WWE 2K18 has over 200 playable characters, and that is without including the available downloadable content. Obviously, that is a record. We are far away from the days where a wrestling game on Super NES or Sega Genesis would have a roster of 12 superstars with the same move set. As the storage capacity of discs and hard drives keeps improving, there’s a really good chance that the roster will keep expanding in future years. Since the WWE roster in a given year is often more or less the same size (new hires are usually balanced with other wrestlers being cut), the most effective way to keep growing is to include more legends.
The WWE 2K series’ track record with legends is hit and miss. For every overdue inclusion, there is a dubious alternate version of a pre-existing wrestler or a character which really pushes the definition of “legend”. This is why while we picked fifteen wrestlers from the past which deserve a spot in WWE 2K19, we also included some suggestions of characters which could be left on the cutting room floor.
These legends which we hope to see might not entirely be new to the gaming world, or even to the WWE series. The roster changes from year to year, and a wrestler who was in the company’s good grace could suddenly fall out of favour. What we do know is that including these new legends (and getting rid of some) would make next year’s game more representative of the rich history of WWE and the industry at large.
25 Should Be In: Owen Hart
A legendary member of the Hart family, Owen Hart has had a successful in-ring career. He held the Intercontinental title multiple times, and was also Tag Team champion with partners such as the British Bulldog, Yokozuna, and Jeff Jarrett. He was recognized for his technical skills which were second to none, but also for his uncanny ability to play the annoying, obnoxious heel. This is a radical departure from his real-life personality, as he is one of the few wrestlers who seems universally loved by his peers. His last appearance in a WWE game was in WWF Attitude, a game which came out the same year he passed away, and which unfortunately wasn’t very good at all.
The biggest reason why Owen Hart has been absent from both WWE video games and the WWE Hall of Fame is his widow, Martha Hart. She has obviously been reluctant to let WWE use her husband’s image and likeness, although the company did release a DVD covering his career in 2015. With Mark Henry making a passionate plea for Owen to be in the Hall of Fame during his own induction ceremony, fans’ hopes are higher than ever. As fun as it would be to once again be able to play as the King of Hart, I would strongly advise everyone not to hold their breath.
24 Should Be In: Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino has recently passed away at the age of 82. His life story is the stuff of legends: he had to hide in the mountains with his family as a kid, as they were fleeing from the Nazis that invaded their village. Once in the United States, Sammartino started training and quickly became a star. As possibly the greatest champion in the history of WWE, he held the World Title for a cumulative twelve years over two separate reigns. He was a genuinely great pro wrestler who could easily adapt his style to match his opponent’s. But the one thing that seems to dominate his legacy is the fact that he sold out Madison Square Garden more times than any other act in the history of the building.
Bruno did appear in the Legends of Wrestling series. Most of these games were terrible and would have been easily forgotten if it wasn’t for their great roster of playable characters. However, he also appeared as a downloadable character in WWE 2K14 to coincide with his induction in the WWE Hall of Fame. He has not been back since, which is a shame. As a legitimate strongman in his time, Bruno would be a great power character. His more old school approach would also clash with the flashier wrestlers populating the roster, which would make for some very interesting matches.
23 Leave Him Out: Big Show ‘00
This is where I start disagreeing with the WWE 2K series’ habit of including multiple versions of the same character. I understand that it might be necessary when a wrestler has reinvented themselves multiple times over the years. However, on some occasions, the change is so subtle that it might not warrant a different character slot. In other cases, the included variation is actually a downgrade from the regular character. The 2000 version of Big Show, unfortunately, falls into that category.
Have you seen Big Show recently? Even as his career is winding down, the man is in the best shape of his life. He is slimmer now than he has been since he started in WCW.
Big Show ’00, by comparison, was heavier and slower despite the fact that he was nearly 20 years younger.
He was even sent back to OVW the next year to get in better in-ring shape. Unless 2K is giving us “The Giant” from his mid-90s WCW day, we don’t need to have more than one Big Show. That guy could do dropkicks and moonsaults despite the fact that he’s over 7 foot tall. Otherwise, he has always had the same move set, just with a different amount of hair. It’s a true “Malibu Stacy, now with a hat” situation.
22 Should Be In: Superstar Billy Graham
Superstar Billy Graham is the tale of two different men. The first one was a trailblazer in terms of flashy ring attires, in-ring style, and promos. He was ahead of his time and carved a path that was then walked by people like Jesse Ventura and Hulk Hogan. The second Billy Graham tried an ill-advised early-80s comeback with an unfortunate karate gimmick. Obviously, we would like to see the first one make an appearance in WWE 2K19, as there would be no need for a “Billy Graham ‘83” alternate version.
The first Billy Graham once held the World Championship for over nine months, dethroning the long-time champ Bruno Sammartino for the honor. He made his mark not only in the then-WWWF, but also in the AWA and NWA. Unfortunately, the more time passes, the more it looks like we might not see Graham make a comeback in video games form. He has had a weird off-and-on relationship with WWE since the early 90s, alternately suing them or being welcomed back for a few years at a time. A string of weird, old-man-yelling-at-clouds comments in recent years has also probably been keeping him out of the company’s good grace. This is one case where the reason why the legend hasn’t been in a game yet is because of his own doing.
21 Leave Him Out: Triple H ‘01
WWE 2K18 has Triple H ’98, which is the man who took control of D-Generation X when Shawn Michaels had to step down after a back injury. He’s also the first Triple H to show his real personality, and the man who had classic matches against The Rock. WWE 2K18 also has regular Triple H, who is the King of Kings, the Cerebral Assassin, and all those other cute nicknames he gives himself. Finally, there’s Triple H ’01, which is a completely unnecessary variation.
Triple H in 2001 was having great matches with Cactus Jack, sure, but he was also very similar to Triple H as he is now. 2001 is when he defined his move set for good; it’s when he took on his final form.
The only thing that truly separates him from the current Triple H is the age, of course, and the hair.
Maybe he was just nostalgic about his flowing locks of days past and insisted for this version of himself to be included in the game. The truth, however, is that physically, the modern Triple H is probably in even better shape than his 2001 self. He’s certainly less bloated and more mobile. It might have something to do with his crazy training regimen. But one thing’s sure: when we have early Triple H and peak Triple H, we don’t need the in-between version.
20 Should Be In: Brian Pillman
A true innovator in every sense of the word and a genius in the wrestling industry, Brian Pillman was able to be successful despite the many setbacks he suffered over the years. Starting as a football player, he was eventually cut from the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders. However, he had caught the eye of the Hart family, who trained him in the famed Dungeon before starting with Stampede Wrestling. From there, he eventually made it to WCW, where he was shunted to the dead-end Light Heavyweight division. By sheer force of will, he reinvented himself and even became a member of the Four Horsemen. When his body started giving up on him, he reinvented himself once more, this time as “The Loose Cannon,” an unpredictable character who would walk the line between reality and fiction with agility.
As for why he should be in WWE 2K19, his case rests on his underrated wrestling ability and strong personality. In his prime, he was a prototypical high-flyer who could hang with Jushin Liger. His inclusion would also allow fans to recreate many memorable moments, such as his Hollywood Blonds tag team with “Stunning” Steve Austin or his run with the Hart Foundation in the WWF.
19 Leave Him Out: Albert
I feel bad about putting Albert on a list of characters that should be left out. After all, Matt Bloom is by all account a very nice guy and a great teacher. He is currently the head trainer over at the WWE Performance Center, and as such he is a big part of the success of NXT as a brand. However, the in-ring career of Albert, or Prince Albert, or A-Train, is less than legendary. Even if we forget that his first run was memorable for getting the crowd to chant “shave your back” at the hairy behemoth, the truth is that he was a good hand in the ring, but nothing spectacular.
He first appeared in WWE as Droz’ tattoo and piercing artist, a run which included Val Venis tattooing his initials on Albert’s behind. When that didn’t work, he partnered with Test in the tag team which would become Trish Stratus’ first charge in the company. They would be quickly overshadowed by their manager. Finally, Paul Heyman tried to reinvent him as a semi-effective monster named A-Train, which was effective enough to get him a match against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. If it wasn’t for his stint in Japan as Giant Bernard, it’s doubtful that people would be looking back at Albert as fondly as they are now. In a contemporary setting, it would be hard to think of the character as a legend.
18 Should Be In: The Dudley Boyz
Not too long ago, this tag team would have been part of the main roster. Now that their careers are over (or winding down in Bubba Ray’s case), we are able to step back and take a better look at their legacy. As inductees in the most recent class of the WWE Hall of Fame, The Dudley Boyz more than deserve the multitude of accolades they have received. Over the years, they were the Tag Team Champions of WWE, ECW and WCW. They held various versions of the Tag Team Title a staggering 25 time. They could brawl, the could go extreme, and they could also hold their own surprisingly well against more scientific teams. While they thrived in the Attitude Era, their longevity well into the PG era shows how versatile they really are.
Though D-Von is still a part of WWE as an agent, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t be included in the most recent game. After all, Bubba Ray is still an active wrestler, just for a different company. However, as it’s looking more and more like his own in-ring career could be reaching its conclusion soon, we can only hope that they will be a part of WWE 2K19. We are really looking forward to delivering one more 3D with one of the best tag team of all time.
17 Should Be In: Rey Mysterio
A legend in Mexico, Rey Mysterio started wrestling while he was still a teenager. Now in his forties, he is widely recognized as one of the best cruiserweights of all time and possibly the best high-flyer, bar none. In his prime, there was no wrestler as smooth in the ring or as fast as Rey Mysterio. His success got him to be recognized against heavyweight wrestlers despite his short stature. His WWE career saw him wrestle classic matches with everyone from The Undertaker to Kurt Angle and to Eddie Guerrero. His talent just couldn’t be ignored, and led him to eventually become the WWE World Champion on two occasions.
More than twenty years after his debut, Rey Mysterio is still traveling the globe, performing in many different countries every year. Though his career in WWE and WCW would be more than enough to grant him a spot as a legend, the fact that he is still performing for rival companies is probably what is holding him back from being included in next year’s game. However, his appearance in the 2018 Royal Rumble (and in the subsequent Greatest Royal Rumble event) gives us hope that he is slowly being taken back into the fold. WWE 2K19 could be the one where Mysterio finally returns to the series.
16 Leave Him Out: Bret Hart ‘98
There are two Bret Hart in WWE 2K18: The 97 version and the 98 version. They might be just one year apart, but they are extremely different, and that is despite the fact that Bret Hart, as a wrestler, did not really change at all. His skills did not diminish between 1997 and 1998. He just changed the company.
And yet, this change of scenery makes all the difference when it comes to having memorable matches and rivalries.
In 1997, Bret Hart was more or less on top of the world. He was holding the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. He was the leader of the Hart Foundation, one of the best faction in WWE’s history. He was also doing some of the best work of his career in-ring wise against Stone Cold Steve Austin. On the other hand, by 1998, Bret Hart had gone to WCW, a company that misused him so badly that they basically destroyed his love of wrestling. He did have some matches against Sting and Ric Flair, but most of his year was spent playing second fiddle to the nWo. If we are absolutely set on having a second Bret Hart, then it should probably be the 1992 or 1993 version. He was fresh off his run as a tag team wrestler, he was just getting into his own as a singles wrestler, and he was having fantastic matches with everyone.
15 Should Be In: Ron Simmons
My first question is this: How can JBL be in the game and not Ron Simmons? Ron basically gave Bradshaw the credibility he was severely lacking by teaming with him and forming the APA. Sure, JBL had a good run on his own later on as a detestable Wall Street cowboy, but Ron Simmons also had his fair share of success by himself. His first big accomplishment was becoming the first African-American WCW World Champion. Once he jumped to WWE, he powered through a memorably bad role as a gladiator to become the leader of the Nation of Domination. Even if you mainly remember him as Faarooq of the APA, it is still a role that brought him multiple Tag Team Championships. Finally, let’s not forget his reputation as a real-life tough guy which made him one of the most respected wrestlers in and out of the ring.
It is all of these unforgettable storylines which in a perfect world, should guarantee him a spot in WWE 2K19. Even recently, he was on the roster in WWE 2K16. So why get rid of him at all? If anything, Ron Simmons should be one of those guys who get two variations in the game. Just APA’s Ron Simmons and Nation of Domination’s Faarooq are more distinctive than most other wrestlers who got the treatment this year.
14 Leave Him Out: Typhoon
Fred Ottman, the man portraying Typhoon, seems like a really nice guy. However, as a professional wrestler, he was always unfortunately stuck in dead-end storylines and gimmicks which did not accentuate his strengths. As Typhoon, he was one half of the Natural Disasters with Earthquake, and though he was successful in the sense that he won the Tag Team Championship, he still looked like the team’s second fiddle. He was unfortunately matched with a partner which was more physically imposing, more gifted as a wrestler, and with more natural charisma. This had the unfortunate side effect of making Typhoon look like a cheap knockoff version of his own tag team partner.
This isn’t to say that Fred Ottman does not deserve the spotlight. He did have some memorable moments inside and outside of the ring. As Tugboat, he was a friend of Hulk Hogan.
As The Shockmaster, he made what is simultaneously the greatest and the worst entrance in the history of the industry.
These two might have been less successful in the ring, but I would argue that they were much better as characters and would at least bring a little bit of variety to the roster. As Typhoon, however, he was just kind of there. Anyone who really is a nostalgic of The Natural Disasters will pick Earthquake anyway.
13 Should Be In: X-Pac / 1-2-3 Kid
Ever since he burst onto the scene by defeating Razor Ramon on Monday Night Raw in 1993, Sean Waltman’s career has been about constantly proving his critics wrong. Originally deemed to small to be successful in the land of giants known as the WWF, he developed a fast-paced and high-flying style which was like nothing else in the company. He was in D-Generation X, the nWo, and he was a member of the Kliq. With a resume like that, it’s easy to see why he was a fixture of 90s professional wrestling on both sides of the Monday Night War.
Sean Waltman was indeed a part of the roster of the WWE 2K series as recently as 2016. In that appearance, he was portrayed as X-Pac. While I would love to have him back in that role, I think that the world has been waiting for the return of the 1-2-3 Kid. As a child, he was one of my favorite wrestlers because I could identify with him. Sure, everyone loves the big scary dudes who throw other wrestlers around, but you don’t feel for them. The 1-2-3 Kid was the underdog, and he was the hero of every scrawny little wrestling fan in the world. With Razor Ramon already in the game, the Kid would be its perfect foil.
12 Leave Him Out: Jimmy Garvin
I was originally going to put Buddy Roberts in this spot, as I have never been a fan of his wrestling. However, I then realized that both Buddy Roberts and Jimmy Garvin were in the game just as a member of the Fabulous Freebirds, so that Michael Hayes would have tag team partners. However, the truth is that the original Freebirds were only Hayes, Garvin, and Terry Gordy. That incarnation of the Freebirds ran roughshod on WCCW and on many other territories, until Buddy Roberts decided to retire. Jimmy Garvin only joined in WCW when Hayes was all by himself. That incarnation of the Freebirds was a simple tag team, had different music, and were quite frankly much less successful.
This is why I decided to leave out Jimmy Garvin instead of Buddy Roberts. While I didn’t like Roberts’ style, he was at least an original member of the Freebirds. Garvin was only marginally better. He was at most an OK wrestler on the mid-card wherever he appeared.
His biggest claim to fame, as it is, is being in the worst version of the Freebirds.
That’s a claim that can be shared with Brad Armstrong (aka the masked Badstreet) and Little Richard Marley. Yet, no one has been clamoring for their inclusion in the next WWE 2K.
11 Should Be In: Fit Finlay
For any wrestling fan who likes their action to be rough and just a little more real, Fit Finlay is a hero. A legendary brawler from Belfast, Finlay helped introduce North Americans to the brutal version of wrestling that was predominant in Europe at the time. His style, full of vicious strikes, would feel right at home in today’s New Japan Pro Wrestling. Though he hasn’t held that many titles, he was WCW Television Champion and WWE United States Champion. His talent as a brawler and as a technical wrestler has made him a highly-popular trainer. In fact, he is often credited for teaching many WWE Divas of the early 2000s how to properly wrestle. As far as pure wrestling goes, he is part of the elite.
Last appearing as his mullet-clad 90s self in WWE 2K15, Fit Finlay is due for a return to the series. With Shinsuke Nakamura now in the games as the King of Strong Style, I think it would be something of a low-key dream match to see Nakamura’s kicks and knee strikes against Fit Finlay’s unforgiving punches and forearms. If you had his propensity to bend the rules as necessary, Finlay would be a favorite of those who prefer their wrestlers to be on the grittier side.
10 Should Be In: William Regal
William Regal is similar to Fit Finlay in terms of brutality and bending of the rules of the squared circle. However, he’s arguably more accomplished as a technical wrestler, and he’s had even more success in terms of championships. During his career, he’s been WCW Television Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, European Champion, AND Tag Team Champion. In WCW, he would often challenge Ric Flair and Sting over the years and even wrestled pro wrestling legend Antonio Inoki. Finally, he was also the WWE King of the Ring, beating Fit Finlay (there he is again!) and CM Punk (and Hornswoggle too, I guess) in the same night.
Though his wrestling alone would be enough to make him worthy of being a playable character in any game, Regal was just as well known for his ability to get any storyline over by sheer force of will. For example, Regal managed to make us care about Eugene, a one-note character, when it looked like it was destined to be a flop. These days, he’s one of the trainers at the Performance Center, and he also serves as the on-screen general manager of NXT. He was a playable character as recently as 2016, and quite frankly, he never should have been taken out of the roster. For as long as there will be wrestling games, I will always want to use his Power of the Punch to knock out some fools.
9 Leave Him Out: John Cena ‘06/‘10
I understand that John Cena is probably the most valuable wrestler under WWE contract right now, and that he’s super popular and all that, but do we really need two alternate versions of this guy? The two highlighted eras of the man are 2006 and 2010.
If you look at these versions of John Cena versus the man as he is today, you will notice that the biggest difference is the color of his shorts and sweatbands.
Ever since he first donned a pair of jean shorts, John Cena has always been the same: t-shirt, running shoes, and the military salute. Every version of Cena in this game was a world champion. The move set is the same. Why even bother?
If you really want to offer something different, how about going back to the man’s roots? When John Cena showed up in 2002 to challenge Kurt Angle, he was wearing biker shorts, colorful boots, and he was wrestling a much more technical style. That version of the character might not have lasted as long, but at least it was different, and would allow us to see the evolution of the man. Despite all the criticism and the boos, John Cena remains a good wrestler, and being able to experience his debut would do a lot more for gamers than just plugging the same guy with different t-shirts two more times.
8 Should Be In: Bull Nakano
The roster of women in WWE 2K has been slowly growing over the years, and we now have over 30 of them to choose from. It’s great because you can finally have a little bit of variety instead of choosing from the 5 or 6 divas which used to be included in the early 2000s games. Alundra Blayze was included a few years ago as one of the legends from the 90s. She was indeed a great wrestler, and one which has an intriguing move set, but one thing I find peculiar is that she is the only woman available from her era. Throughout her title reign, she had one rivalry which stood above the others, and I think it would only be fair to include her toughest opponent so we could recreate some of that magic.
Bull Nakano was a Japanese wrestler who was as brutal as she was intimidating. With her hair standing straight, she would stare a hole through her opponents before crushing them with a series of suplexes and complex submission maneuvers. She unseated Blaze to become WWF Women’s Champion once, in front of her home crowd in Tokyo. With a style that could switch between brawling and technical, she is a mix between Nia Jax and Asuka. This alone would make her one of the most interesting characters to play.
7 Should Be In: Luna Vachon
Another legend of the 90s which could represent the Women’s division, Luna Vachon made her mark in and out of the ring. Though she was not as technically gifted as Blayze of Nakano, she was unique for a different reason. Before Chyna ever stepped foot in the wrestling business, Luna Vachon was mixing it up with both men and women on WWE television. She wrestled in mixed tag team matches at both Wrestlemania 10 and Wrestlemania 14, at a time where women’s matches rarely made it to Pay-Per-Views. She was also a successful manager, accompanying superstars such as Bam Bam Bigelow, Goldust, and Shawn Michaels, which more than makes up for the fact that she was with The Oddities in the late 90s.
If we only concentrate on what would make her a fun character in the game, let’s not forget that she was an accomplished wrestler in her own right, having success in Florida and Japan. As the adoptive daughter of “Butcher” Paul Vachon, she was trained by some of the best wrestlers Quebec had to offer. More importantly, let’s not forget that she was already one of the first women to be a playable character in a wrestling game when she appeared in the SNES and Sega Genesis versions of WWF Raw in 1995. With a resume like that, it would be great if she could make a return to the world of video games after all this time.
6 Leave Him Out: Papa Shango
This pains me to say this, because I love Papa Shango as a kid. His costume and persona were both unforgettable. His feud with the Ultimate Warrior was so weird that most fans still remember it to this day. Papa Shango had a memorable run, sure, but it is one which was short. The character itself lasted just about a year, and despite a grand introduction, he spent most of it losing matches to wrestlers more important than him.
The problem is that The Godfather is already in there, and he is without a doubt the most beloved of all the characters played by Charles Wright. If we were to make a ranking of all his personalities, Papa Shango would surely fall first in terms of theatrics, but would probably be dead last in terms of success.
Even Kama The Supreme Fighting Machine had a longer run and did more on a grander stage.
He fought The Undertaker in a casket match. He seconded Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event of Wrestlemania 11. Even The Goodfather, of Right To Censor fame, had a Wrestlemania match. Papa Shango only interfered in one, and almost immediately fell to the bottom of the card. If it wasn’t for the costume and scary antics, we wouldn’t be talking about Papa Shango today.
