25 Most Iconic WWE Ring Entrances Ever
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WrestleMania XIX)
WrestleMania XIX was already soaked in cinematic grandeur thanks to WWE’s stunning ‘Mania Of WrestleMania’ mini-movie project, but one moment stood out beyond the lens flare and fanfare - Stone Cold Steve Austin’s final entrance as an in-ring performer.
For years, WWE’s long lenses had zoomed in on the unmistakable "BMF" stride of 'The Rattlesnake,' capturing every stomp and stare with dramatic intensity. But here, for one night only, the cameras pulled back. They shot from behind as Austin walked to the ring. They captured one man against the lights, the crowd, and the weight of an unspoken goodbye.
It was a subtle but powerful shift. Instead of focusing on the man, the frame expanded to capture the sprawling sea of flashbulbs and awe-struck faces inside Seattle’s Safeco Field. Most didn’t know this would be his last ride, but they greeted him like it was. The atmosphere became more reverent than frenzied, even though only a few were aware of an emergency hospital visit that nearly cancelled the match. Jim Ross - Austin's confidant and ambulance co-passenger just 24 hours earlier - sounded more like a eulogist than a commentator. And fittingly, Austin’s vest read "Bullet Proof", though he’d arguably never felt more mortal.
The usual close-ups were gone until he reached the ring, as if the audience was being invited to walk that same uncertain road with him. WWE didn’t need to say this was the end. By letting viewers see what Austin saw - one last look at the world he’d changed forever - they'd tacitly told everybody everything.