While horse racing may be the sport of kings, wrestling is undoubtedly the sport (entertainment) of champions. Whether you're a newcomer to the lycra-clad ballet that is modern wrestling, or you've been watching since the golden age, you've probably played a WWE game along the way. WWE 2K18 may have its problems (it's not Know Your Role or No Mercy), but in some ways, it's exceptionally solid. Its advanced create-a-wrestler mode allows you to guide your own avatar, or freakish monstrosity, from no one to the title, while the varied match types mean y✱ou'll never get bored.
If you want to reenact the craziness of Armageddon 2000's six-man Hell In A Cell brawl, or pit legends against o𓃲ne another, you'll find the opportunities here. That being said, these are the more obvious options, and ಞthere's a lot more depth hidden below the surface. For example, did you know you can create a famous fast food icon in immaculate detail? Or put your opponents through flaming tables like some kind of infernal one-man Dudley Boyz? How about throwing your opponent through a table from the top of the cell? Or taking The Shield's triple powerbomb to dizzying new heights of brutality?
In this list, I've pulled together some of the most messed up things you can do to your opponents in 2K18. Some of them just boggle the mind, really. The Attitude Era may be dead and gone, more's the pity, but its stupidity and incredible brawls can li♒ve on forever. Want to know how? Read on.
25 Bring On The C𒆙olonel
Did you know that in some territories, there’s something of a battle for the taste buds between KFC and Popeyes? Well, in WWE 2K18 you can solve the battle for fried chicken supremacy once and for all, because you can play as Colonel Sanders himself. Yes, really, the world’s most famous Kentucky Colonel is in WWE 2K18. While he isn’t a default character, you can find all the right blend of herbs, spices, and facial hair in the create-a-wrestler mode. The news was announced via Kurt Angle dressing as the famous mascot for WWE’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view. This isn’t some cheeky easter egg, t🥀his is something WWE 🌳planned meticulously. I’m just saying, if you wanted to make a generic version of Popeye, it wouldn’t be too hard. How should they solve it? My mind’s on a hardcore bout.
24 🀅 Triple In Every Sense Of The Word 💃
Remember the days when Triple H was a regular star of the squared circle? He had𝔍 it all. This is a guy who once tore his quad muscle and had to finish the match in a leg lꦕock. He is not to be trifled with. As a tribute, how would you like to see him back in the ring not once, but three times? There are two versions of Triple H in-game, new, bald Hunter and old Hunter with the hair that doesn’t quite render properly. Now if you put old noodle-head and Baldy McBalderson in a tag team together, and have them work their way up through the ranks to become champions, they’ll be presented with the championship by none other than…Triple H. That’s right, Triple the H, Triple the Hunter, Triple the Glory.
23 🌸 Beaten Into Hamburger♚
Now, while we all know wrestling is fake (sorry, everyone), the risks are real. Taking chairshots and getting thrown around doesn’t do anyone’s spleen a whole lot of good. WWE 2K18 is pretty good at telling you when you need to lay off on the hits. When the opponent’s health is two levels past red (AKA the oh-god-stop-I-need-a-Tramadol status), the referee will interrupt your ceaseless wailing on them. After you’ve smashed into them with the force of an unmarked Lincoln Towncar, the ref wil🎉l check on the opponent to make sure they’ve not tapped out of life and into the great hereafter. This is the game essentially telling you you’re wasting your time, but it’s a nice touch. If you want, you want, you can also just go right ahead, turning every match into Triple H v Ric Flair circa 2005.
22 Adding ꧃Tension
Near pinfalls are🀅 one of the highlights of the wrestling experience. Those tight, tense moments in PPV, where the whole audience collectively clenches because it looks like the match is going to be over too quickly. You might think that in the world of wrestling games, what you see is what you get, and there’s no way to simulate this tension. Well, you’d be wrong, Mr/Miss Presumptuous Wrestling Fan! If you’re enjoying the match and don’t want it to be over just yet, you can press down on the dpad during a pin to make your opponent kick out. This is particularly good for when you’re wrestling a PPV and after all the build up, don’t want your fifteen minutes of fame to be over just yet.
21 🌌 INTO THE CROWD
If you've ever been to a wrestling PPV, you may have had the joyous experience of having the brawl spill out into the audience area. This is truly the most electrifying moment of the most electrifying sport, with the paying customers having the chance to get up close and personal (though hopefully not too close), with their favorite stars. If you want to give the virtual audience a similar thrill, you can in WWE 2K18. This is one of the game's new OMG moments, which use a storeඣd finisher or three to perform spectacular feats. You only need one for th𒊎is, and when you have it, stand by the barricade and hit the "OMG" prompt. You'll be brawling in the audience's laps in no time.
20 Give Rusev His Imperial Pomp ꦉ ♑
Whichever agent came up with the idea of booking Rusev in the WWE made a very smart move. It's a promotion with a history of hoo-rah Americanism, so having a URA Russian (though he's actually Bulgarian) in to counter it is incredible. Rusev's entra꧂nces are best when he's introduced by longstanding manager Lana amidst a wave of Russian patriotism worthy of a Soviet May Day Parade. If you want to have this ridiculousness in your game, it couldn't be simpler. All you need to do is select Rusev in your matchup, and pair him with Lana as his manager. Sadly, he still doesn't come out amidst fireworks and clutching a Russian flag, but I can only hope that will be included in WWE 2K19, if "Rusev Day" continues.
19 ℱ ♉ A Touch Of Gold
Speaking of tag teams, one which only fans will really remember are Golden Truth. This team, made up of Goldust and R-Truth never really came to much, but they were an entertaining little sideshow for a while. While not available by default, this team also get their own entrance preset in WWE 2K18. To see it in all its glory, all you’ve gotta do is create a tag team compose𝔍d of Goldust and R-Truth, and you’ll be . It’s overblown in the most ൩wrestling kind of way, with R-Truth rapping his way down to the ring with the help of the most heavily made-up hypeman ever. It’s terrible, stupid, and very, very funny. Try it out, you will not be disappointed.
18 Become A Virtual Billionaire ꦗ
Earning Virtual Currency (VC) in WWE 2K18 can♋ be a drag, but you need it if you’re going to unlock items or build up your s𝔉uperstar. Luckily, there are some ways to earn it quickly. The easiest way is to play a bunch of one-sided singles matches, i.e. super heavyweight v cruiserweight, while aiming for strong ratings. Once the match is over, hit rematch, and grind away again. Another way to earn is to keep switching your wrestler’s apparel every few shows in career mode, to keep audiences buying your shirts, for which you get a cut of the sales.
You can also earn double VC in every 🌟single match if you💖 max out your rating as a Company Man. Sure, being a corporate suckup might not feel right, but all that cash will.
17 It’s All In The Name ♒
WWE’s Hell In A Cell matches will always be some of my favourites. I was introduced to WWE (or WWF, rather) by the six-man Hell In A Cell at Armageddon 2000. The most intense moment of that match was when The Undertaker hefted Rikishi off the cell like the world’s heaviest sack of potatoes, and that’s a move you can recreate in WWE 2K18. While special cagetop finishers have been removed, you can still chokeslam someone off the top, or, if you want to be even nastier, the game will help you out. You can 🍌pick up your opponent and powerbomb them through the announce table by carrying them to the edge of the cage and hitting X/A. Unluckily for them, unlike Rikishi, there won’t be a conveniently padded truck waiting for them if you do it a second time.
16 Stop, Drop, And Spra🎀y
Ah, the humble fire extinguisher. L✅ike the sledgehammer, the steel chair, or the ring bell, it’s one of those weapons that’s a hallmark of wrestling. As such, it makes sense that in the game’s backstage brawls, you can grab one and go medieval on someone with it. However, did you know that you can also use it for its intended purpose?
If you grab the extinguisher and press L1/LB, you’ll spray your opponent with it. You can do this up to three times before you’re left with something that’s essentially just a bludgeon. Unfortunately, there are no inferno matches in 2K18, so you can’t show a sense of social responsibility and put out a burning wrestler, but still, I’ll take bei♛ng able to spray it around like i🔯t’s freshers’ week.