https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-orEcoXA0gU The first time that Shawn and 'taker did God vs. The Devil at Wrestlemania's 25th anniversary, it may have been even better than the second. 'taker rises up through the staging, has thunder and lightning on the screen behind him, then throws up his hands to not turn on the lights in the arena, but rather send up a wall of flames. It's completely insane, the first time a wrestler likely ever "kicked it up to another gear" within less than five seconds of entering the arena - no, not the ring, the area. When the entrance can match the level of excitement the fans have in the match that's about to occur, it creates a truly special "big fight" experience before the bell even rings.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.