3 best cover stars of the WWE 2K franchise

Earlier today, WWE 2K revealed that Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair will feature as the cover stars for WWE 2K24.

Having been three of the standard bearers for the company over the past 12 months, Rhodes, Ripley, and Bianca are very much deserving of this prestigious spot.

Over the years, many other top superstars have featured on the front cover of the 2K video game series, so join us as we take a look at three of the best to have graced the cover.

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#3 - The Tribal Chief of WWE

In 2019, 2K made history as it had the first female superstar feature on the cover of one of its pro wrestling games. Becky Lynch was front and center, and alongside her was the reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.

For almost a decade, Roman Reigns has been positioned as the face of the company, with him main-eventing WrestleMania an astonishing seven times as well as having won multiple world titles.

His current reign has seen him transition from a modern star into one of the greatest of all time, as he has held the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship for 1,239 days and counting.

One person who has touted the 2k20 cover star's praises for almost the entirety of this decade so far is Paul Heyman, with him hailing Roman as The GOAT while speaking on ESPN's First Take:

"He’s ‘the Tribal Chief.’ He’s the highest box-office attraction in the history of not only sports or entertainment, but of sports entertainment. He has smashed every box-office record that WWE has ever had, not just domestically, but all over the world on a global basis. He has done it in Saudi Arabia, he has done it in the UK, he has done it in Mexico, he’s done it in Canada, he’s done it here the United States. He continues to do it on SmackDown every Friday night, just topping the previous Friday nights."

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#2 - The Beast has been virtually unleashed

When 2K took over the production rights for WWE's video games in 2013, the first few cover stars they used were legends such as The Rock, John Cena and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Following those three, Brock Lesnar featured on the 2k17 cover.

Debuting for the company in 2002, Brock has established himself as one of the top attractions in the business as well as potentially the most physically intimidating and athletic superstar in history.

Brock's accolades speak for themselves. Having won 10 world championships across three different decades, The Beast has also won multiple Royal Rumbles and the Money in the Bank contract, as well as having main-evented WrestleMania on five occasions.

During a recent interview on Busted Open Radio, Ric Flair hailed Brock Lesnar as one of the all-time greats, praising both his in-ring and mic skills.

"I texted Brock, ‘Brother, you’re a special kind of cat. You’ve gone from being a great attraction a good worker, to a great worker.’ He is a great worker right now. He’s in a class of great. He can do anything, and it looks real. I only wrestled him a couple of times and I used to say, ‘Remember, I’m just a little bit older than you buddy.’ [Laughs]. He never hurt me. Brock is like Brody [Bruiser Brody], except Brody was probably a little meaner. Brock is pretty intimidating. The minute they gave Brock the mic instead of Heyman talking, he’s great. He’s great on the mic."

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#1 - The GOAT can be seen in the game

While many top stars have appeared on the 2k cover, only one has been featured on the cover more than once.

That distinct honor falls upon the shoulders of the man many call the greatest of all time, John Cena. The 16-time World Champion first featured on the 2k15 cover and then again on 2k23.

Like many other stars who have been on the cover, Cena is undoubtedly one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time, having won multiple world titles and main-evented WrestleMania.

Speaking on his self-titled podcast, the Kurt Angle show, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle hailed Cena as the greatest superstar of all time.

"Looking back, I mean, at the career he has had. He is the greatest WWE Superstar of all time because he won 16 WWE world titles," noted Kurt Angle. "He is the only one to do that. Ric Flair won world titles in other companies. John Cena has done it only in the WWE, and that's what makes him stand out."

With him working in Hollywood more often these days, Cena's appearances in the company are now far and few between. Therefore, when he does return, fans, as well as Cena himself, will be sure to savor every moment of his time in the ring.