Kevin & Kerry von Erich
Those who fondly recall early-'90s WWF will remember Kerry von Erich as the Texas Tornado, but his family was established within wrestling legend long before then. He and Kevin are two of six sons born to Fritz von Erich, most of whom found fame in Texas promotion WCCW – but following a series of tragedies, Kevin is the only one of those siblings still alive today.
Kevin Owens
Oddly, Owens' summer feud with AJ Styles over the US Championship has been disappointing. Both would feature high on a list of WWE's greatest talents, yet their in-ring chemistry has been sorely lacking. Thankfully 2K18's release throws up numerous fresh rivalry opportunities - or the chance to reignite his wars with Sami Zayn and/or John Cena.
Kurt Angle
It’s become standard for 2K to import the WWE’s Hall Of Fame draft class each year into the video game series, and this year Kurt Angle is its biggest name. He's confirmed as a pre-order bonus, and you get two versions of him to play with: his WWE 'American Hero' persona, and ECW 'Wrestling Machine' one.
Larry Zbyszko
Best known to modern fans for his 1990s run as a broadcaster in WCW, the Living Legend enjoyed an earlier stint in WWE predecessor WWWF from 1973 to 1981. He never captured the big one at a time when title switches were significantly less frequent, but did score a five-month tag-title reign alongside Tony Garea. (In addition to many AWA and NWA accolades.)
Lars Sullivan (DLC)
The NXT bruiser's inclusion took the entire WWE 2K community off guard, as he's barely featured on its weekly show. In one sense it's a neat surprise; but when the game omits Andrade Almas, who's been on NXT far longer than Sullivan, and Smackdown mainstays James Ellsworth and Lana, you have to scratch your head in bemusement.
Lex Luger
Luger endured one of the lamest headline WWE runs of the '90s, being promoted heavily as an all-American hero – only to fail every time he wrestled for the main WWE Championship. Thankfully his preceding WCW years were much stronger, and it's that version of Luger which appeared in WWE 2K17. Expect the same again here.
Lita
Discounting her 2012 victory over Heath Slater – which was mostly played for comedy – it's now 11 years since Amy Dumas wrestled her last proper match, a November 2006 loss to Mickie James. But recent appearances on WWE TV suggest she could still hold her own; and while that mightn't happen in real life, it means a wealth of dream-match possibilities (Bayley, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss) in WWE 2K18.
Luke Harper
Initially hamstrung by his role as a mere ensemble member in the Wyatt Family, Harper finally broke out of his own accord in early 2017, with stellar performances against AJ Styles and former cult leader Bray Wyatt. His reward? Disappearing from TV from July 4 onwards. One of WWE's most underrated all-rounders, be sure to make him a focal point of your 2K18 Universe.
Mark Henry
Intriguingly, while Henry has never officially retired from in-ring action, he was announced by 2K as a 'legends' member of the 2K18 roster – suggesting that the big man has indeed hung up the chunky boots and size-too-small unitard. Truly a shame, as his best years were his later ones; and a 2011-2012 World Heavyweight Championship run was categorically deserved.
Maryse & The Miz
The Miz was WWE’s most underrated performer in 2016, partly down to the on-screen chemistry with his real-life wife, who returned to the company after a five-year absence. The cocky couple retained that momentum ahead of a date with John Cena and Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33, and as the third longest-reigning Divas champion, Maryse's return to the series alongside her hubby is a French-Canadian triomphe.
