Highlights

  • Playing as famous celebrities in wrestling games can be surprisingly fun and entertaining, showcasing their unique moves and styles.
  • Some celebrities, like Mike Tyson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, bring their iconic personas and signature moves into the virtual wrestling ring.
  • From classic icons like Andy Kaufman to modern stars like Bad Bunny and Logan Paul, these playable characters add excitement to wrestling games.

The concept of celebrities appearing at wrestling shows has become a pretty common occurrence ever since the sport really started reaching mainstream popularity. Sometimes, this can be nothing more than a brief cameo, but on other occasions, these famous individuals will actually decide to prove their worth in the ring. Though not all of them have been very fun to watch, there have actually been a decent amount of well-known celebrities who have poured a tremendous amount of time and effort into putting on the best show possible.

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This trend has even been carried forward into multiple wrestling games where a person who's become famous for their ventures outside of wrestling has made an appearance as a playable character, usually in the form of bonus content or extra DLC. As a result, there have been quite a few playable celebrities in wrestling games over the years, but the individuals listed below are by far the most fun to use when stepping into the squared circle.

7 Andy Kaufman (Legends Of Wrestling 2)

Andy Kaufman's Legendary Feud With Jerry Lawler Resulted In Him Playing A Big Role In Legend Of Wrestling 2's Story

Andy Kaufman entering a wrestling ring
  • Release Date: November, 2002
  • Platforms: GBA, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox
  • Developer: Acclaim Studios Salt Lake City

Longtime wrestling fans might remember that there was once a pretty heated feud between Jerry "The King" Lawler and the incredibly influential American entertainer Andy Kaufman back in the 1980s. It has since gone down as one of the most iconic rivalries in wrestling history because of how fun and over-the-top it was, but it also led to Kaufman being introduced as a wrestler in a fairly niche titled called Legends of Wrestling 2 released in 2002.

In fact, the popular comedian actually plays a pretty big role in the game's story mode, where he becomes a constant thorn in the side of Jerry, who is quickly climbing the ranks before being forced to take on his arch-nemesis. His moveset may be a little limited, but just being able to see Andy, who was a lifelong wrestling fan, make an appearance in a wrestling game at all is still a great way to show respect to the beloved entertainer.

6 Mike Tyson (WWE '13)

Iron Mike's Appearance In WWE '13 Is Packed Full Of References To His Brief Time In Degeneration-X

Mike Tyson with a D-Generation X Shirt
  • Release Date: October, 2012
  • Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
  • Developer: Yuke's

Though 2K has gradually started incorporating more and more celebrities into their wrestling games over the years, this wasn't always the case. As a result, Mike Tyson's addition to the roster in WWE '13 was actually pretty huge for the franchise, with there even being an entire trailer dedicated to just his character alone. Of course, Mike is no stranger to being in the ring, having been the referee in Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin's match at Wrestlemania 14, where he was also a loyal member of Degenration-X.

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As an homage to that classic appearance, Mike rocks his Degenration-X shirt during his appearance in WWE '13 and even goes as far as to perform the signature cross-chop celebration, which the group became synonymous with. His entrance might not be too flashy or memorable, but Mike's no-nonsense wrestling style makes him an incredibly formidable opponent, especially if he can manage to pull off his devastating Knockout Punch finisher.

5 Arnold Schwarzenegger (WWE 2K16)

Arnie Takes No Prisoners Once He Steps Off His Bike And Enters The Squared Circle In WWE 2K16

Arnold Schwarzenegger next to his motorbike
WWE 2K16

Platform(s)
PC , PS3 , PS4 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One
Released
October 27, 2015
Developer(s)
Yuke's , Visual Concepts

The announcement trailer of Arnold being in WWE 2K16, which recreates the iconic bar scene from Judgment Day with WWE wrestlers, got people madly excited about the Terminator's inclusion in the title, and it's fair to say that he most certainly didn't disappoint. Arnie actually gets two different entrances that players can choose from when picking him in the game; the first sees him appearing out of a mysterious metallic blob, which is in reference to the first Terminator movie, and the second sees him drifting his classy motorbike through a large bellow of smoke before casually strolling down to the ring.

Of course, considering how massive Arnold's physical physique is, he primarily plays as a grappler, capable of throwing people around like ragdolls and having more than a few devastating techniques up his sleeve, including a ton of backbreakers and one heck of a clothesline. This depiction of Arnold as a wrestler is an incredibly fun take on the actor, and the numerous references to his iconic role as the Terminator act as the icing on the cake to an amazing bonus character.

4 Andrew W.K. (Backyard Wrestling 2)

Andrew W.K.'s Fast And Chaotic Wrestling Style Makes Him A Blast To Play As

Andrew W.K head-banging
  • Release Date: November, 2004
  • Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox
  • Developer: Paradox Development

For a game that has "Wrestling" in the title, the majority of Backyard Wrestling 2's roster is actually made up of comedians, actors, and musicians, with one of the most exciting and fun to play being none other than pop-rock icon, Andrew W.K. Just as the name suggests, Backyard Wrestling's gameplay doesn't follow the same rules as professional wrestling since the matches all take place in back gardens, where there are plenty of objects and debris that can players can use as weapons.

Luckily, Andrew's fast and fluid fighting style complements this extremely well, allowing him to run circles around his opponent before unleashing a lightning-fast barrage of punches to take them down for good. While playing as Andrew is an absolute blast, it's also just a ton of fun watching his entrance and outro, where he can be seen head-banging to the music, sometimes, even to his own songs, since he does make up a big part of the game's catchy OST.

3 Fred Durst (WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It)

Despite Being Very Hard To Unlock, Fred Durst's Over The Top Antics Are A Joy To Watch In Smackdown! Just Bring It

Fred Durst
  • Release Date: November, 2001
  • Platform: PlayStation 2
  • Developer: Yuke's

The lead singer of Limp Bizkit himself, Fred Durst, is actually a secret character in SmackDown! Just Bring It and can be unlocked by getting 15 wins in a row on the Slobberknocker mode while using the Undertaker. Because of how obscure this secret challenge is, it means that many people back in 2001 weren't aware that Fred was even in the game, so needless to say, it came as quite a surprise when rumors started spreading that he was actually fully playable, especially considering how big the band was at the time.

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Though he's a secret character, Fred is also by far one of the flashiest and most over-the-top wrestlers in the entire game, something that is made very clear from his entrance where he performs the smash-hot "Rollin" to a sold-out crowd while standing on top of a low-rider. That's not all though, as Fred also has some pretty spectacular moves once he actually steps into the ring, especially his finisher, which sees him lifting his opponent onto his back and swinging them around numerous times before dropping them down for one final grand slam.

2 Logan Paul (WWE 2K22)

Logan's Cocky Persona Mixed With His High-Flying Expertise Results In Him Being One Of The Most Fun Wrestlers To Play In WWE 2K22

Logan Paul coming out for his entrance
WWE 2K22

Platform(s)
PS5
Released
March 11, 2022
Developer(s)
Visual Concepts

Considering the infamous persona that Logan Paul has created over the many years that he's been an entertainer, many wrestling fans were initially less than pleased that someone like him, who seemingly just wanted to earn a quick buck, would want to try his hand at professional wrestling. To everyone's surprise, though, Logan has proven time and time again that he's more than capable of duking it out with even the greatest superstars in the business today, and so, when he was introduced to the roster in WWE 2K22, his high-risk high-reward wrestling style was a ton of fun to play around with.

With that being said, though, Logan still loves to play up the fact that many people don't like him, as shown in his flashy entrance where he sports a huge luxurious coat with his own trading card strapped around his neck, all while mocking the crowd as he goes. Logan is absurdly fast in the game, making him an absolute nightmare for his opponents to deal with, but this is ultimately why he became such a fan-favorite character to play during the title's lifespan.

1 Bad Bunny (WWE 2K23)

Visual Concepts Absolutely Nailed Bad Bunny's Infectious Charisma And Electric In-Ring Skills For His Video-Game Debut

Bad Bunny walking out for his entrance
WWE 2K23

Platform(s)
PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PC
Released
March 17, 2023
Developer(s)
Visual Concepts

Bad Bunny was in a similar boat to Logan when he first made an appearance in WWE. As one of the biggest music artists on the planet, no one could have expected that he would end up being as incredible in the ring as he is, and 2K managed to absolutely nail his infectious charisma, bombastic entrance, and breathtaking high-flying fighting style in WWE 2K23. Bunny absolutely excels at catching his opponents off guard by flinging himself from the top ropes, but he's also got a plethora of lethal ground techniques that he can throw out too, such as the jaw-dropping Code Red, which is infamous for being brutally difficult to perform.

Although the motion capture and attention to detail have admittedly gotten better with every year, Bad Bunny feels like a one-to-one replica in 2K23, not only in terms of his moveset but even when he's casually strolling down to the ring and screaming out to hype the crowd up for the oncoming match. Including Bad Bunny could have easily gone horribly wrong if he was simply a gimmick or even a joke character, but thankfully, 2K gave him his flowers and presented him as an impressive wrestler who is a lot of fun to actually play in-game.

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