It's now been almost two decades since Brock Lesnar destroyed the SmackDown ring by superplexing Big Show from the top turnbuckle, but the reverberations of that epic moment can still be felt today. Sadly, players of the latest WWE 2K title aren't able to recreate it exactly due to the Big Show not being in the game, but it is still possible to break the ring in WWE 2K22.
Unlike earlier WWE games, however, in which destroying the ring was considered a special OMG Moment, WWE 2K22 allows players to break the ring in just about any one on one match providing a few special conditions are met. It can be a little tricky to pull off, but the end results are well worth it and feel every bit as emphatic as that unforgettable moment from way back in 2003.
How to Break the Ring in WWE 2K22
In order to break the ring in WWE 2K22, the "K.O." option will need to be turned on. This can be accomplished by pressing the Triangle / Y button from the superstar select screen to enter the settings menu and then entering the "Custom Match Rules" submenu. The option for knockouts is on the first page and can be toggled on and off using the D-Pad. To speed up the process, players may also want to turn default health down to "Low" on page 3, but this isn't necessary to break the ring.
With the options all sorted, it's now time for players to choose a couple of superstars. Obviously, it's important that the player-controlled wrestler is actually able to perform a superplex, though as there's no way of checking this from the menu, players may need to play around with a few to find one who can. Alternatively, they can just choose The Undertaker '95, Kane, or the Beast Incarnate himself Mr. Brock Lesnar; all of whom can perform superplexes. Players can pick whoever they'd like for the other wrestler, providing that they are in the Super Heavyweight class.
Once the match gets started, players will need to deal some damage to the enemy so that either their body or their head turns yellow. If default health is set to low, this should only take around 30 seconds, but on default settings, it can take a minute or two depending on the player's skill level. Once they're ready, players should Irish whip their opponent into one of the turnbuckles and then walk over to them and flick the right analog stick up.
If done correctly, this will cause the player-controlled wrestler to lift their opponent up onto the top turnbuckle, after which, players will simply need to perform a grapple using Circle / B. Assuming they're able, the player's superstar will then perform a superplex, which should result in the entire ring being destroyed. If not, they should deal a bit more damage and then try the superplex again.
For the ring to actually break, the other wrestler needs to be knocked out, so the player's aim is to dish out enough damage to their opponent so that a superplex is enough to push them over the edge. It's important to note though that the ring won't always break even if all of the conditions are met, so players may need to try this a few times in order to get it to work. However, it does tend to work more often than not, so players should be able to trigger a ring break sooner rather than later.
WWE 2K22 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.