8 Def Rebel WWE Themes That That AREN’T Complete Garbage

7. Stephanie Vaquer

Seth Rollins
WWE

(Listen here)

It's perhaps damning that what would have once sounded like the last thing Jim Johnston recorded at 4:45pm on a Friday afternoon during the Attitude Era now scans as one of the best themes in all of WWE. But Def Rebel and those involved in the creation of it would do well to note what makes it so successful, beyond the fact that Stephanie Vaquer herself feels something of a can't-miss prospect in the company.

Dropping immediately into the introduction free of awkward catchphrases or needle drops (and in time with her name flashing onto screens in arenas to welcome her formally to the ring), the immediacy of the foreboding guitar riff captures the hell-adjacent character without leaning too hard on a droning element that could incorrectly position her as a heel. It's the sort of theme that should and does make the opponent feel finished as they await a certain fate, but in a way that invites the audience to be part of the action. 

It builds somewhat unexpectedly to a chorus that doesn't pack anywhere near as big a punch as the opening shred, but that's one of the things that separates it from a lot of the Def Rebel turkeys - the crowd pop has already been established before it can be diminished. Ideally, the music playing as the wrestler hits the ring and/performs a signature pose should still be good, but they're called entrance themes for a reason. The song goes hardest right as she enters the arena, allowing audiences to match its energy with their own excitement to see a leading candidate for WWE's next breakout star.

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