100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
69. Undertaker’s Johnny Cash Entrance (WrestleMania XXVII)
It's a licensing crime that The Undertaker's fabulous entrance to Johnny Cash: 'Ain't No Grave' was later dubbed over for the WWE Network version. WWE didn't want to keep paying out for the track, so they piped in 'Taker's usual theme music instead. That cruelly chipped away one of WrestleMania's finest entrances. It was chilling to see 'The Deadman' come out to Cash at 'Mania XXVII in 2011.
Triple H had emerged to Metallica's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', but Undertaker stole most of the attention with his spooky, somber and atmospheric tribute to the 'Man In Black'. Cash actually recorded his version of the traditional gospel song in 2003 shortly before passing away, but the track didn't surface until it was included on a posthumous 'American VI' release in 2010. That's when WWE and 'Taker himself would've heard it, and both parties were keen to amp up the theatrics by including it on the grandest stage.
There was something chilling about The Undertaker's slow walk to the ring combined with Cash's gravel voice and latter-years tremble. This was literally the perfect song to use for WWE's most iconic character on a show of this scale, especially when Trips was getting the Metallica treatment from James Hetfield and the boys.
'Ain't No Grave' was also a fitting title given that Hunter had promised to bury 'Taker's for retiring his mate Shawn Michaels the previous year. "There ain't no grave that can hold my body down" came the refrain. Goosebumps were rife in the sea of humanity that filled Atlanta's cavernous Georgia Dome.
Outrageously special.