Ropes N Riffs - Wrestling Entrance Themes, Wrestling and Music Stories

Sirena Linton, fresh off of her most recent TNA Xplosion four way match, sits down with me to talk about a range of topics such as her time in WWE on WWE LFG, her transition from gymnastics to WWE, how her first ever matches were in WWE, how she came into being a metalhead, and her recent debut match for TNA Xplosion.

We also talk about the story behind her new entrance theme "Spicy" (composed by John Kiernan), her WWE LFG theme "Demented", and some of her favorite entrance themes of all time.

We also...

Big Trouble Ben Bishop's been lighting it up like a skyscraper across the wrestling landscape and on social media. So of course Ropes N Riffs has to get the rub from Ben Bishop.

On today's episode, Ben Bishop's safe from Tribal Keith as he talks about his entrance theme written by Suplex Sound. We talk all about his favorite entrance themes in wrestling, his emotional My Sacrifice video he made after his AEW match, and how an entrance theme can make a night at the office in the squared circle even easier if it hits the crowd...

Shane Taylor. One of my favorite wrestlers to write a theme for. Shane Taylor and Shane Taylor Promotions has been changing the game in AEW, Ring Of Honor, and anyone that's crazy enough to bring Shane's brand of violence to their ring.

On this episode, Shane Taylor shares insights on wrestling entrance themes and the evolution of his themes over the years. We talk about his career journey, and the importance of music in building persona and intimidation.

Discover how themes reflect character evolution, collaboration with composers, and the power of music in sports entertainment...

Join me as WOW Women of Wrestling tag team champions Miami Sweet Heat aka The Carlson Twins share their journey in women's wrestling, their experiences with WOW, and their insights on growth, community, and staying at the top of their game.

Laurie and Lindsey Carlson talk all about how they got started with Women of Wrestling and what they thought when they first heard their entrance theme that I wrote for them. Laurie and Lindsey also discuss being part of the recent Lodestone with Bayley from WWE and how the sisterhood of women's wrestling is in a...

One of the things about doing this show that I absolutely love is being able to sit down with wrestlers that I've worked with and talk about the behind-the-scenes of putting an entrance theme together.On today's episode, we're doing just that with Smart Mark Sterling.

You're absolutely familiar with his work from AEW and Ring of Honor as well as his show the Major Wrestling Figure Podcast with Brian Myers and Matt Cardona, but are you familiar with his singing? No? Well, you're about to be.

Mark Sterling and I talk about how his...

One of my dream guests and biggest compositional inspirations, Bear McCreary, joins us on this episode. Bear's newest record The Singularity: Ekleipsis has just released.

We talk all about the collaborations with him, Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Meshuggah, Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria, and the process of writing the follow up to 2024's The Singularity. We also get into the heart of composing music, the choices we make (or don't make), how Scott Ian of Anthrax told Bear he knew he loved Sepultura (did he, though???), writing music for you vs. writing for...

Mike Santana has made his debut in NXT after Tony D'Angelo's retention of the NXT Championship against Naraku. When you heard Santana's entrance theme, you heard today's guest, Blass 89.

On today's episode, I speak with rapper Blass 89 about his relationship with Mike Santana, including working on his entrance theme and the emotional story behind the lyrics production, and a story about perseverance through the entrance theme.

We also talk about Blass 89's upbringing in church music to hardcore and metal, all the way to working on some amazing entrance themes for names such as Persephone...

Coming out of the Wicked Garden match against The Righteous in TNA Wrestling, Jeff Hardy has graced us with a conversation about how he's recuperating after such a vicious match!

Jeff Hardy talks about his various themes over the years from the iconic Hardy Boyz entrance theme Loaded to his TNA entrance themes. Did you know Jeff Hardy wrote many of his TNA entrance themes from Modest to Obsolete and others in between? Pretty incredible! We dive deep into the stories behind his debut TNA theme, what the real meaning of his theme Obsolete is, and so...

He can slap a tornado and dry up a sea, sometimes he's BROKEN, but today...TNA Wrestling's Matt Hardy is hanging with us on Ropes and Riffs

In our interview, Matt Hardy shares insights into his iconic entrance themes, the creative process behind them, and how music has played a pivotal role in his wrestling career. From 'Loaded' to 'Live for the Moment' and 'Moonlight Sonata,' discover how Hardy's musical choices shaped his character and connected with fans. we also talk about his theme as Broken Matt Hardy and Moonlight Sonata was selected by he and...

From the ashes of The High Crusade comes GRPPLNG, the musical brain child of Motor City Machine Guns Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, Chris Plumb, Adam Cline, and Adam Tatro. GRPPLNG's debut EP, "H's All Around," comes out May 18th and features four new original songs about heartache, happenstance, hubris, and hope.

On today's episode, Chris Plumb and I talk all about the new record, the themes behind the music, and how time apart made the GRPPLNG guys come back together.

We also discuss playing in a band with the Motor City Machine Guns and...

Lizzy Rain has been lighting up WWE NXT since her debut with her Heavy Metal, never say die attitude and in ring style! After a successful debut against Nikkita Lyons, The Maiden of Metal is going to be tearing it up against Zaria and Nikkita Lyons with her tag partner Tatum Paxley.

In our interview, we talk with the former Rayne Leverkusen, now Lizzy Rain, about becoming the flag bearer for metal in wrestling, what it means to her to bring Clive Burr (her uncle, the original Iron Maiden drummer) to the ring with her with his...

D-Von Dudley of The Dudley Boyz and Team 3D. Reverend D-Von. Whatever you wanna call him, one word will always stand out: legend.

D-Von Dudley is a wrestler who is synonymous with so many companies and the most decorated tag teams in all of professional wrestling, so it's only fitting that he's had a myriad of awesome entrance themes over his career.

We talk all about the entrance themes he's had with The Dudley Boyz and how their Wrestlemania moment was one of the best theme moments for him, how his music impacted his solo...

Atreyu just dropped their latest record, The End Is Not The End, which is thirteen tracks of the sonic brutality and creativity that you've come to know and love with them.

Travis Miguel (a fellow Balaguer Guitars endorsee with some sick custom guitars!) and I had the opportunity to sit down a few days before the record came out to talk all about the creation of the record, his favorite tracks from it, and how Atreyu has achieved the longevity of being in a band for almost 25 years.

As many would assume, we also get...

In today's episode, we explore the fascinating intersection of professional wrestling and fashion through McKenzie Mitchell's brand new book, "Threads of Triumph", out April 7th 2026 and discover how wrestling gear shapes identity and storytelling in the ring.

In the world of professional wrestling, the gear worn by wrestlers is often as iconic as the athletes themselves. From the flamboyant robes of Ric Flair to the striking ensembles of modern stars, wrestling attire tells a story that goes beyond the ring. In this conversation, we'll delve into the insights shared by McKenzie Mitchell in her book "Threads of...

Mike Santana, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, hangs with John Kiernan before his title defense at TNA Rebellion against Eddie Edwards for the TNA World Championship! We talk about why Eddie Edwards is in for the fight of his life, how his entrance theme Realest of The Real embodies the story of his life, what some of his favorite TNA Wrestling entrance themes are, and the importance of a solid entrance theme for any wrestler.

Enjoy!

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In the world of professional wrestling, creating a compelling character is as crucial as mastering the in-ring techniques. In this episode, we dive into the story of Sidney Bateman and his evolution into the character Soleil, exploring the passion and creativity that shaped this unique persona. We also talk about his new entrance theme and how Zaheer, myself (John Kiernan) and him made it come together so quickly. Discover how Sidney Bateman transformed his wrestling career through the creation of Soleil, a character that embodies his journey and inspires others, his journey from the circus to WWE, and so...

Nili Brosh is one of today's premier guitarists with a brand new record out called Eventide. Performing with the likes of Danny Elfman, Dethklok, and Cirque De Soleil, as well as being the guitarist on the X-Men 97 theme, Nili's your favorite guitarist's favorite guitarist!

In our conversation, we talk all about the creation of her newest record Eventide, the process of working on the record, and how/why she continues to merge so many styles into each record from 80s Synthwave to flamenco to shred and everything in between.

We talk about how she got...

Brendan Vink to Duke Hudson in Chase U in NXT to Duke Hanson, Australia's own has had some awesome entrance themes over the years.

The man once known as Elliot Sexton talks to me about how music has impacted his life, working with Downstait on his newest theme Brand New Duke, and one of his favorite themes he's ever had in Hangman, as well as how Chase U's and walking out with a stable has a different feel than walking out on his own.

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You just heard him on My Shadow Knows Tommaso Ciampa AEW Entrance Theme , you've heard him for years on The Big Show entrance theme Crank It Up and Paul Wight's AEW theme, and you've probably even heard his amazing covers of popular songs in various styles. On this episode, I talk with Joe Altier, the man behind the Big Show's entrance themes over the years.

We talk all about how he got involved with Jim Johnston and Big Show's theme Crank It Up, how Brand New Sin was tapped to write their rendition of the theme, and...

Drew McIntyre Broken Dreams. You hear those words and you immediately think of one of WWE's most iconic themes of all time. Now you get to hear the full story behind the theme with the band behind the music.

Shaman's Harvest vocalist Nathan Hunt hangs out with me, John Kiernan (your resident wrestling entrance theme song composer) to talk all about the behind the scenes of writing Broken Dreams with Shaman's Harvest while they were in the process of recording an album. Nathan also talks about the real story of working with longtime WWE composer Jim Johnston...

Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Anderson, Ken Anderson. You know him by many names. Whatever you know him by, he's a great dude with some awesome stories about wrestling, his awesome entrance themes in his time in WWE and TNA, and his favorite themes in pro wrestling. We also talk about what Vince McMahon's vision of entrance themes was, as well as talk about the songs that represent the heart an soul of Ken Anderson the most.

Also...Avenged Sevenfold wrote a theme for him??? Where's that at?

Enjoy today's episode!

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Hi everyone!

My guests on today's episode are the unbelievably creative and spiffing chaps in The Ex-Bombers! You may know some of their work from their work on The Jim Cornette Experience's theme, as well as Jeremiah Plunkett's theme in NWA wrestling. We talk all about their process in working on these themes, as well as talk about their own original music and their wild instruments like an 8 string bass. We also talk about how they approach their overall creative vision, as they are unbelievably involved in all facets of their videos, music, and art!

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Shinsuke Nakamura's theme, The Rising Sun. One of wrestling's most iconic modern themes in WWE. In 2016, I recorded a cover of The Rising Sun on guitar (before I ever got into writing entrance themes) and it connected me with wrestling fans and other composers and musicians in the industry like It Lives, It Breathes and many more. The Rising Sun means a lot to me for what it meant to me as a fan of Shinsuke, as a musician working on covers, and as hearing longtime WWE composers CFO$ crush another entrance theme.

Today's guest is none...

I recently got the opportunity to write Lacey Lane's new entrance theme, Let's Go For A Ride, so it was only fitting to have Lacey Lane on Ropes N Riffs to talk about...what else? Entrance themes and music!

In our conversation, I, John Kiernan, ask Lacey Lane (fka Kayden Carter) all about her love for different styles of music from Metal to Country and much more. We talk about the entrance themes she's used over time, including on the independents, the Mae Young Classic, and with her tag team with Katana Chance aka Kacy Catanzaro in...

Hi everyone!

One of wrestling's most memorable themes is Kane's entrance theme from his debut at Survivor Series 1997. The rendition of his theme Slow Chemical written by Finger Eleven is just as memorable, if not more so, to so many. Finger Eleven guitarist Rick Jackett, fresh off of the release of their new album Last Night On Earth, discuss the process of writing and releasing Last Night On Earth and how Finger Eleven is thriving as a fully independent band without a label.

We also discuss how Finger Eleven came to write...

Hi Everyone!

I'm always grateful to have written with It Lives, It Breathes on Brian Myers entrance theme The Ride and the with legendary Downstait to collaborate on Matt Cardona and Brian Myers tag team theme Major Players was another dream come true. Brian Myers and I finally have a conversation, on camera, for y'all to talk about entrance themes.

Brian Myers joins me on this episode to talk about our collaboration on his entrance theme The Ride and Major Players, as well as discuss his themes over the course of his career from TNA...

Hi everyone!

It's always awesome to speak with fellow theme song composers, especially when they're kings and legends of the space. Enter, once again, Downstait...this time, their guitarist Justin Call. Justin and I talk all about working on legendary entrance themes like Cody Rhodes Kingdom, Matt Cardona's Theme, The Miz Theme, Alex Riley's theme, and more. We also talk about how it had been to collaborate and work with WWE's former entrance theme composer Jim Johnston. What's his favorite one he's worked on? How did Isla Dawn's theme catch him by surprise?

We also...

No Name Tim has been crushing it in the music industry for years now and you've heard his music everywhere. Tim and I, John Kiernan, sat down to talk about some of his iconic themes he's written for talents such as Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa as Guerillas Of Destiny (GOD) in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ace Austin AEW theme, Brittnie Brooks, Fallyn Grey, and many more.

We also play our favorite game on the show, Music City Rumble, where No Name Tim names the musicians he'd book in a wrestling match: one men's match, one women's...

Hi guys! John here.

Totally had to steal his gimmick for a sec. If you know what I'm talking about, you know who today's guest is...Maven!

You may remember Maven from his time as WWE Tough Enough FIRST winner! You may remember him for his awesome entrance theme, Tattoo (which apparently he hated!). You may remember him for knocking Undertaker over the top rope in the Royal Rumble. You may know him for his successful YouTube channel! You may know him for all of those things and more, but one thing...

HI everyone!

Many of you know how important Bray Wyatt was to me as a wrestling fan. For years, Bray's entrance theme Live In Fear resonated with so many of us, as it was the perfect theme for the Wyatt Family and Bray at large. I got the opportunity to sit down with the man behind the theme, Mark Crozer, and talk about how his song Broken Out Of Love became the anthem that Wyndham Rotunda would walk out to with his family over the years, his thoughts on the adaptations done by names such as Code...

You've been hearing them all over TikTok, Instagram, and probably your favorite wrestler's profiles! They've been creating banger covers of entrance themes, ripping up their own versions, and they were able to carve out some time to chat with me about their favorite entrance themes! Will Scarr and David Bartolomé chat with me all about how they started working together, their favorite renditions they've produced, and the love and support they've been shown from the wrestling community.

Enjoy!

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Zaheer is a composer and producer based in the UK and boy howdy, is he awesome! He's worked with Brian Cage, Nick Aldis, Mickie James, and so many more of your favorites.

How'd he get started in writing wrestling entrance themes? Will we be collaborating on something soon? He also wrestles? HE WORKED OUT WITH BRIAN CAGE? All that and more on this episode.

I also challenge Zaheer to our new segment called Music City Rumble, where I ask musicians and wrestlers to book their favorite musicians in a men's match, a women's match, and...

Hi everyone!

Bowling For Soup has been one of my favorite bands for YEARS now and I got the opportunity to speak with Jaret Reddick...right when Bowling For Soup hit 1 Billion streams! It's an unbelievable feat and we talk all about they got there. We also talk all about Jaret's pro wrestling background from being named an official VON ERICH by KEVIN VON ERICH HIMSELF (dude) and how his son getting into wrestling led him to writing a song for Alexa Bliss.

We talk about the legacy of Bowling For Soup, their music being...

Hi everyone!

If you'd have told me in my formative years that I'd get to have a conversation with Pulley's Scott Radinsky, I'd have told you you're absolutely off you're rocker. But on today's episode, that's exactly what happened (no one fell off their rocker, but you get me).

On today's episode, Scott from Pulley and I talk about their upcoming split EP with Punk Rock supergroup Fire Sale (who include former members of Face to Face, No Use For A Name and The Ataris) called Split Personality and break down each track of theirs...

Hi guys!

On this episode, I speak with Christina Rotondo, a versatile musician from the United Kingdom. Christina Rotondo was the voice Janis Goblin in Doctor Who's "The Church on Ruby Road" episode, as well as appeared on screen as Liz Lizardine in The Interstellar Song Contest. She's also lent her musical prowess to the song "Let Go" from Roblox (after Piggy...I don't know what that means as I'm not knowledgeable about Roblox LOL).

Discover how she continues to thrive in the music industry by performing covers, playing at weddings, and...

For those of you who know me, I'm a huge fan of horror movies and especially the storytelling in The Conjuring series. So imagine my surprise when I see a post on MetalSucks that says something like Vera Farmiga Starts a Metal Band!

Firstly...WHAT.

Second, we gotta get The Yagas on the show to have a conversation.

I got the opportunity to speak with Jason Bowman and Renn Hawkey from The Yagas about their new album, the formation of their band through Jason's music school Rock Academy, and the creative process behind...

Hi guys!

I'm really excited to have sat down with by buddy Darren Fisher, also known as THESE WOLVES. He's a talented composer known for his work on wrestling music, including his popular rendition of MJF's AEW theme Better Than You and his cover of Hangman Page's theme, Dead To Rights. We discuss the intersection of wrestling and music, the creative process behind composing themes, and the impact of music on wrestling culture.

Darren shares his experiences filming wrestling matches, collaborating with other musicians, and the challenges of storytelling through music. Our...

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Javi, formerly Javier Bernal in WWE NXT and Evolve, and wrestling entrance theme song composer John Kiernan explore the intersection of metalcore music and wrestling, discussing Javi's influences, his journey of self-discovery, and the importance of community in both fields.

They delve into Javi's his time at NXT and Evolve, his experiences with injuries, and how h...

Hi guys! I, your resident wrestling entrance theme composer John Kiernan interviews the one and only Uncle Ben, Ben Eller! Ben is a guitarist known for his recent performance with Mastodon and his unbelievable YouTube guitar channel.

We discuss Ben's recent experience playing with Mastodon, the challenges of learning their songs, and the evolution of the band's music. The conversation also delves into the influence of wrestling in the South, 80's and 90's wrestling, Ben's early memories of wrestling, and the significance of entrance themes in wrestling. We also explore the creative process behind writing themes, the...

Wrestling entrance theme song composer John Kiernan speaks with TNA Wrestling's Eric Young about his passion for music, particularly vinyl records, and the significance of entrance themes in wrestling.

They discuss the evolution of Sanity's entrance theme in NXT, Violent By Design's theme, and the collaborative process throughout his wrestling career working with Dale Oliver and more. They also talk about memorable guests on Young's show 'Vinyl Obsession', the ritual of vinyl collecting, and the collaborative process of creating entrance themes that resonate with wrestlers' characters.

Young shares insights on the importance...