In this exclusive PWMania.com column, Mega Ran reflects on his 10-year journey blending hip-hop and professional wrestling, from underground beginnings to WrestleMania moments.
If I got “The Call” in 2006, I think the wrestling bell officially rang for me in 2016, signifying another risky pivot in my long career.
I saw a post on social media highlighting hip-hop’s recent contributions to wrestling culture over the past decade. Most of them were the expected, mainstream looks that wrestling has gotten — from Snoop Dogg’s many appearances in WWE, to Wale’s landmark “Walemania” shows, to Cardi B and Bad Bunny’s run-ins with the product.
I didn’t expect to be recognized for anything we’ve done within wrestling — or for helping to bring hip-hop to video game culture, or nerd rap to the Grammys. I live in the underground, between a number of niche genres, and no one ever gets credit for being part of things that grow as huge as pro wrestling has in the past decade.
But to quote my own song — that’s okay.
I don’t do it for the props. I did it because I thought it might sound interesting… and a few people agreed.
From FCW to WWE
I have to thank Xavier Woods for me even being back into wrestling at all.
He emailed me out of the blue asking to use one of my tracks, “Lookin Up,” as entrance music while he was in FCW — later to be known as NXT. I said yes, of course.
After that, it made me look up his matches just to catch my song on a wrestling broadcast. Before long, FCW was bought by WWE, and Woods said, “If I ever make it to Raw, I’m gonna get you to make my theme music.”
Many, many moons later, that came true, as I got the opportunity to perform on King Woods’ theme after he won the King of the Ring Tournament.
Check it out below:
Then later, we got to connect again and create on The New Day’s new theme, “New Day’s World.”
Now, with the celebration of 10 years of hard work set against the bright lights of WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, the moment feels both full circle and hard-earned.
The Start of “Mat Mania”
So how did all this happen?
We have to go back first.
Way before any official WWE, ROH, or AEW collaborations, in 2016 I released “Here Comes The Pain,” a track that sampled Brock Lesnar’s theme and got picked up by outlets like Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and others.
It was a lead-up single to an album I was working on called Mat Mania, which would flip and reimagine classic wrestling themes much like the album WWF Aggression did in 1999.
I made my first trip to WrestleMania that year as a “content creator” rather than just a fan. In that journey, people told me that Mat Mania represented more than just a crossover between hip-hop and sports entertainment — it was a deliberate, passionate effort to carve out space where none previously existed.
Resistance and Persistence
Beginning roughly ten years ago, my journey into wrestling music was not met with instant acclaim, but rather curiosity, skepticism, and at times resistance.
I dropped a song each week, calling the series “Monday Night Ran” on WhatCulture’s YouTube channel — and the comments were rough. The reaction was harsh.
Yet through persistence, authenticity, and a deep love for the art form, people told me that I helped redefine what wrestling fandom could sound like, much like we did with video games a decade earlier.
Here’s an example:
Central to this legacy are the Mat Mania albums — a series that blended sharp lyricism with my near-encyclopedic wrestling knowledge. These projects didn’t just remix entrance themes; they reinterpreted wrestling narratives through a hip-hop lens, giving voice to characters, storylines, and emotional beats that longtime fans instantly recognized.
In doing so, I wasn’t merely creating novelty songs — I was building a bridge between two cultures that share DNA in performance, storytelling, and larger-than-life personas.
Still, stepping into wrestling as an outsider meant navigating growing pains. Wrestling fans are famously protective of their space, and challenging an audience to accept something new requires both resilience and faith in your vision.
From Fan to Featured Guest
That challenge became part of the story.
There were moments of doubt — times when it felt like the overlap between nerdcore rap and wrestling fandom might be too niche to sustain.
I remember the anxiety I felt when WhatCulture Pro Wrestling asked me to appear and sign autographs during WrestleMania weekend. I thought, “These are the same people that hate me in the comments — this will surely not go well.”
But growth often lives on the other side of discomfort.
By continuing to show up — at conventions, live shows, wrestling weekends — and by releasing music consistently, I slowly shifted perception. I went from a ticket buyer to a special invited guest into a house I never thought I’d gain access to.
Watch one of those moments:
Respect wasn’t granted overnight; it was earned through repetition, community-building, and an unwavering commitment to the culture.
Over time, the same audiences that once questioned the fusion began to embrace it — seeing it not as an intrusion, but as an extension of the fandom they loved.
We’re all here for the same reason… why not enjoy it?
ROH agreed, inviting me to write music and appear at their largest event ever — a sold-out Madison Square Garden.
Check it out:
WrestleMania Moment
The payoff for that persistence is found in moments that feel almost surreal.
Hearing the music you helped shape echo through arenas, watching crowds respond, and feeling that connection solidify is its own reward.
But nothing quite compares to the emotional culmination of hearing The New Day’s theme hit as they captured gold at WrestleMania 41.
That moment wasn’t just about a title victory.
For me, it was about validation.
It symbolized the merging of worlds — the recognition of a sound that once existed on the fringes now resonating at the highest level of the industry.
Watch the moment:
Looking Ahead
As the celebration continues at the Fandom Bar in Las Vegas, this anniversary isn’t just a look back — it’s about where it’s going from here.
My decade in wrestling music underscores the importance of taking creative risks, believing in intersections others might not yet see, and staying the course long enough to witness transformation.
I’ve seen the future — and it’s brighter than ever.
From the first Mat Mania tracks to the roar of a WrestleMania crowd, the journey tells a powerful story: when passion meets persistence, culture expands to make room for something new.
Take a look here:
Live Event
If you will be in Las Vegas this year for WrestleMania, please come out and see us on Monday, April 20, for a ten-year celebration of Mat Mania with some extra special guests!