WWE 2K18: Predicting All 130 Superstars Who Will Be Included
This should be the first game in a long old while to incorporate the brand split so let's deal with the RAW half of the roster first. Naturally, I'm giving RAW a few more roster spaces than SmackDown since they have a bigger squad due to the unenviable task of having one more hour of television to fill each week. It's the least I could do...
Needless to say, the following rosters do not include backstage interviewers like Renee Young, ring announcers like JoJo or the commentary teams. I expect two two-man booths to be included on the game however, with Michael Cole and Corey Graves dealing with RAW and JBL accompanying Tom Phillips on SmackDown. We're all being shortchanged if that isn't the very least we're being offered...
130. Alexa Bliss
It's almost incomprehensible that during the period of time that I was writing the same roster predicting list for 2K17 that Alexa Bliss wasn't even a fixture on the main roster yet. She's come a hell of a long way in a very short space of time and could be the most complete package in the female ranks in WWE today. Expect her to be a cornerstone of everything WWE for years to come.
At the rate she's improving we might as well save her a space in the 'Legends' in WWE 2K19.
129. Alicia Fox
This woman has the best Northern Lights Suplex in the game today, I don't care what you say. 2017 is proving to be some weird kind of reincarnation for Alicia FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX as she's gone from being a valet on 205 Live to not only hanging with, but defeating the mighty Sasha Banks on RAW.
With that Suplex in mind, long may this continue. She's also a crazy lady and a very convincing one at that.
128. Apollo Crews
Apollo Crews is very lucky that he was included in the NXT Edition of WWE 2K17 meaning his character model was already built. Considering the year the former Uhaa Nation has had with a failed run on SmackDown being followed up by a unfruitful time on RAW, I reckon you could count on one hand the amount of people that would by upset if he wasn't included in 2K18's basic roster.
127. Austin Aries
At the time of writing it's unsure what the immediate future holds for Austin Aries. In spite of the fact he tweeted that it's time for "serious life reflection and career reevaluation" after yet another defeat to Neville at Extreme Rules, the fact that he was at the pinnacle of the Cruiserweight Division around the crucial WrestleMania scanning season means he should make it into WWE 2K18.
126. Bayley
WWE are doing their best to completely ruin the lady that should be the most popular entity in the female ranks but at the time of writing at least, Bayley is just about keeping her head above water. The eternally cheered NXT Superstar has seen a chorus of boos grow on her as part of the main roster which of course is a massive shame and something WWE, with a lot of work it must be said, need to rectify.
125. Big Cass
And you can't teach that, or something... Big Cass has a massive future in WWE and that's not just because he's a massive man. He can talk, he can move well for a big man, so expect to see him featured prominently in WWE video games to come.
This year, with a less than fruitful period continuing without a sign of ending in a packed tag team division, he'll just have to be happy with a place on the roster.
124. Big Show
This could be the last time we see Big Show on a WWE game as part of the current day roster. In an interview with somebody, I can't remember for the life of me who, Show indicated that WrestleMania 33 would be his last 'Showcase Of The Immortals' with the company. It's a bit of a shame that marquee match with Shaquille O'Neal didn't happen just to give the seven-time world champion a fitting send off of sorts.
123. Braun Strowman
BRAUUUUUUUUUN MIIIIIIIIIIIGHT BEEEEEEE WWEEEEEEEEE UNIVERSAAAAAAAAL CHAAAAAAMPION BYYYY THEEEEE TIIIIIME WWEEEEEEE 2K1888888 HIIIIITS THEEEE SHEEEELVES IIIIIN THEEEEE AUTUUUUUUUMN! That's if the heavily rumoured plans to have 'The Monster Among Men' face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam with the 'jampionship' on the line come to fruition.
If not, he might be 'The Guy' by the time WWE 2K19 is out deep into next year. It's coming. Braun's fantastic.
122. Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt is just about clinging onto a slot in the main event picture of WWE RAW as his career enters a pivotal period. The Eater Of Worlds has been to the top of the mountain albeit for a very short amount of time and with a stacked roster on the red brand it remains to be seen whether he'll make it back up there.
Nevertheless, Wyatt remains one of the more popular character babyfaces in the company today so don't expect him to be going anywhere for years to come. One thing's for sure, his entrance for WWE 2K18 will be a masterpiece as per usual.
121. Brock Lensar
Yes believe it or not Brock Lesnar still works for WWE, even though he hasn't been seen since winning the WWE Universal Championship from Goldberg at WrestleMania. That hiatus is about to end with a bang however with the match against Samoa Joe at Great Balls Of Fire... I can't be the only man that thought a Joe/Brock showdown was going to be reserved for WWE's virtual universe. Naturally, we're all salivating at the prospect of it taking place in the real life version of WWE's ring.