It’s why myself and so many others have responded to the “new guy in town,” All Elite Wrestling. Opting for a more match-oriented approach to storytelling, AEW has been a breath of fresh air for rasslin’. A big part of that isn’t just new characters, more organic storylines or in-ring action that transcends old barriers to entrance — it’s the company's accessibility and general media savvy. AEW embraces pop culture and new inspirations in a way that WWE hasn’t always (the WWE has been all in for Logan Paul, FYI), and that means the product often feels really exciting and novel. It’s wrestling for a different era, and that’s a good thing if the industry can continue to meaningfully grow.
So, in the name of just such exciting innovation, we’re getting in on the fun ahead of AEW’s stop in Phoenix later this week. What follows are theme song suggestions using only Phoenix artists for some of AEW’s biggest names. These Phoenix artists aren’t just cool, but they would add something new and exciting to these heavyweights as well as show just how inventive the company can be when it comes to production choices both big and small.
Call these picks the Bret Hart of theme music — they’re each executed so excellently.
Jon Moxley
Phoenix Theme: Gatecreeper, ‘The Black Curtain’
As AEW World Champion, Jon Moxley has spent the last few months trying to "cleanse" the roster of weakness. (Isn't pro wrestling so wonderfully weird and messy?) He and his "Death Riders" stable are basically a modern-day NWO, and so Moxley needs an anthem that's fittingly edgy and counterculture. This Gatecreeper track checks all the boxes: bold and bombastic (a must for any wrestling theme); dark and dramatic, but not so much that it's not still super aggro; and a feel and tone that would be recognized at arenas nationwide. It ain't C-Murder's "Wolfpac Theme," but it'll do in a pinch.‘Hangman’ Adam Page
"Hangman" Adam Page, a former AEW World Champion.
Phoenix Theme: AJJ, ‘Heartilation’
Right now, Adam Page's whole gimmick is that he's, basically, fallen off the wagon, and that development has left the "Anxious Millennial Cowboy" feeling especially angry and angsty. The thing about heel-face turns, though, is that a wrestler comes back around eventually, and I for one can't wait for Page's return to his more accessible self. And what better way to usher said return than with this AJJ gem? It's basically the anthem for the perpetually awkward and neurotic, and yet that high-energy, janky instrumentation adds new tones and textures. For Page, it would be the perfect song for embracing his hard and soft sides, and being the kind of sensitive cowboy that this generation demands.Will Ospreay
Phoenix Theme: Jimmy Eat World, ‘Pain’
Will Ospreay's whole gimmick is a little hard to pin down. He goes by the "Aerial Assassin," and even that's just a slightly hokey nickname intended to 1) showcase his love of the "Assassin's Creed" video game series and 2) hint at his flippy disposition in the ring. Any theme, then, needs to capture these odd sentiments, and Jimmy Eat World's "Pain" is the best choice. It's a little hokey in the way all early 2000s emo-adjacent rock proved to be, and it's just smart and edgy enough to make Ospreay feel bigger than his gimmick. Plus, I'd listen to that song 100 times while I watched Ospreay bust out a Skytwister Press or Corkscrew Cutter. Yes, those are real moves, FYI.‘Timeless’ Toni Storm
Current AEW Women's World Champion, "Timeless" Toni Storm.
Phoenix Theme: Stevie Nicks, ‘Edge of Seventeen’
"Timeless" Toni Storm may have the best gimmick in all of modern pro wrestling. She's effectively a throwback to old-school Hollywood starlets, like a more brutal Joan Crawford mixed with a more depressive Marilyn Monroe. (She recently played the role of "herself," recreating her early "cool rocker chick" gimmick in a move that was deliciously meta and maybe far too weird for non-wrestling fans to completely grasp.) "Edge of Seventeen," then, is the perfect mixture of old-school vibes, overt theatricality and Hollywood magic that could usher Ms. Storm to the ring in style. It's a song brimming with yummy drama and intrigue for a woman who exudes these very qualities with every wristlock or toss of her shoe.Kenny Omega
Former AEW World Champion, Kenny Omega.
Phoenix Theme: Soulfly, ‘Back to the Primitive’
I get that gimmicks are maybe too much for some non-wrestling fans to connect with or manage. But what about a gimmick where you're basically the best in the world? That's "The Best Bout Machine" Kenny Omega, who is expertly positioned and heralded like "real" sports legends a la LeBron James or Shohei Ohtani. Soulfly's standout single is hands down the best choice for wrestling's own Michael Jordan: it's bold and hard hitting, but also just a touch weird; there's an extended intro so Omega can bust out one of his own super involved entrances; and it's another solid nu metal song in wrestling's illustrious history. That, and Omega is so cool he can make any song or gimmick truly his own.Mariah May
AEW wrestler Mariah May.
Phoenix Theme: Icon, ‘Taking My Breath Away’
Admittedly, Mariah May doesn't have the most unique gimmick. She's basically just like every "mean-spirited Diva" from early 2000s WWE (albeit with far more skill and a level of overt viciousness). Icon, a lesser known glam metal band from Phoenix, actually have the best song for Ms. May with "Taking My Breath Away." First, it's the right kinds of cheesy and trashy for pro wrestling. Similarly, it hints at May's old-school "mean girl" shtick in a really interesting. And, if absolutely nothing else, the song makes me want to pick a fight, which is once again the essence of May's whole character. Who needs something deeper when you're pretty, petty and ready to hurt people?Kazuchika Okada
Kazuchika Okada of AEW.
Phoenix Theme: Mighty Sphincter, ‘Ghost Walking’
Before he came to AEW full-time last March, Kazuchika Okada was the undisputed best wrestler in Japan. Since working more regularly on U.S. TV, Okada has become every default heel ever (albeit a heel who can have a five-star match at the drop of a hat). So, his theme should be something that irritates and annoys the crowd, and gets under the skin of folks in a way that revels in that annoyance. That's basically every Mighty Sphincter song ever released, but "Ghost Walking" is especially antagonistic and annoying and it would be perfect in Okada's ongoing campaign to vex and annoy viewers. Plus, the idea of him coming out in a giant ornate robe to this junky song just fills me with a joy I can't properly explain.Mercedes Moné
Mercedes Mone, AEW's current TBS Champion.
Phoenix Theme: The Weeknd, ‘Starboy’ (CHKLZ remix)
If you're a WWE fan, you may recognize Mercedes Moné as the former Sasha Banks. The name may have changed, but the gimmick is basically the same: she's cool, smart, rich and pretty AF, and everyone's just mostly jealous of pro wrestling's only C.E.O. So, what's the best song for a self-involved mogul and nightlife maven? Why a little CHKLZ, of course, who have at their disposal a really top-notch remix of The Weeknd's "Starboy." IT perfectly suits Moné's shtick, as the song is the right mix of sensual, catchy and slightly overwhelming (or the musical representation of Moné's unique spin on a familiar heel type). Lots of other electro songs would work, but this one just feels right on the...well, you get it.Darby Allin
Phoenix Theme: Meat Puppets, ‘Backwater’
OK, Darby Allin is a gimmick I can get behind: He's effectively a Jeff Hardy-esque daredevil turned up to 11 (with a mix of The Crow and GG Allin thrown in for good measure). Plus, he lived in the Valley for a time, and learned at the feet of some, um, less than savory local feds. As such, you'll regularly see Allin diving off a 20-foot ladder onto pane glass, or getting tossed face first off the entrance ramp/stage. The only logical choice for this true daredevil is Meat Puppets' "Backwater," which hits that grunge-y sweet spot of heaviness, familiarity and loser/slacker vibes. It takes but three to five notes of this song and I can already see Allin getting slammed into a barbed wire steel cage. Plus, maybe he recreates the music video for a little extra fun and/or zaniness? Truly, there are no limits to this song's extreme potential.Cope
Cope with fellow wrestler Bryan Danielson.
Phoenix Theme: Doll Skin, ‘Control Freak’
Similar to Moné, you may recognize Cope (ugh, what a very dumb name) as the WWE's own "Rated R Superstar" Edge. The worst part about his gimmick shift isn't even the awful name — it's that he can no longer use the incredible "Metalingus" theme that defined the Edge character for so long. The next best thing? How about Doll Skin's surprisingly anthemic "Control Freak"? It's no "Metalingus," but it is brash and bold, heavy on the drums/percussion and features the right level of angst and emotionality — it's the perfectly showy music that utterly excels in pro wrestling. The idea of having a vet like Cope coming to the ring backed by an all-girl rock band feels both massively progressive (a lynchpin for AEW) while further differentiating Cope from Edge. We still miss "Metalingus," though.(Editor's Note: Cope does use an edited/altered version of "Metalingus.")
AEW films episodes of "Dynamite" and "Collision" on Wednesday, Feb. 19 from Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W. Washington St. The show begins at 4:30 p.m. Tickets range from $34 to $142. Grab your tix now via allelitewrestling.com.
