After taking a year off, the WWE 2K franchise is set to return this year with the upcoming WWE 2K22 wrestling game. After the disastrous launch of WWE 2K20, the developers decided to go back to the drawing board and promised to take on board all the criticism of past titles with a constructive eye. They have even promised to take a look at what made wrestling games like WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain and WWF No Mercy favorites among fans.
However, much has changed since WWE 2K20 was launched at the end of 2019. There have been triumphant returns of legends like The Rated R Superstar Edge and John Cena. However, there have also been several departures of note that will definitely have an impact on the Legends roster. With many wrestlers packing their bags and leaving for AEW let’s take a look at the wrestling legends that probably won’t appear in WWE 2K22.
10 The Big Show
The Big Show aka Paul Wight is one of the most recognizable big men in the business. He has also been a regular in WWE wrestling games for at least 20 years. Unfortunately for WWE fans, the likelihood of the big man appearing in another WWE game ever again is unlikely.
In 2021, Wight signed with AEW as an occasional in-ring performer, commentator on the YouTube series AEW Dark: Elevation, and as an onscreen booker signing new talent to the company. As a result, the next wrestling game fans will see Wight will be the upcoming AEW wrestling game as a Legend or an extra character.
9 Mark Henry
Often dubbed by the WWE as the world’s strongest man, Mark Henry is another regular in WWE games that signed with AEW in 2021. Henry signed with the rival organization as a commentator for AEW Rampage and as a wrestling trainer backstage.
Henry has been a mainstay in WWE games with his appearances going back to 1998’s WWF Attitude developed by Akklaim. Even though it’s clear that Henry has hung up his boots he will likely appear in the upcoming AEW game.
8 Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson didn’t have much of a run in the WWE during his career. However, he still had a fairly successful run as a tag team champion with fellow Four Horsemen stable mate Tully Blanchard before returning to WCW.
Anderson is a legendary WCW wrestler with a high-impact wrestling style and no-nonsense attitude that influenced wrestlers like Triple H in his prime. He has made several appearances in WWE games over the years as a Legend character but thanks to his signing with AEW as an onscreen manager to his son it’s unlikely that will happen again.
7 Billy Gunn
Hall of Fame member Billy Gunn signed with the WWE back in 1993. He’s had many successful runs as a tag team wrestler with The Smoking Gunns and Billy and Chuck. However, Gunn's most successful stint came as a member of the New Age Outlaws with the Road Dogg Jesse James.
The Outlaws were a huge hit as members of D-Generation X and had legendary feuds with Mankind and Chainsaw Charlie (Terry Funk), The Nation of Domination, and the Corporation in the 90s. Gunn signed with AEW in 2019 as an active wrestler and can now be seen teaming up with his real-life son Austin forming the team The Gunn Club.
6 Diamond Dallas Page
Starting his career as a wrestling manager, Diamond Dallas Page started to train as a wrestler at the age of 35. Despite being booked as a glorified jobber for WCW DDP worked his way to the top of the roster because of his hard-working ethic and charismatic personality.
After the purchase of WCW, DDP signed with WWE as part of the “The Invasion” angle. Unfortunately, he was underutilized and the booking team failed to capitalize on his popularity. He made his first appearance in a WWE wrestling game with WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth in 2002 and returned as Legend character in WWE ‘13. Page made an in-ring return for AEW and made several appearances for the company between 2019 and 2021. As a result, it’s unlikely that he will be appearing in WWE 2K22.
5 Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Jake “The Snake” Roberts is one of the most recognizable and charismatic wrestlers from the WWE golden era. Roberts also had a successful run in WCW in the 90s before returning to the WWE and performed with the likes of Steve Austin and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
He has been a regular Legend character in the WWE 2K games, but it’s unlikely that fans will see him in the next installment due to his signing with AEW as the manager of Lance Archer. Fans will likely see him as some kind of Legend character in the upcoming AEW game.
4 Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy gained fame as one half of the Hardy Boyz with his real-life brother Jeff Hardy in the WWE. The two are often considered as one of the best tag teams of all time and performed in some of the greatest feuds in WWE history with Edge & Christian.
Despite somewhat lackluster singles runs in the WWE, Matt Hardy gained cult-like status among fans thanks to his “Broken” gimmicks in TNA. He briefly returned to the WWE with his brother in 2017 but parted ways with the company in 2020 due to creative differences. Hardy would then appear on AEW shortly after in the role of a performer and a manager, meaning that it’s very unlikely fans will be recreating a Hardy Boyz run in WWE 2K21.
3 Christian Cage
Christian began his successful run in the WWE as one of the tag team duo Edge & Christian. They had many memorable feuds with the Hardys and the Dudley Boys. He found some success as a singles wrestler in the WWE but never quite reached the heights of his former teammate Edge.
However, Christian debuted on TNA as Christian Cage and had many memorable feuds with the company before returning to WWE and retiring in 2014 due to a concussion. Christian remained with the WWE as a host on the WWE Network until joining AEW in 2021 where performed in his first match in seven years.
2 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is arguably one of the most successful wrestlers in history, with iconic runs in WCW, Japan, and of course the WWE. Jericho is a wrestler that’s modified his game and changed with the times by keeping his characters fresh and unique.
However, with AEW, Jericho has carved out an even greater legacy as one of its top heels. This run doesn’t quite match the impact of his introduction with the Y2J Countdown in 1999 but the ageless Jericho consistently performs in excellent matches and fans clearly still love him as they sing along to his band’s intro song Judas.
1 Sting
The Icon Sting is without a doubt one of the best names in wrestling. For many years he was WCW’s answer to Hulk Hogan and his Crow gimmick remains one the best in wrestling. He had a short and slightly disappointing run in WWE due to some questionable booking choices and an injury obtained in a match with Seth Rollins.
He’s a WWE Hall of Famer and has been appearing in WWE wrestling games for several years. Unfortunately, his run in WWE video games will likely come to an end due to his signing a multi-year deal with AEW in late 2020. The signing with AEW meant that the aging but still-athletic Stinger could go out on his own terms by teaming with Darby Allin. With AEW already selling Sting merchandise, he is certain to appear in the upcoming AEW wrestling game instead.