Each week 2K will announce names from a massive roster comprised of the largest number of wrestlers in WWE games history. Over 120 have been promised, including wrestlers from multiple eras. Kicking things off are the following:
Bad News Barret – There’s going to be a few Brits on this list, much to my approval. Barret floated around the WWE machine without much exposure until June 2010 where he led a large group of rookies calling themselves ‘Nexus’ in an attack on the WWE’s flagship show Raw that stunned audiences. Some of the group, including Barret, have further distinguished themselves to become regular competitors on WWE television.
Booker T – Best known for his run in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) back before the organization was absorbed by the WWE, Booker T has been decorated with more gold than the entire Lannister family combined. He debuted in the WWE during the 2001 invasion storyline, proved once again to be a valuable addition to the roster, and is one of the first two WWE Hall of Famers announced thus far.
Colonel Mustafa – Also known as The Iron Sheik, back in the early 90s he made a return to the WWE as Colonel Mustafa and allied with General Adnan and Sgt. Slaughter. Together they posed as Iraq sympathizers during the Gulf War.
Daniel Bryan – The plucky Daniel Bryan scooped up titles on the independent wrestling circuit and provoked a phenomenal reaction amongst the WWE crowd. He remains one of the most popular wrestlers today.
Emma – This fun-loving Australian was introduced to wrestling at a young age, citing former Women’s champion Trish Stratus as her inspiration. She is the best dancer in the world. This is a news post, not an editorial, so it’s on record as a fact.
Eva Marie – Her hair is red.
Finn Balor – No fan will skip this entrance on WWE 2K16. Crawling to the ring like a demon born of nightmares with body paint to match, Finn Balor manages to remain menacing throughout the entire act and turns a short journey from point A to B into a memorable experience.
General Adnan – At least we’re getting the Iraq sympathizer storyline out of the way early.
John Cena – This generation’s Hulk Hogan. Cena has basically been the face of the franchise for a decade now, his accolades are endless. Older fans aren't keen on Cena’s straight as an arrow personality, but younger fans worship him. He holds the record for granting wishes by a country mile. The Make-A-Wish foundation, I mean. TechRaptor hasn't gathered enough evidence to expose him as a real life genie just yet.
Kalisto – Half of the Lucha Dragons tag team, Kalisto is a superb masked athlete that uses a crowd-pleasing flamboyant acrobatic style.
Kane – The character of Kane debuted as the Undertaker’s brother in the 90s and was somehow even scarier. After he retired the crimson mask and we found it wasn't Darkman all along, things were never quite the same, but he’s still a 7 foot tall powerhouse.
Lord Steven Regal – Another fellow Brit. Lord Steven Regal was a poncy elitist who fancied himself a decedent of William the Conqueror. ‘Steven?’ you ask. Well to allay any confusion, In the WWE he wrestled as William Regal, but in WCW he was called Steven. That may indicate the roster contains other WCW wrestlers.
Paige – The British are coming! Paige was wrestling on the independent circuit before she was born. No, that’s not a typo. Her mother unknowingly wrestled while pregnant. Paige became a more willing participant at 13 years of age and even teamed up with her mother over the years. She’s the youngest Divas champion in WWE history.
Seth Rollins – Formally part of triple tag team The Shield, at the time of writing Seth Rollins is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion. A sly cowardly opportunist, there’s nothing he won’t do to walk out of the ring as champion. Except play WWE 2K15.
Sin Cara – Second half of the Lucha Dragons tag team, Sin Cara also wears a mask and brings the same agile Mexican wrestling style as his partner.
Stone Cold Steve Austin – There are undiscovered tribes in the Brazilian rainforests that know who Stone Cold is. The second hall of famer to be announced, Stone Cold’s storyline feuds with WWE owner Vince McMahon are legendary.
Summer Rae – Summer has a terrible win ratio according to the Internet Wrestling Database, but she's tougher than she looks. Summer was bumped up from DLC in 2K14 to the main roster of 2K15, so it’s no surprise she’s returning. Nevertheless it’s good to see her on board.
Tamina – Daughter of high flying sensation Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka. Tamina can leap off the top rope like her old man if need be, but in the women’s league she prefers to dominate the other wrestlers with her superior strength. Rocking a powerful physique and no-nonsense attitude, Tamina is an intimidating force in the ring.
Triple H – The cerebral assassin, the game, the king of kings. Triple H’s character has a history with the WWE going back decades. For much of his wrestling career he was THE bad guy. WWE 2K15 used a young model of him from the early 2000s, though his face looked a bit weird in my opinion. The pictures this time reveal an older Triple H.
Keep an eye out for next week’s roster update. You absolutely cannot miss the thrilling 12 part conclusion of me relaying press releases with some names on them.
