The WWE 2K23 ratings reveal is in full swing, and there are all sorts of juicy numbers floating around. 2K has been revealing ratings a few at a time on Twitter over the past week, and a load of them were given on a live stream recently, so we currently know 62 ratings out of the 200 roster members.
We’ve gone through and picked out the superstars that are at the top of the pile, and tell you a bit about why they’re rated so high. Due to a tie in the ratings, we actually have 11 wrestlers to talk about, but we won’t tell if you won’t.
Drew McIntyre – 91
One of the few wrestlers to maintain the same rating from last year, Drew McIntyre has kept his spot near the top of WWE throughout 2022 and into 2023. While he didn’t win the world title from Roman Reigns, he came extremely close in Cardiff, Wales at the Clash at the Castle event last September. The Scotsman is currently teaming up with Irishman Sheamus, with the two proving a dominant duo in recent months.
Bayley – 91
For a while in the WWE 2K games, the women’s wrestlers have been underrated compared to the men, but 2K23 finally puts that right, and Bayley is one of the big beneficiaries.
She was forced to sit out the first half of 2022 due to an injury, but since returning at Summerslam she’s been on a roll. Although she didn’t succeed in taking Bianca Belair’s title, she’s led her faction Damage CTRL to Tag Team Championships and made them impossible to ignore.
Cody Rhodes – 91
It’s been a long journey, but the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes returned to WWE at last year’s WrestleMania and has since been unstoppable. An injury sidelined him for a while, but he returned in January to win the men’s Royal Rumble and stands as the man who may finally end Roman Reigns’ 900+ day title reign in April. If he succeeds, his rating next year will surely be even higher.
Bobby Lashley – 92
Lashley has bounced around a lot since his 2018 return to the company, but he’s finally settled as a strong main event presence who can take even someone like Brock Lesnar to their limit. Championship gold has illuded him for a while – save for a blink and you’ll miss it United States title run – but it’s only a matter of time before the Almighty sits atop the mountain once more.
Trish Stratus – 93
Thanks to WWE’s rubbish treatment of women’s wrestlers prior to the late 2010s, you won’t find anyone from the 2000s as influential in the division as Trish Stratus. While she had to deal with her fair share of sexualized crap, she was able to make audiences stand up and realize that women’s wrestling was more than just a sideshow, having memorable feuds with other great wrestlers like Lita and Mickie James in a time where those running the show weren’t keen on giving women the spotlight.
The Undertaker – 95
The Undertaker will forever be synonymous with WWE, so it’s no surprise that the legend has been given such a high rating. Although the deadman himself has lamented his lackluster lineup of matches in the last few years of his career, now he’s officially retired, we can take a step back from all that and appreciate the incredible work he did for over three decades.
Bianca Belair – 95
Belair was criminally underrated in WWE 2K22, and finally, things have been put right in 2K23. Since winning the 2021 women’s Royal Rumble, Belair has been unstoppable, putting on show-stealing WrestleMania matches with Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, and holding either the Raw or Smackdown Women’s Championship for the majority of the past two years.
The Rock – 96
The Rock is one of the most recognizable stars on the planet today, and WWE is all too keen to take advantage of his origins. As any wrestling fan will know, The Rock really is one of the best to ever do it, and we’re sure when his long-time rival Stone Cold Steve Austin’s rating is revealed, it’ll be a similar level.
Becky Lynch – 96
When it comes to modern stars that will go down in history as all-time greats, then Becky Lynch is one of the most obvious picks. After declaring herself “The Man” and standing defiant in the face of WWE management’s plans to sideline her, she became someone the fans adored, a reputation she’s never lost, and history will likely remember her as the greatest women’s wrestler of all time – but she’s still got a lot of her career ahead of her before then.
Brock Lesnar – 97
While one other man has overtaken his dominance in recent years, Brock Lesnar used to be – and kind of still is – the final boss of WWE. Throughout the 2010s barely anyone could notch a win over him, even when the story demanded they should’ve. He may not be as powerful as he once was, but the Beast Incarnate can still snap just about anyone in half on the right day.
Roman Reigns – 99
If this is a surprise to you, you’ve not been paying attention. Ever since unifying WWE’s two world titles at WrestleMania last year, Roman Reigns has been claiming to be operating on “god mode” and a rating one point away from the maximum illustrates that perfectly. There’s nothing to argue with here, Reigns has been world champion for over 900 days and hasn’t been pinned in even longer. Like it or not, the Tribal Chief is simply on another level.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
