect Shelton’s moved into the “gatekeeper” role on ECW. He’ll be the guy who introduces new talent to the audience and puts them over. I hope these two have a couple of actual matches in the coming weeks, because I’d really like to see what Tatsu’s got to offer. If he shows good in-ring skills, he won’t need a mic, because he’ll let his athleticism do the talking. I look forward to seeing what he’s got to show.
Abraham Washington. Silly name, silly gimmick, not as good of a talker as Striker and Matthews hyped him up to be. His monologue and dialogue with the Bella Twins felt very forced (but that could also result from the Bellas being pretty awful on the mic), especially his little interjections. He’s supposedly been mostly filling a manager role in FCW, so it remains to be seen whether or not he ends up managing someone (or someones). There are times when I miss the old days of one manager having a stable of wrestlers, like Bobby Heenan, or Slick, or Sensational Sherri. Could Washington be the next heel stable manager? Probably not, but it would be nice to have one again after so many years without one.
Sheamus (last name O’Shaunessy) reminds me a lot of Jack Swagger. Which is a bad thing, in my humble opinion. Swagger’s yet to learn even the basics of psychology, and now he’s on Raw. So is Sheamus the next big oaf who doesn’t sell well and engages in Swagger Tactics? I hope not. I know he’s going to be in quite a few squash matches, like every big burly wrestler goes through. I at least hope he shows me something new and exciting that other muscleheads are so prone to doing. At least he has shown me that a frighteningly pale wrestler can make it onto TV. Seirously, he makes Finlay look like Mark Henry. It’s ridiculous. The only other guy I can think of who was that pale was Kevin Thorn, and that was because he was saddled with a vampire gimmick.
Tyler Reks is the current FCW champion, so it’s only logical to put him on two brands. He’s got a California surfer gimmick, and looks to have been placed into a mini-feud with Zack Ryder over which state has the best surfing. Silly, I know, but I’ve heard Reks’ name bounded around a bit, and we get to see him in action on Superstars tonight, so I look forward to that.
And as far as the main event talent is concerned, it’s pretty obvious at this point that William Regal and Vladimir Kozlov are taking Jack Swagger and Mark Henry’s places. A lot of people don’t like Kozlov, but I really enjoy his in-ring work. He’s a little sloppy at times, but he’s got enough raw talent to mostly overcome it. And if he’s paired with Regal for any amount of time, he’s going to learn a lot from probably one of my favorite all-time wrestlers. It’ll do Kozlov a world of good to work with the rest of the main event-level talent.
Now, I think it’s time for a slightly different Top 10 list. I’ve been thinking about this one for a while, and I’ll be looking at the WWE roster to make my final decisions. So, without further ado, here is the
Top 10 Entrance Music Tracks (in no particular order)
John Morrison – Being a big Jimi Hendrix fan, I love that WWE got a Hendrix tribute band to perform Morrison’s track. And it fits perfectly with Morrison’s persona/gimmick. Seeing as how he’s essentially playing a more buff Jim Morrison, it stands to contention that it’s a perfect fit tow have a 60’s rock icon have another 60’s rock icon play his entrance music. And with Morrison as a face now, the song fits in even better as it has a more positive sound to it. This song is so awesome I’ve put it on my MP3 player. I also have “Biscuits and Gravy” on there, but more for humor purposes than it being a great song.
CM Punk – Who remembers Punk’s song being Randy Orton’s theme for one day? Then it being a PPV song? Anyone? Well, anyway, it didn’t fit with Orton’s personality (obviously), but it fits perfectly with Punk. Finding a track that works well with the personality/gimmick of the wrestler being introduced is actually a key factor in fan reaction to said wrestler. Which is why I think Gail Kim and Naofumi…I mean Yoshi Tatsu get such lukewarm reactions. Because their music sucks hard. But Punk’s is perfect for him. Not only is the lead singer of Killswitch Engage, Howard Jones, also straight-edge, but the song’s got that edge that Punk’s got. And even if you hate Punk now, there’s still that little inherent part of you that automatically cheers when you hear his music.
Christian – I know his current music is kind of a derivative of his last track when he was employed by WWE, but it still fits him very well. Christian’s got a pretty rockin’ tune to back him up, which is important considering his intensity in the ring. Simple as that.
Randy Orton – The first time I heard those lyrics, I was afraid they were going to turn Orton into a schitzophrenic. “I hear voices in my head. They counsel me, they understand, they talk to me.” Yeesh…talk about foreboding. But at least he’s found a song that works well with his personality. The song itself is fairly slow and quiet-ish, but has moments of anger and volume, much like Orton himself. It’s also a very intense track, much like Orton can be when provoked. An excellent fit for the WWE Champion.
Batista – Every time I hear that opening guitar riff, I get excited. Then I remember who’s music it is. I’m not a Batista fan at all, but for some reason, that riff gets me excited that Batista’s entering the arena. It’s also another perfect fit for the Animal, as it’s an incredibly intense opening. But it also has subdued moments, which Batista has on occasion. At least it shows some character development. I don’t expect Batista has much time left to wrestle, so we’re probably not going to get to listen to this track much longer. So enjoy it while you can.
Evan Bourne – One of only two tracks on this Top 10 list without a singer, but it fits Bourne to a T. The music is fast-paced and a little frantic, which is exactly like Bourne’s in-ring style. Oh, of course I forgot the opening, which sounds something like an air-traffic controller, which also plays into his talents as one of the best high-flyers in the company. Every time you hear that blazing guitar riff, you know you’re in for a treat, because you get Evan Bourne in a match, and any match with him in it is going to be a damn good one.
Dolph Ziggler – Not so much for the song itself, but because it has the line, “I am perfection,” in it. I do believe I was the first person to notice similarities between Ziggler and the late Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig. So I find it as no coincidence that, not only is the word “perfection” in the first three words of his music, but JR continually references Hennig during Ziggler’s matches. I’d like to think I had a little credit in both of those occurrences. Like Bourne, when you hear those three words, you know you’re going to get a damn good match, even against guys like The Great Khali.
Santino Marella – Where else are you going to get what sounds like an Italian tenor singing a wrestling theme song? Especially with electric guitars? This song screams “AWESOME,” and it fits in perfectly with Marella, since both are actually a little silly. I mean, come on…an Italian opera singer singing over electric guitars? That’s hilarious AND awesome. And Marella is one of the funniest men to ever step foot in a WWE ring. And since Colt Cabana wasn’t allowed to ever show off his comedy skills, Marella’s last few matches have had some pretty good comedy spots. I hope we get to see more of him as an actual wrestler, so we can witness more miracle victories and escape reality for just a little while longer.
Edge – How could I not put in the frantic song of the Rated R Superstar? It fits his persona beyond perfectly (yes, it’s possible to do that), and it’s intense and crazy rock. For a guy like Edge, long blond hair, plenty of tattoos, it’s a great fit. Edge has had a lot of theme songs over the years, and I think this is the best one he’s had. His very first one was also a great fit, but that was back when he was a pseudo-vampire and he had that weird techno/nightclub feel. But now that he’s batshit crazy, this song fits him wonderfully.
The Hart Dynasty – You know when you hear that guitar squeal, something special is about to happen. And while the rest of the song is kind of boring and derivative, that opening couple of seconds is enough to make me excited that I get to see three of the (possibly) most important young wrestlers in WWE come down to the ring. If only Teddy Hart hadn’t screwed himself by being an idiot, the Hart Dynasty could have been one of the greatest stables of all time. As it stands, now, it’s merely the best stable currently in WWE.
And I wanted to put one honorable mention, because I love the irony:
Jack Swagger – I love that a country boy from Oklahoma has his theme song sung by one of the most liberal rock groups of all time in Rage Against the Machine. I also enjoy Rage Against the Machine, so there’s a personal bias there.
So there you have it. My Top 10 Entrance Music Tracks. If you feel the need to comment, by all means do. I enjoy getting your comments, so don’t be bashful. And if you’ve got an argument in there, I have no problems arguing back. Such is the nature of the Internet. Until next time…
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