WWE 2K20: 5 current wrestlers that could be rated 90+ (but won't be)

It's unfortunate, but some people take the wrestler ratings in the WWE 2K games really seriously. Like, really really seriously. Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret "Hitman" Hart, for example.

It gets even weirder when you consider that the criteria used to determine these ratings aren't exactly as cut and dry as, say in the FIFA or Madden NFL games. At least with those, the players have statistics and other records to go by.

In pro wrestling, the rankings in these games aren't determined by how good a performer is at, you know... performing. They're determined by how good at pro wrestling those putting together the performance decide each wrestler is. Obviously, the performers themselves have some sway in determining that, as well as how the audience reacts to each performer and... look, it's really kind of weird, OK?

So, needless to say that, unlike our similar previous list, this one is going to be a bit more difficult to arrange. Therefore we had to add some rules and caveats and things of that nature.

First off, we went through the list of all the male wrestlers in WWE 2K19 (we're not trying to be sexist, it just made putting this list together easier - if you'd like to see a list like this about the Women's Division, let us know in the comments) and noted each one that was rated 87 or above.

We figured, at that rating, there's a good chance they could go up this year. We also only included those in last year's game, but we did include the DLC.

Then, we eliminated any part-timers, retired wrestlers or wrestlers who most likely won't be in the game next year (like Undertaker, British Bulldog and Dean Ambrose, respectively). Finally, we picked five of them that we felt were the most likely to not hit that rating above 90 - not counting any versions of the wrestler from the past the game might add (for example: current Daniel Bryan was rated 88 last year, and his 2013 version was rated 92).

We also have to take into account where each performer was around the time of WrestleMania 35. 2K Games and Yuke's have to finalize these wrestlers and their rankings at some point - and that's usually around WrestleMania. Now, can that change between then and the release date? Yeah, of course. But, for these purposes, that's our cut off point.

We told you it was confusing.

Finally, we need to point out that while we feel these guys won't get above that 90 rank doesn't mean we don't like them - in fact, just the opposite. Some of them we're massive fans of. We'll explain why they could have been ranked higher and then why we feel they won't.

Got that? OK, let's get going.

#5 Braun Strowman

WWE 2K19 rating: 89

Why he could have been: Strowman has been on and off the brink of superstardom, back and forth, more times than anyone else in recent memory. One moment, it looks like he's about to win a world title for the first time. Then, he's getting destroyed by Brock Lesnar in the time it takes someone to get a beer from the fridge.

Despite all that, though, he's consistently been portrayed as a monster and a force to be reckoned with and he frequently manhandles his opponents with ease. You never know when he's going to get that big push once again.

Why he won't be: We may not know for sure when that big push is going to be, but it certainly wasn't around WrestleMania 35, when the roster and "stats" were finalized. While he did indeed win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, it was both a match relegated to the pre-show and a showcase for celebrity involvement (Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost and Michael Che were entered as part of a "feud" with Strowman). It was good for the company, not exactly good for Strowman's standing in said company.

Despite that, the Monster Among Men still has a bright future with the company. He only began training as a wrestler in 2013 and made his main roster debut two years later.

He's come a long way in a very short time and he's been involved in some pretty big angles and stories since then - including a number of Universal Title matches. While he's come up short in those, we have no doubt that he'll get some serious singles gold eventually. But, for WWE 2K20, don't expect his ranking to go higher than 89 - if it's even that high at all.

#4 Kevin Owens

WWE 2K19 rating: 88

Why he could have been: Owens has been a pet project of Triple H ever since he was signed to NXT in 2014. Since then, he's had plenty of success in the company, winning numerous titles - including the Universal Championship in 2016. Vince McMahon clearly sees something in him, as he's one of the best heels the company has had in a long time as well as a reliable performer.

On screen, he's presented as a Prizefighter and someone willing to do whatever it takes to win a match and claim championships. While not made out to be a "monster" in the same sense Strowman or Lesnar are, Owens is still considered a threat to anybody's title as he is both powerful, skilled and devious.

Why he probably won't be: While WWE still has big plans in mind for the former U.S. and Intercontinental Champion, around the time WWE 2K20 was coming together, Owens was out of action with an injury.

Upon his return, he was thrust immediately into the Smackdown main event picture, taking Kofi Kingston's spot in a WWE Championship match against Daniel Bryan. Even then, though, he was being pushed as a babyface and, therefore, not as dangerous as he usually was.

There's certainly a chance that Owens will be seen as such a threat someday that he gets that coveted 90+ ranks, there's not much of a chance that it'll be in WWE 2K20. Sorry, Kev.

#3 Randy Orton

WWE 2K19 rating: 87

Why he could have been: The Viper is certainly a first ballot WWE Hall of Famer (not that the WWE Hall of Fame uses ballots and as long as he doesn't fall out of favor with the comp- look, you know what I meant, let's move on) and, chances are, he's probably got a few more World Championship reigns in his future. He's also only 39 years old, which isn't exactly close to retirement age in today's pro wrestling landscape.

Why he won't be: Unfortunately for the "Apex Predator", Orton's 2018-2019 hasn't exactly been eventful. While he went into WrestleMania 34 that year as United States champion, he also lost it at that same event.

After failing to regain the title afterwards, Orton underwent knee surgery, which kept him out of action for two months. At the following WrestleMania, he had a fantastic match with AJ Styles - and while it was fantastic, he didn't get the victory.

The fact of the matter is, while as great as he is, for the upcoming WWE 2K20, he just hasn't had the run to justify a 90+ rating in the game.

Of course, that doesn't mean he's not any good, kayfabe or otherwise. In fact, I expect him to be about the same rating - or close to it -he was last year. But a 90+ rating just isn't in the cards for him this October.

#2 Samoa Joe

WWE 2K19 rating: 88

Why he could have been: Samoa Joe has made a career out of proving everybody wrong, and if he proves me wrong here, I will be the first to admit it.

According to Joe himself on an episode of WWE Network's Table For 3, Joe was brought into NXT to essentially help out, and to not expect much of a push. He would soon go on to win the NXT Championship... twice. He was also told not to expect to get onto the main roster - until he debuted as part of an angle with one of the biggest stars in the company, Seth Rollins.

And, if we're going by our WrestleMania 35 cut-off point, well.... Joe not only defended his U.S. Championship against Rey Mysterio, but he did it so decisively, that if you blinked, you would have missed the entire match.

Why he won't be: Joe should honestly be a bigger star in WWE than he is right now. And there's nothing that says he won't be. He's had main event title matches in WWE in the past - some against Brock Lesnar even - and he's proven that he can perform at that level.

But, at this particular moment, Joe's simply not going to get to that 90+ rating on the next WWE 2K game. It's been a little while since he's had a shot at either of the two world championships, and that has to factor into his rating.

eday - and, hopefully, someday soon - we'll not only see Joe with a major world championship in WWE, but also a 90+ rated threat in a WWE 2K game. But, it's most likely not going to be in WWE 2K20 - as much as it should be.

#1 Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE 2K19 rating: 87

Why he should be: Well, first off, because he's awesome.

When Shinsuke Nakamura signed with the company, Nakamura was already a legend in Japan. While WWE had brought in amazing Japanese talent before (such as another legend, Hideo Itami - aka KENTA - not long before), Nakamura was something else.

Despite the language barrier (not that Nakamura's English is all that terrible), 'The King of Strong Style" connected with WWE fans in a way that was astonishing.

It wasn't long before Nakamura had won the 2018 Royal Rumble, which led to a WrestleMania 34 title match against AJ Styles. Nakamura lost the match and subsequently turned heel right afterwards. And then things kind of went downhill from there.

Why he won't be: Nakamura won the United States Championship not long after wrapping up his post-WrestleMania feud with Styles, but in a really underhanded way - he hit Jeff Hardy with a low blow and pinned him fairly quickly.

Now, as a heel, that's perfectly within character and, as a fan, I'm always going to be happy to see Nakamura win a title in WWE. But, it certainly doesn't make him stand out as a threat that garners a 90+ rating in a WWE 2K game.

Nakamura took a huge leap, personally, leaving Japan and moving to the US. According to all reports, he also really enjoys living in the States - especially his new home in Florida, which allows him plenty of opportunities to engage in one of his favorite hobbies - surfing.

That being said, Nakamura certainly hasn't been presented as the threat he has been in the past. And as much as we love the guy and want him to succeed, right now there's just no way he's getting that 90+ rating in WWE 2K20 with where his character is now.

Which is a shame, because he really should be way higher.

So, that's our list of five. What did you think? Like I said earlier, it's an odd list to put together, but it was also a lot of fun. Hit the comments section up below and share your thoughts with us!