AEW entrance music is chosen collaboratively, not by a single published rulebook. Interviews with Tony Khan, producer Mikey Rukus and several wrestlers show a case-by-case process: a wrestler or creative lead suggests an idea, the team decides whether an original theme or an existing song fits, and outside music must be cleared before it can be used as intended. Character, lyrics, personal taste, timing and the wrestler’s confidence in the song all matter.
There is no public, one-size-fits-all AEW music policy
The clearest answer to “How do AEW wrestlers choose their entrance music?” is that they appear to choose it through collaboration. Available interviews describe Tony Khan, AEW music producer Mikey Rukus, the wrestler and sometimes other creative participants working from the needs of a particular character or appearance.
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That evidence does not establish a universal AEW approval chart, a standard number of days for every song, or a rule giving every wrestler final veto power. The examples are individual accounts. They do, however, consistently point to a flexible process rather than a single company playlist or automatic assignment.
Rukus summarized the starting point in comments reported by 411MANIA on April 1, 2022: “It all depends on what their idea is for their entrance theme and what Tony has in mind.” That sentence captures two recurring inputs: the performer’s concept and Khan’s creative direction. Rukus may be involved immediately, or may join after an initial idea has been discussed.
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Do AEW wrestlers get to pick their own theme songs?
Wrestlers can have substantial input, but the documented examples do not support saying that every wrestler unilaterally selects a song. A performer may bring a favorite track, propose a mood, or ask for a new composition. Khan and Rukus then help determine whether the idea fits the presentation and can actually be produced or cleared.
Khan has emphasized the performer’s comfort with the result. Discussing theme choices in a Fightful media call reported March 5, 2022, he said: “One of the most important things is that the wrestlers themselves feel good about what they’re walking out to.” That principle explains why an available alternative does not automatically replace a familiar theme.
Will Hobbs provides a useful example. He experimented with a track from AEW’s Who We Are compilation, which featured music by established hip-hop and R&B artists and was described by Fightful as telling the stories of more than twenty Black AEW wrestlers. Hobbs ultimately preferred his established original theme for arena and match entrances. The account demonstrates performer preference, not a measured claim about audience reaction or a general rule for all wrestlers.
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The two main routes: an original composition or a licensed song
| Route | What it offers | Main practical issue | Documented examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original composition | A theme can be built around a character, a new chapter in the wrestler’s story, and a requested sound or mood. | The creative team still has to translate the concept into a finished entrance piece that the wrestler wants to use. | Sting’s AEW theme, created with Mikey Rukus and Tony Khan’s direction. |
| Licensed commercial song | An existing recording can bring a performer’s personal taste, recognizable lyrics or an established musical identity. | AEW must secure permission for the intended use; negotiations and timing can determine whether the song is usable. | Hook’s use of Action Bronson’s “The Chairman’s Intent”; Jon Moxley’s “Wild Thing”; a later A$AP Ferg clearance account involving Austin Creed. |
Neither route is automatically superior. An original theme provides more control over the character brief and the final arrangement. A licensed track can arrive with a personality and lyrical meaning that would be difficult to recreate, but it brings rights holders and scheduling into the decision.
How an original AEW entrance theme is developed
1. Start with the character or entrance idea
The initial brief can come from the wrestler, Khan or both. The useful questions are practical and dramatic: What should the audience understand before the wrestler reaches the ring? Is the performer beginning a new era, returning to a former identity, or trying to project a specific emotional temperature?
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Rukus’s description makes clear that there is no single order in which these conversations happen. A wrestler’s concept may be developed with Khan first, or Rukus may be part of the conversation from the beginning.
2. Translate references into a new piece
Sting’s theme illustrates how an older identity can be used as a reference without simply replaying the past. In an account reported by Wrestling Inc. on May 20, 2021, Rukus said Khan wanted to “reignite The Crow style, The Crow theme and the gimmick and everything like that.” The goal was to evoke Sting’s Crow presentation while giving the AEW chapter a theme that stood on its own.
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3. Check whether the performer wants to live with it
A theme is not finished merely because it matches the brief. Khan’s comments about wrestler comfort and Hobbs’s preference show that the performer’s reaction can decide whether an experiment becomes the regular entrance. The same logic applies when an original theme is revised: the wrestler has to feel that it represents the character they are about to play.
How a wrestler’s favorite song becomes an AEW entrance
Hook and “The Chairman’s Intent”
Hook’s entrance is the clearest documented example of a wrestler bringing a long-standing personal preference. In a Pitchfork interview published December 10, 2021, Hook said, “I’ve been an Action Bronson fan since I was in sixth grade.” He proposed Action Bronson’s “The Chairman’s Intent,” and said his father, Taz, also liked the choice.
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The song was not used simply because Hook named it. Action Bronson agreed to its use, and Khan explained the business step in the same coverage: “We reached out to the publishers and we worked something out.” Khan also said AEW paid a fee. Hook’s track accompanied his in-ring debut, so the music helped introduce both the wrestler and the presentation the audience was meant to remember.
Lyrics can be part of the character brief
Khan’s comments reported by Wrestling Inc. on January 24, 2022, connect song meaning with persona. He described Hook’s track as fitting the wrestler and energizing the presentation. For Orange Cassidy, Khan said “Where Is My Mind?” suited the character partly because of its lyrical connection to Cassidy’s inscrutability.
These examples show why a music discussion can involve more than tempo or genre. A line in the lyrics, the attitude of the vocal performance or the contrast between a song’s mood and a character’s behavior can all become part of the entrance’s message. They do not establish a formula that AEW applies to every song.
How AEW gets permission to use popular entrance songs
Rights clearance is a practical gate for any outside recording. Rukus told 411MANIA that the team checks who produced a track and works to clear it for television. Hook’s case indicates that publishers were contacted and a fee was negotiated. The available accounts do not provide a standard price list, an average license term or a universal clearance deadline.
The recording, composition and intended use all matter
A popular song can involve separate rights and multiple stakeholders. The clearance conversation therefore has to identify the recording and the people or companies who control the relevant permissions. The intended use also matters: an entrance on television is not necessarily the same use as a one-off live appearance or a replay distributed through another outlet.
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Because the interviews do not publish AEW’s contracts, readers should not infer a typical cost or assume that approval for one context automatically covers every future broadcast, clip or event.
Timing can change the plan
Jon Moxley described “Wild Thing” as an idea initially considered for a one-off appearance. The rights did not arrive in time, so AEW used X’s version later. In Wrestling Inc. coverage from August 2, 2021, Moxley explained the practical attitude behind the eventual choice: “But if the people like it, I like it. So that’s all that matters.” The episode demonstrates that a song can be creatively right yet unavailable for the planned moment.
A September 18, 2026 Wrestling Inc. account from Austin Creed described a short clearance window for A$AP Ferg’s “New Level.” It is another example of a time-sensitive approval, not evidence of a standard AEW turnaround time. Clearance may be quick in one case and impossible for a particular date in another.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What actually determines whether a theme sticks?
Character fit
The music should communicate something recognizable about the performer. Sting’s theme was shaped around the Crow identity and a new AEW chapter. Orange Cassidy’s song was discussed in terms of lyrical fit. A custom brief can specify menace, confidence, mystery, humor or a deliberate contradiction between the music and the wrestler’s demeanor.
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Hook’s long history as an Action Bronson fan shows how a genuine favorite can produce a more convincing entrance. The performer has to hear the track repeatedly, walk toward the ring with it and accept that fans will associate it with the character.
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Audience familiarity without assuming a measured effect
An established theme may already be identified with a wrestler. Hobbs’s reported decision to keep his original theme illustrates that recognition can be a consideration, but the available account does not measure crowd response or prove that one choice performs better than another.
Production and clearance constraints
Even a perfect creative match can be delayed by rights negotiations, a missing approval or the need to identify the correct version of a recording. Conversely, a cleared song may still be rejected if the wrestler does not feel represented by it.
A realistic decision path for a new AEW entrance
The following sequence combines the documented examples into a practical model. It should be read as a synthesis of reported cases, not as a published AEW rulebook.
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- Define the entrance purpose. Identify the character, storyline moment and emotional effect the walkout should create.
- Collect the performer’s references. The wrestler may suggest a favorite commercial song, a prior theme, a genre, lyrics or a sound associated with the character.
- Choose the route. Decide whether an original composition offers the needed control or whether an existing recording carries the right identity.
- Develop or test the music. Rukus and the creative team can shape an original theme, while a licensed option may be evaluated for its version, lyrics and fit.
- Confirm performer support. The wrestler’s comfort matters; an experiment may be abandoned in favor of an established theme.
- Clear outside rights when necessary. Identify the relevant rights holders, negotiate permission and account for the intended television or event use.
- Reassess the timing. If clearance is late or unavailable, AEW may use another version, delay the song or proceed with a different theme.
What the public examples do not establish
- They do not show that every AEW wrestler receives the same level of creative control.
- They do not reveal typical licensing fees, contract lengths or average approval times.
- They do not establish how often AEW uses original compositions compared with licensed songs.
- They do not document a complete lighting, video, camera or entrance-timing workflow.
- They do not prove a measurable audience response for any individual theme.
Those limits matter because an interview about one wrestler can explain why that entrance happened without describing how every other entrance is made. The strongest general conclusion is therefore a modest one: AEW’s reported approach is collaborative, character-led and constrained by rights, with wrestler preference remaining an important consideration.
Who makes AEW’s original entrance themes?
Mikey Rukus is the named AEW music producer in the available accounts. He has described working from a wrestler’s concept and Tony Khan’s ideas, and he discussed building Sting’s theme around Khan’s request to revive the Crow style while creating a distinct AEW chapter. The interviews do not provide a complete list of everyone involved in every composition, nor do they claim that Rukus alone makes every original theme.
That distinction explains why “Who makes AEW’s original entrance themes?” does not have a one-name answer in the public record. Rukus is a central documented producer, while the wrestler and Khan contribute creative direction in the examples that have been reported.
The bottom line on AEW walkouts
AEW wrestlers appear to choose entrance music through a case-by-case collaboration involving the performer, Tony Khan and, for original work, Mikey Rukus. A favorite commercial song can be pursued when its character and lyrics fit, but it must be cleared. An original theme can be tailored to a persona or a story transition, but it still has to feel right to the wrestler. The reported examples—from Hook and Action Bronson to Sting, Hobbs and Moxley—show a process built around creative fit and practical permission rather than a single formula.
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