Remember when wrestling themes slapped in great number? During the Attitude Era, you could find a dope wrestling theme in any part of the WWE roster—and find a couple of them. Over time, the themes became same-y but during the Ruthless Aggression Era, there was still a good number of bangers. Let’s look at the five best themes from the era starting at five!
Muhammad Hassan – Arab Americans
This theme rides, folks. For the pairing of Hassan and Daivari, this theme simply worked. They would come out, run down Americans for being racist towards Arab Americans, and did so during a period when Arab Americans were down bad after the 9/11 attacks and prior to the London attack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfm06ywsgoc
However, before they did that, you heard this theme which was the musical equivalent of Bad News Barrett “ruining” RAW early with some bad news.
Edge – Metalingus by Alter Bridge
Besides “Never Gonna Stop” by Rob Zombie, this is the theme I associate both with Edge. However, “Metalingus” defines his Ruthless Aggression run and his main event run. With the pyro going off the stage, once Edge came out, you knew this just might be a fun night of SmackDown action. It’s a theme that fit him whether he was a heel or a face.
Now, that might be a little odd because it doesn’t sound like a heel-ish theme but once you get used to a wrestler and you’ve heard their theme for a whole year, when they turn heel or face the theme is what it is. You associate them with that theme—which is the intent of theme songs in anything.
Chris Benoit – Shooter
Ugh! This was another theme that I associate with Ruthless Aggression and with SmackDown! Let’s face it, Benoit was an SD guy through and through and on Thursday nights once this theme hit, a good match was guaranteed. Someone was getting suplexed out of their boots and they might get caught in the Crippler Crossface.
Also, it just rides, especially the opening riff. It starts aggressively then dials down the aggression just a few notches. It just came off as different from a lot of themes given to guys during this period in WWE.
Christian – Just Close Your Eyes (Waterproof Blonde/Story of the Year)
This is the second version of “Just Close Your Eyes” we’re talking about here. Christian seemed like an odd pick to give this theme to as it’s such a great theme song and Christian—while a great wrestler—always seemed to have struggle harder to earn his main event spot.
You want wrestlers to have to work for their main event position but Christian had to even take an odyssey outside of WWE and return to finally get that spot somewhere on the main roster. Meanwhile, the theme seems like something for a blue chipper, someone who will definitely be a main eventer and World Champion in a few years instead of several or a couple of years.
Regardless, this one is a banger and faster than the original.
John Cena – Basic Thuganomics (John Cena & Tha Trademarc)
While this theme was only used for two years, the team of Big Match John and cousin Tha Trademarc threw down Cena’s best theme song. This is the ultimate Cena theme, folks. It had the aggression that “The Time Is Now” severely lacks and it rides like a motherf**ker.
“Basic Thuganomics” also takes me back to a time before there was too much babyface Cena. You know, when he was a heel, freestyled, and his shenanigans were a bright point of WWE television.
What are your five faves from the Ruthless Aggression era? Drop them in the comments!
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