WWE 2K23 cover star predictions

WWE 2K23 is going to be revealed soon, so we've made our picks for which wrestler will feature on the game's cover

As with any annual sports franchise, WWE 2K23 is inevitable. It’s been reported by PWInsider and Fightful that last weekend saw several wrestlers take to the streets of Los Angeles to film a trailer for the upcoming game. This means that an official reveal is drawing near so speculation is running wild for all sorts of things.

Which wrestlers will make the game’s roster? Which will be held back for DLC? What new features are on their way? Before we get to any of those questions though, we need to talk about the game’s cover star. This is the superstar(s) around which the entire marketing of the game centers around. Since 2K took the reigns of the series 2013 we’ve seen a mix of contemporary stars and WWE legends grace the cover, so who knows what’s in store for 2K23.

We’ve put together a few predictions of men and women who are worthy of such a huge spot, and we think are in with a chance at getting the job. Any wrestler who has already been on a cover under 2K’s banner is disqualified though, as they don’t seem to be keen on repeats.

If you're looking for more sporting action while you wait for WWE 2K23 to release, check out our list of the best sports games.

Cody Rhodes

No one in the history of wrestling has had a journey quite like Cody Rhodes. When he left WWE in 2016, he was at the bottom of the food chain. However, over the course of a few years, he went from undesirable to undeniable – as the man himself puts it. He was one of the founding members of AEW and was one of the most anti-WWE men on the planet in 2019.

Still, time makes fools of us all, and in early 2022 Cody made the decision to leave the company he helped create to return to WWE an infinitely bigger star than when he left. He caused one of the loudest crowd reactions of the year when he returned at WrestleMania, then went on to have one of 2022’s greatest matches, beating Seth Rollins inside Hell in a Cell with his pectoral muscle legitimately ripped completely off the bone.

He should be returning from injury soon and is one of the frontrunners for the men’s Royal Rumble next month, potentially even being the man to topple Roman Reigns’ 800-day reign as world champion.

Ronda Rousey

When it comes to a mainstream star that even non-wrestling fans might recognize, you can’t go wrong with Ronda Rousey.

The former UFC fighter joined WWE in 2018 and had a very successful (if slightly controversial run) through to early 2019 when she left the company. It wasn’t clear if she would ever return, but in January 2022, just a few months after giving birth, she returned to win the Royal Rumble.

She’s remained with WWE ever since, is the current Smackdown Women’s Championship, and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, so she could be the perfect star for this year’s cover.

The Undertaker

With the deadman’s 30-year career finally coming to an end in 2020, now seems like the perfect time to honor the living legend by putting him on the cover of WWE 2K23.

The phenom’s career would make for an excellent campaign mode, similar to Rey Mysterio’s career from WWE 2K22. With iconic rivalries from every corner of WWE history, 2K could put together a very comprehensive look at The Undertaker’s career.

On top of that, the iconography of the deadman is very striking, to the point where many non-wrestling fans may recognize it. It’ll strike that perfect balance of making the current fans happy while appealing to older generations who might not watch WWE anymore.

Rhea Ripley

If there’s one star in WWE that is virtually guaranteed to have an incredible 2023, it’s Rhea Ripley. After becoming a fan favorite in NXT through 2019/2020, she cooled off a lot when she moved to Raw, eating several losses that she probably shouldn’t have. However, since joining up with Finn Balor and Damian Priest as a member of Judgement Day, she has become a force to be reckoned with.

This version of Rhea Ripley hasn’t let anyone stand in her way, regardless of gender, and she is a serious contender to win the Royal Rumble next month. She will almost definitely be winning the Raw Women’s Championship at some point in 2023, so putting her on the video game cover is a fitting move for this rapidly rising star.

Big E

If you’re looking for a lovable face that could sell ice to an Eskimo, look no further than Big E.

The man has had quite a tragic 2022. The year started with his long-awaited WWE Championship reign being cut short after Brock Lesnar was confusingly booked to take the title from him at Day 1. He would’ve likely recovered from this set back though, but an errand botch during a match in March left him with a broken neck, which he has been slowly healing all year.

While things are looking optimistic, it is currently unclear whether Big E will ever return to the ring, but the man is still one of the most beloved wrestlers in WWE, and fans would welcome seeing his face again. Even if Big E on his own isn’t likely, featuring him alongside his stablemates in The New Day would be an easy win, especially after Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods won the NXT Tag Team Championships last weekend.

Beth Phoenix

While the “Diva” era is rightfully viewed as a dark era of women’s wrestling, there were always a few stars that felt like they were much greater than how WWE was treating them. One such wrestler was Beth Phoenix. Thankfully, since WWE starter to take women’s wrestling seriously in the mid 2010s, Phoenix has been given her dues as a pioneer, ahead of her time and trailblazing for the women of today.

If 2K wants to put a legend on this year’s cover, then Beth Phoenix is one of the best options, and the campaign mode could center around the history of women’s wrestling – even if that would involve carefully skirting around the disgusting things like the “bra and panties” matches.

Edge

Rey Mysterio, who featured on last year’s cover, filled an interesting niche as a wrestler who has an over 20-year history but is still an active wrestler today. Edge is perhaps the only other wrestler in WWE right now who can make the same claim.

The Rated R Superstar was originally forced into retirement in 2011 due to nagging neck injuries that could have left him in a wheelchair. Thankfully, medical technology advanced to the point where he was able to get back into in-ring condition by 2020, making a triumphant comeback.

Since then he’s had some incredible feuds with the stars of today, securing his place as one of the all-time greats. He still has some gas left in the tank, but he’s recently said he doesn’t plan to keep wrestling for much longer, so now would be the perfect time to put Edge front and center in WWE 2K23.

Charlotte Flair

If there’s one thing the past 7-years have taught us, it’s to never bet against Charlotte Flair. Ever since her debut on Raw she has been unbelievably dominant, to the point where fans have grown frustrated and tired with her being shoved in their faces all the time.

Admittedly that’s not the best position for a video game star to be in, but that doesn’t change the fact that Charlotte remains one of WWE’s most recognizable names and biggest stars. A staring role on a WWE video game cover is bound to happen one day, so why not WWE 2K23?

Charlotte has had a strange 2022. She beat Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania but then lost her Championship to Rousey just a month later. After that, she took some time off in May to get married and hasn’t returned to the ring since then. Multiple sources have said she’s going to be returning soon – probably for the Royal Rumble – so the timing would line up nicely for the game’s reveal.

Drew McIntyre

One of the biggest success stories of the past few years, Drew McIntyre is an easy choice for WWE 2K23.

His journey is an inspiring one. After being released from WWE in 2014, Drew transformed himself, adding a tonne of muscle, growing a beard, and selling out indie shows up and down the UK. He rejoined WWE in 2017 and slowly but surely rose the ranks, winning the 2020 Royal Rumble and beating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, holding it for the majority of the following year.

He’s had a pretty good time of it in 2022, even if he hasn’t recaptured the world title just yet. He put on a fantastic performance at Clash at the Castle in Wales against Roman Reigns, and while he’s cooled off a bit since then, fans are always looking for an excuse to go crazy for him.

Bianca Belair

In terms of people who deserve the featured spot as WWE 2K23’s cover star, there’s no one above Bianca Belair.

While she never won the big one in NXT, she developed her in-ring skills and character work to the point where her potential star power was undeniable in 2020. Thankfully, those behind the scenes at WWE saw this potential too, as she won the women’s Royal Rumble in 2021 and won the Smackdown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania that year.

She repeated the feat one year later, beating Becky Lynch at WrestleMania in 2022, this time for the Raw Women’s Championship, a title she still holds to this day. It’s likely she’ll make the 365-day mark as champion, and she’s still as beloved by fans now as she was a couple of years ago. It makes all the sense in the world for her to be the cover star for WWE 2K23.