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Games like WWE 2K24 give wrestling fans more than just control over their favorite stars. in the ring. Players can also explore the extensive history of the more-than-60-year-old promotion. They're able to follow the journey of a wrestler from green in the gills rookie to a WWE Hall of Famer. They can even make Spongebob Squarepants into a wrestler.
Then there are the dream matches. Ever since pro-wrestling video games began to incorporate industry legends as playable characters (as opposed to just stars who were active when the game was released), we've been letting our imaginations run wild.
When it's all said and done, and all of the DLC packs have been released, WWE 2K24 will have nearly 300 characters (including managers and announcers). We've taken that list and come up with 10 dream bouts that can be created on your monitor.
Now, some of these involve playable characters that, as of this writing, haven't been released to the game yet. We'll do our best to indicate when they'll be released.
So, let's get started.
WWE 2K24 dream matches
#1 Batista vs The Ultimate Warrior
There have been very few WWE Superstars who have personified power and intensity quite like both Batista and The Ultimate Warrior. Being physical specimens, Batista and Warrior came from the world of bodybuilding to leave an indelible mark on the business.
Batista has stated numerous times how much of an influence Warrior had on his career. The Animal's penchant for shaking the ropes was directly inspired by him - so much so, in fact, that when the two met in 2014, Batista made sure he hadn't been offending the Hall of Famer by doing so.
These two can finally go at it in WWE 2K24. Hopefully, they don't break your TV when they do.
#2 Andre the Giant vs Braun Strowman
Andre the Giant in a match against whoever the current super huge big guy is? Seems kind of lazy, doesn't it? Except this is actually a match we would genuinely love to see. Or, at the very least, play in WWE 2K24.
Braun Strowman might not be as big as Andre was in his prime (Andre was 7'4" and a staggering 520 lbs., whereas Strowman is listed at 6'8" and tips the scales at 386 lbs.), but he's as intimidating as someone who is. Conventional wisdom would suggest playing Andre vs Omos, except conventional wisdom doesn't actually have to play that match. We do.
One of the greatest "big men" of the modern era against the greatest big man? Sign us up, 2K Games.
#3 "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes vs Bret "Hitman" Hart
In a lot of ways, Cody Rhodes is the Bret Hart of his generation. Not only are they both second-generation stars, but each of their fathers had a significant impact on the careers of the generation after them. Bret's father, Stu, trained countless stars in the legendary Hart Family "Dungeon," including Brian Pillman, Chris Jericho, and Edge.
As for Dusty, his training and mentorship were invaluable in the early days of NXT. Multi-time world champions like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, and Jon Moxley owe a large portion of their successes to the American Dream.
While Bret and Cody are also both incredibly technically skilled, it's their reputations and genuine white-meat babyfaces that tie them together. While they've both portrayed effective heels in the past, they really shine as good guys. They somehow managed to master the art of being wholesome, virtuous heroes - without being all obnoxious about it.
Bret's days in the ring may be over, but we can still see this match in WWE 2K24.
#4 Diesel vs Gunther
Kevin Nash is tall. Like, really tall. He's 6'10" tall. And, even at 64 years old, he's still a monster. He genuinely looks like someone who could lift a grown man off the ground with one hand and toss him all the way to the other side of the street - without even really thinking about it.
You know who else is like that? Gunther. Formerly known as WALTER, WWE's longest reigning Intercontinental Champion stands at 6'4" - not as tall as Nash but, let's be honest, is more likely taller than you - and looks like he could take that guy Deisel just threw across the street and eat him with one bite.
Nash and Gunther aren't just monsters - they're lean, athletic monsters with a lot of power. Pitting them against each other in WWE 2K24 would make for some seriously intense bouts.
#5 Chyna vs Rhea Ripley
WWE Hall of Famer Chyna was a trailblazer for women in pro wrestling. She was the first woman to hold a men's title - the Intercontinental Championship. She frequently faced off against - and routinely defeated - male wrestlers.
Most importantly, Chyna proved that a female performer could be athletic, intimidating, and dominating without being a monster or a lunatic (think - and no disrespect meant to - Awesome Kong or Luna Vachon.)
She not only paved the way for the likes of Beth Phoenix, Nia Jax, and Asuka but also for the current Women's World Champion, Rhea Ripley. The Eradicator, much like Chyna before her, is more than capable of holding her own - and then some - against anyone on the WWE roster.
Dominik Mysterio's "Mami" vs Eddie Guerrero's "Mamacita" - book it in WWE 2K24 today!
#6 CM Punk vs Stone Cold Steve Austin ('01)
Out of all the matches listed in this feature, CM Punk vs Stone Cold Steve Austin is probably the one with the most chance of happening. I mean, it won't. Austin has had just one match in a WWE ring since WrestleMania XIX and doesn't seem especially anxious to get back in the ring again.
However, the prospect of a bout against the Voice of the Voiceless might be enough to lure him back for just one more match.
Until that happens (or doesn't, most likely), you can make this dream match come true in WWE 2K24. Or, at least, you'll be able to do so after May 15, when Punk is added to the game as part of the "ECW Punk Pack" DLC.
#7 "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock vs Shinsuke Nakamura
It sometimes goes unrecognized - and unfairly so - just how big a deal Ken Shamrock joining WWE was. While MMA and UFC were just starting to enter the public eye, Shamrock's success there led to a bit of mainstream exposure. He was crowned the first UFC Superfight Champion (a title that would eventually evolve into the UFC Heavyweight Championship.)
"The World's Most Dangerous Man" had his share of success in WWE as well, winning the Intercontinental and Tag Team championships, and was crowned King of the Ring in 1998.
Shinsuke Nakamura's career has also taken quite a similar path. While he doesn't have the extensive mixed martial arts history that Shamrock does, he does have a 3-1 record in the sport. He has also held the Intercontinental and Tag Team championships in WWE and was also King of the Ring at one point.
While Shamrock's relationship with WWE has greatly improved over the years - thus his inclusion in this year's game - it's unlikely that the 60-year-old fighter will step back in the squared circle ever again. However, it can happen in WWE 2K24.
#8 "The Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino vs "The Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns
WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino is one of the greatest - if not the greatest - WWE Champions of all time. Over the course of two championship reigns, Sammartino held the belt for an astounding 4,040 days - well over a decade.
The current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, is making history of his own. As of March 7, Reigns has held his title for a full 1,285 days. Only Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Hulk Hogan have had longer title reigns. If Roman makes it out of WrestleMania XL with his title, he's got a good chance of surpassing the Hulkster, as well.
So, having these two powerhouses face off in the ring in WWE 2K24 feels like a dream match come true. Virtually, anyway.
#9 The Steiner Brothers vs The Creed Brothers
Two brothers from the Midwest with significant collegiate wrestling credentials turn pro, form a tag team, and stun the sports entertainment world with their technical skills and absolute brute force. Of course, we're talking about... uh... wait, who are we talking about?
Rick and Scott Steiner - who individually excelled at amateur wrestling at the University of Michigan - dominated the tag team scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning the NWA/WCW, WWF, and IWGP tag team championships.
The Creed Brothers have similar backgrounds - hailing from Ohio, though attending different colleges. Brutus and Julius already have a reign as NXT Tag Team Champions under their belts - as well as claiming victory in the 2022 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic - the same year the Steiners entered the WWE Hall, coincidentally enough.
#10 John Cena vs John Cena ('02) vs "nWo" John Cena vs "Doctor of Thuganomics" John Cena vs "Elite" John Cena
This match sees John Cena as we know him today vs John Cena from 2002 vs the "nWo" John Cena as seen in the Firefly Funhouse match at WrestleMania 36 vs "Doctor of Thuganomics" John Cena vs John Cena as an action figure.
Who wouldn't want to see that match?
Got any dream matches you wanna see in WWE 2K24? Head over to the discussion/comments section, and let's hear 'em.
Feel free to check out our review of WWE 2K24.
