The band POD has yet to receive compensation from WWE for the use of their song ‘Booyaka’ as Rey Mysterio’s entrance theme. This claim comes from the band’s frontman and founder, Sonny Sandoval.
The well-known ‘Booyaka’ theme has been a signature part of Rey Mysterio’s WWE career, accompanying him during his multiple World Championship victories.
During an episode of the “Drinks With Johnny” podcast, Sandoval discussed the matter further, and how WWE’s form of ‘payment’ operates, by saying,
“We’ve had collaborations with WWE and because of their immense popularity and strength, even in the past. They can ask, ‘Can we utilize your music?’ ‘Sure.’ ‘Alright. We won’t be compensating you for it. But the sheer scale of WWE means you’ll gain a ton of publicity’ and you start thinking about that. ‘You’ll also create a lot of buzz’ and eventually you find yourself agreeing to it, thinking ‘Well, okay then.’
“Even at present, I can hear it when Rey makes his entrance. Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania… It hits you, ‘Hey, our song is still being played.’ A huge props to Mad One. It’s almost ridiculous, they’re still using our song but we’re not seeing any financial benefit from it… It’s all a game.”
Rey Mysterio celebrated a significant career milestone in 2023 by being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He recently surpassed the record for the most matches held by a Hall of Famer post-induction.