Man Up (WWE and Def Rebel song)
| "Man Up" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by WWE and Def Rebel | ||||
| Released | January 16, 2026 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:49 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Def Rebel | |||
| WWE singles chronology | ||||
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| Def Rebel singles chronology | ||||
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"Man Up" is a song by the American professional wrestling promotion company WWE and Def Rebel. It was released on January 16, 2026, through WWE Music Group, under their distributor TuneCore. It was written by Ali Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, and James Keith Petrie, and produced by Def Rebel. The song has been described as bubblegum pop, dance-pop, and hip-hop and it is a entrance theme song of WWE wrestler Kit Wilson.
Background and release
Kit Wilson adopted a new gimmick following an injury to his longtime tag team partner, Elton Prince, who sustained a serious neck injury the previous summer.[1] Shortly after Wilson debuted his new look, it was reported that Prince had undergone neck fusion surgery, placing Pretty Deadly on an indefinite hiatus.[2]
On January 2, 2026, episode of SmackDown, Kit Wilson debuted a new entrance theme and was defeated by Matt Cardona, who was returning to WWE after nearly six years.[3] WWE Music Group released on January 16, 2026, with their distribution under TuneCore and uploaded four hour loop of the song to its YouTube channel following its popularity.[4]
Composition
"Man Up" is a two minutes and forty-nine seconds long. It was written by Ali Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, and James Keith Petrie, and produced by Def Rebel.[4] It has been described as bubblegum pop, dance-pop, and hip-hop track.[4][5] Wilson stated that the song drew inspiration from contemporary pop music. He cited "Speed Drive" by Charli XCX, "Like Jennie" by Jennie from Blackpink, and "Femininomenon" by Chapell Roan. He also referenced "Guess" by Charli XCX and Billie Eilish.[1]
Reception
Steven Harrison of Athlon Sports wrote that the song's presentation resonated quickly was return of a full titantron, which he said WWE had largely moved away from in recent years. He added that during Attitude Era, custom entrance videos were a defining part of wrestler's identity.[6]
References
- ^ a b Osborne, Jordan (January 28, 2026). "Kit Wilson Reveals the Pop Stars that Influenced His New Viral WWE Entrance Song". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ Pollock, John (January 10, 2026). "Elton Prince shares update after neck fusion surgery and months of uncertainty". Post Wrestling. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ Uccino, Rick (January 3, 2026). "Matt Cardona Returns And Officially Joins WWE SmackDown Roster". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ a b c Resurreccion, Andros (January 24, 2026). "WWE Superstar Kit Wilson Reveals New Catchy Entrance Theme 'Man Up'". &Asian. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ Moran, Romeo (February 15, 2026). "The rise of WWE's Kit Wilson proves that men yearn to be girlypops". Lifestyle.INQ. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ Harrison, Steven (January 17, 2026). "Kit Wilson's Breakout Moment: Why WWE Fans Are Suddenly Obsessed". Athlon Sports. Archived from the original on January 18, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.