It isn't long until WWE 2K16 releases upon us and we get another installment of ups and downs! This year's game features the biggest roster of stars to date, with over 120, all of which you can check out on GameSkinny thanks to our weekly roster reveal coverage.
With the biggest roster ever, it stands to reason that a lot of stars will be rated much higher than they actually deserve. This is partially because on a scale of 0-100, no wrestler falls below the 70 rating, and therefore you get some of the all-time greats like Shawn Michaels, and one of the all-time not-so-greats like Sin Cara, separated by only 8 points. Mid card wrestlers should be rated in the 70s, main eventers in the 80s and truly fantastic performers reserved for the 90s.
But enough ranting, WWE 2K16 comes out on October 27th and it's fun to speculate on who will be rated what! For the sake of the article I won't be including the 2 variations of The Terminator because I have no idea how they will rated (although, likely very high) and no real way to fairly compare. So the 5 stars on this list are all real wrassler's. Go figure!
5. Roman Reigns
Now I don't wanna crap on Roman Reigns, Lord knows the guy has had his fair share of critics in the past year, but I think we can all agree that he's worked his butt off to prove us wrong. He still isn't the most accomplished superstar but with the right opponent Reigns can have stellar matches. A nice slow burn back to the main event with him will go a long way to rebuilding his image.
That being said, I still think he will be too highly rated in WWE 2K16. Last year, before his mega-push, which included Royal Rumble Victory, win over Daniel Bryan and WrestleMania main event, Reigns was rated 89, so it stands to reason that he will break the 90 threshold. A threshold Reigns has yet to break into in real life, he's good but not near that area yet.
Predicted Rating: 90
Logical Rating: 86-88
4. Ultimate Warrior
I don't wanna ruffle any feathers by speaking ill of the deceased, but the Ultimate Warrior was never a fantastic wrestler. Now, one doesn't have to be phenomenal in the ring to make it - especially when you can connect with the fans, sell merch and draw crowds, and that's exactly what Warrior was all about. His in-ring ability, however, left a lot to be desired.
The WWE games have a habit of default rating Legends and Hall of Famers with very high scores, ignoring the fact that not all of them were that great. I mean, the rating system is already a little broken in the games considering no-one ever falls below the 70 mark, therefore there is no real scale on which to compare stars when they're all in the 80s. Anyway, the Ultimate Warrior is likely to be remembered more fondly than his abilities warrant.
Predicted Rating: 90+
Logical Rating: 85
3. Ryback
The Big Guy has had a pretty great year in WWE, minus the staph infection, and is about to go into a feud with Kevin Owens over the IC title. The same cannot be said for him last year, when he spent most of the year on the shelf and fading into obscurity. Depsite that Ryback still managed an 84 rating in WWE 2K15, so it stands to reason he will be significantly higher rated in 2K16.
That being said, Ryback hasn't improved much as a performer. He's definitely better than he was when he feuded with CM Punk, but he's far from a great wrestler. He still often has the most boring match on the card and somehow WWE still doesn't realise that it's kinda boring to watch two big, slow guys go at it, that's why Rey Mysterio vs. Batista and Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero were so great, and why Lesnar vs. Spike Dudley was a spectacle. Anyway, the truth is Ryback hasn't improved much since last year, regardless of his place on the card.
Predicted Rating: 88
Logical Rating: 83
2. Vince McMahon
The Mac Daddy! The Boss! Vinnie Mac! The Genetic Jackhammer! Yes, the boss himself Vince McMahon will be in WWE 2K16, definitely not his first appearance, and will likely be featured heavily in the Stone Cold Mode. Back in the '90s, Vince looked amazing, his physique was incredible and his bravado matched it, he also has some really great matches with the Texas Rattlesnake, Triple H, Undertaker, and even his children, Shane and Stephanie.
And yet, Vince is very, very far from graceful in the ring. Sure he made up for his lack of in-ring ability by taking big bumps and real hard hits, as well as being a true heel master, but that doesn't change the fact that he cannot wrestle. Vince isn't a wrestler nor has he ever trained to be. He can perform well above his level but he shouldn't be ranked anywhere near the professionals. The last time Vince was in a game, WWE 2K14, he was rated 81 - 1 below Heath Slater and 1 above Jinder Mahal, and well above the divas. This seems a bit ridiculous.
Predicted Rating: 82
Logical Rating: 60-70
1. Brie Bella
Yes, it might seem ridiculous, and hypocritical to place Brie Bella above Vince on this list, especially considering I said he shouldn't be higher rated than the divas. However Brie, more than anyone, is likely to be way overrated.
Brie Bella was rated 83 in WWE 2K15, the joint highest-rated with her twin sister Nikki. This is absurd considering AJ Lee was rated 81; few would argue that Brie is anywhere near the quality of AJ. Brie is easily one of the lesser Divas in WWE, which is more evident than ever when she's in the ring with Paige, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, or Sasha Banks.
Brie's ridiculous rating lends further credence to the fact that the rating system is broken, the Bellas are both rated the same as Titus O'Neil, Xavier Woods, Bo Dallas, and Damien Sandow. All of those men are pretty talented and far better than the Bellas, who should be rated much lower. Given the lengthy reign and dominance of Team Bella this year, it seems depressingly certain that she will be similarly rated this year.
Predicted Rating: 83
Logical Rating: 70
Published: Sep 8, 2015 09:12 am