I loathe entrance music during saves.
Ever since “Stone Cold” Steve Austin made a stunning entrance while coming to Mick Foley’s aid in 1999, pro wrestling has long since jumped the shark on the theatrical rescue.
If you’re new here or missed it the first time, go read my 2023 diatribe on “The absurdity of wrestling entrances before rescues.”
Unfortunately, not much has changed in the two years since I wrote that piece. In fact, things have only gotten worse — especially during this week’s Raw.
In another
post, I spotlighted Jey Uso, who took his sweet time coming to the ring this week to help bail out CM Punk and LA Knight from a Vision beatdown. Ironically, Uso was one of the examples I listed in my 2023 article about entrance music during saves.
And yet, here we are. Still.
If you’ve missed those earlier rants and want the CliffsNotes version, let me break it down like this:
Imagine you’re having dinner at a restaurant and you begin to choke. No one knows the Heimlich maneuver, so they do the next best thing in 2025: take out their phones and record the incident.
Luckily for you, someone does know the Heimlich. But before they get to you, they pull out their phone and queue up AC/DC’s “Back in Black” as they prance to your rescue.
The example I just gave you is the equivalent of the modern save in pro wrestling, which has become ridiculous.
Now, I credit myself for being resilient. I’ve weathered some tough storms in my life, including my time here at Cageside, where I’ve taken heat from a particular segment of the audience. And yet I remain unbroken, unapologetic, and continue to stand my ground.
And while it’s hard to keep this good man down, I won’t be getting up today.
I realize I’m fighting a losing battle. And so, at the risk of disappointing my Noble SubScribers, I’m waving the white flag. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
So, in the spirit of embracing the madness, I’m proposing ways to make these theatrical saves even more ridiculous — and more entertaining. And since Jey Uso is a frequent target, I’m starting with him.
Go Full Uso
It’s Monday night, and Seth Rollins and The Vision are at it again. CM Punk and LA Knight are on death’s door. Suddenly, the camera cuts to the arena concourse.
It’s Jey Uso — yucking it up with fans and preening for the camera.
“Oh, it’s about to be on, Uce,” Jey says. “You know what time it is. Four letters, one word. UGH, UGH… SAVE! Yo, hit my music!”
From there, Jey makes his full entrance through the crowd — yeeting with babies, slapping hands with fans, the whole nine yards. Once he hits ringside, he daps up Michael Cole and Corey Graves, then grabs a chair.
Finally, the music fades. The moment has come.
Jey drops the chair, turns to the hard cam, and signals for the production crew to run it back as the crowd erupts into another round of yeets.
In the ring, Seth Rollins and his crew do the only logical thing: stand frozen in awe. Meanwhile, Punk and Knight keep selling like they’re one yeet away from the afterlife.
Only after Uso’s music cycles two, maybe three more times, does he finally charge the ring and save the day.
YEET.
Living In America
In Rocky IV, Apollo Creed makes a grand, over-the-top entrance for his exhibition fight against Soviet death machine Ivan Drago. As he dances to the ring in full Uncle Sam regalia, the crowd is treated to a full-blown James Brown concert, complete with pyro, showgirls, and “Living in America” blaring through the speakers.
It’s ludicrous. It’s glorious. It’s peak American pageantry.
And if WWE insists on cranking the absurdity to 11 during rescue spots, I say we lean all the way in.
It’s Friday night. Legado Del Fantasma has just blindsided our beloved quarterback, Cody Rhodes. He’s laid out, clutching his ribs, living his own personal nightmare.
Suddenly — lights, smoke, a spotlight.
Jelly Roll makes his dramatic return to WWE!
Oh, but he’s not here to fight. He’s here to perform.
Accompanied by his band, Jelly launches into a full country-rock cover of “Voices.” Midway through the second verse, Randy Orton emerges from the back — slowly, of course — soaking in the spotlight. He nods to Jelly. Jelly nods back. Mutual respect.
In the ring, the heels find themselves mesmerized as Jelly and the fans come together like a church choir. Once the unholy hymn is over, it’s time to say your prayers and eat your RKOs, brother, because here comes Orton to save the day.
While I get some may find this way over the top, remember this: in WWE, nothing says “emergency” like a live musical number.
It’s Been One Week
I began with Jey Uso, so it’s only appropriate that I bookend this piece with Jey Uso. But this time, I’m going to give “Main Event” Jey a taste of his own medicine.
This Monday night, Raw is live from Philadelphia. After taking out Punk and Knight, Seth Rollins and The Vision turn their attention to Jey Uso.
As Bronson Reed prepares to deliver his tenth Tsunami to Uso, a familiar drumbeat rings through the Wells Fargo Center. Philly fans rise to their feet in unison and throw their ones to the sky because the Tribal Chief is here.
Well, not quite.
As The Vision looks to the entranceway, the credits roll, and the screen fades to black.
That’s it. Show’s over. Time to watch something else on Netflix.
Back in the arena, the lights go out. When they come back on, the ring is cleared, and announcer Alicia Taylor thanks the fans for coming to the show and lets them know that Raw is over.
One week later, on August 25, as Raw comes to Birmingham in the United Kingdom, fans entering the arena see Rollins and his men standing exactly as they were at the end of the previous week’s Raw. They’re all dressed in the same gear, as is Uso, who is still lying sprawled out on the mat. Roman Reigns’ music is still playing, and it continues until Raw goes on the air.
Instead of Michael Cole welcoming us to the show, showing a recap of last week’s events, or even seeing wrestlers arrive at the building, Raw simply picks up where it left off — this time, with Reigns coming out and making the save.
Talk about a cliffhanger!
Now, I know what you’re thinking, dear readers, so say it with me.
Your Turn
If you’re like me and are tired of fighting the good fight or simply appreciate the production that goes into making a save in modern wrestling, I want to hear from you. How would you make rescues more theatrical? Sound off in the comments section. I will highlight the best response in The Feed.
