10 Best Ever WWE WrestleMania Entrances

4. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WrestleMania XIX)

Shawn Michaels WrestleMania XIV
WWE.com

WWE long lenses always zoomed dramatically in on Stone Cold Steve Austin's 'BMF' stride throughout his career, but the company tacitly foreshadowed his impending retirement by finally allowing the audience a walk in 'The Rattlesnake's shoes as he took to the stage one last time.

Shooting from behind as Austin emerged for a match only a few knew was his last after a near-fatal hospital visit the night before, cameras caught the sprawling sea of flashbulbs and reverential beams greeting the former WWE Champion from the enormous Seattle crowd. As his confidant and ambulance accomplice just 24 hours earlier, commentator Jim Ross almost eulogised 'The Rattlesnake' as he took his last steps as an active star, 'Bullet Proof' adorning the back of his vest despite the fact he'd probably never felt so vulnerable.

WrestleMania XIX in general was besieged with company cameras due to the magnificent 'Mania Of WrestleMania' mini-movie shot during the show, but Stone Cold's entrance beautifully eliminated closeups on him until he reached ringside. For one night only, fans are afforded the same long stare down an uncertain road Austin himself had to face.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett