25 Wrestlers Who Should Be Playable Characters in WWE '12

I have been a fan of WWE video games ever since the original NES system. Throughout the years I have watched as the games have progressed from 2D with four moves to being as close to real as you can get.

One thing I have loved about WWE games is that they generally include some of the older wrestlers fans love who no longer wrestle.

With WWE '12 right around the corner THQ has started revealing who will be downloadable as legend characters.

Batista was the first person announced recently as a downloadable character, but he is not who I had in mind when the term "legends" was being used.

The Rock is playable is you preorder the game, but other than that there is not a ton of information regarding which legends will be playable in the game other than the inclusion of Brock Lesnar and the regular roster.

I figured this presented a good opportunity to list the top 25 wrestlers who I would like to see included as playable characters who are not normally included in WWE video games. The list is in no particular order so seeing someone in the beginning does not mean they are valued any higher than someone at the end.

Tag teams will also be listed as a single entry so the list will have over 25 actual names. I am also trying to focus on guys who have not been in a video game in the last few years which is why you won't see names like Bret Hart and Lex Luger on the list, because they have been in recent versions of the games.

Ted Dibiase

The Million Dollar Man was a staple in video game rosters in the early days of video games. His status as a legend in the business is undeniable, which would make him a great addition to the game.

With his son being a current WWE wrestler it also presents an opportunity to create a father vs. son storyline to be downloaded at a later time.

Ted Dibiase is one of those wrestlers who many people were surprised never won the world title in WCW or WWE.

His heel character was easily one of the most hated in his day and he is so well respected that the first few notes of his entrance music make fans cheer.

I know WWE included him a few years ago along with Dusty Rhodes and Bob Orton as playable because of their sons, and I think they should bring Dibiase back again.

I would also think that having Virgil as a non-playable manager would be enjoyable for the old school fans as well.

"Superstar" Billy Graham

To the best of my knowledge Billy Graham has never been in a wrestling video game, and part of the reason for that is because the bulk of his career took place before video games were common place.

Superstar Billy Graham was said by many to be way ahead of his time. His outrageous look and personality helped him to stand out from the more average looking wrestlers of his day.

In a time when simple trunks and boots were the standard ting attire Billy Graham changed the game by wearing bright colors and having crazy looking facial hair and hairstyles.

Having Billy Graham would be a nice inclusion for some of the older fans who enjoy playing video games as well as the younger fans who enjoy the history behind wrestling.

Big Boss Man

One of the more memorable gimmicks from my childhood was the nightstick wielding badass known as The Big Boss Man.

He may not have been a main eventer, but his tough attitude and tougher in ring style made him a standout wrestler in the nineties.

His most notable WWE feud may have been with his Canadian counterpart The Mountie. The two men engaged in an intense feud, which saw The Mountie repeatedly use his stun gun on Boss Man.

Legion of Doom

Arguably one of the most popular tag teams of all time, the Legion of Doom would make a good addition to any wrestling game.

Hawk and Animal helped revolutionize tag team wrestling in the 80's up through the 90's. Their legacy has lived on to this day as being one of the most entertaining tag teams of all time.

With their trademark face paint and spiked shoulder pads the LOD made sure that anyone who saw them or went up against them would remember them for as long as they lived.

There were rumors of one match many years ago where LOD refused to job too a much newer team, so they changed the finish of the match without telling anyone else involved.

Despite this, they still remained employed after Vince McMahon tore them a new one after the match was over.

I would love to be able to play as Hawk and Animal and go up against some of today's tag teams.

Since posting this article I have learned that they will in fact be playable in WWE '12, so woohoo!

Doink the Clown

I don't care what anyone says about this one, Doink was a huge part of the WWE in the early 90's and his character in the WWF arcade game was easily the funnest to play as.

Doink was a strange character because he looked like a simple clown, but in reality he was played up to be very demented and messed with people's minds.

His most memorable feud was with Jerry the King Lawler, which culminated in a match at Survivor Series where each wrestler was accompanied by a group of little people.

These served as their team mates in a traditional elimination match.

Anyone who played the WWF arcade game probably has fond memories of using Doink's signature mallet to dish out a severe amount of damage to their opponents.

I would love to be able to play as Doink and relive his feud with Jerry Lawler, who will also be a playable character from what I hear.

Maybe they could even include Dink as someone who could fight against Hornswoggle.

Macho Man Randy Savage

With Macho Man suffering an unfortunate accident which took his life this past year it would be a nice way for WWE to show some respect for him by including him in the game.

I know Randy and WWE have not seen eye to eye for a few years but there seemed to be some softening from the two sides in recent years as Randy had agreed to be used for an action figure, a video game and a DVD set within the last year.

Savage is one of the most popular wrestlers of all time and his impact on the business is undeniable. CM Punk has been using his trademark flying elbow drop since his passing as a way of honoring Savage.

I always loved Randy Savage because he was one of the more engaging characters. His raspy voice and strange behavior made him seem different that other wrestlers of his generation.

Including Miss Elizabeth as a valet would also be a nice touch. This may be one of the more unrealistic people on the list to be included but there are many people who would love to play as The Macho Man.

"The Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich

The Von Erich family are one of the most well known wrestling dynasties in the history of the sport. Only the Hart clan outnumbered the amount of wrestlers in the family.

Kerry Von Erich was the most successful of the brothers and had a brief run with WWF in the early 80's as The Texas Tornado character.

As The Tornado Von Erich won the Intercontinental Title from Mr. Perfect and defended the belt for three months before eventually losing it back to Hennig.

Unfortunately, Kerry Von Erich died in 1993 after committing suicide at his father's ranch. Of all the Von Erich brothers, Kerry is probably the most well known.

Some fans may remember Kerry's daughter Lacey having a rather unsuccessful run in TNA.

The Von Erich family have never been represented in a video game as far as I can tell from research, and with the family having been inducted into the hall of fame in 2009 it would make sense to use them in an occasional video game.

Sid Justice/Vicious

Psycho Sid Vicious is someone I don't hear about much these days and I never really understand why. He was a monster of a man who made waves in both WCW and WWE.

He had notable feuds with guys like Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash and is a former world champions. He was one of the many big men who used the powerbomb to put his opponents down.

Sid was a wrestler who kind of faded away without much attention being paid to his exit. He never really broke through as a top guy despite being in and out of the main event scene in both companies.

His highest profile feud was with Shawn Michaels, which saw the two men as both allies and enemies. Sid is probably not in anyone's top 10 list of greatest wrestlers, but for me he was a memorable character.

Vader

One of the toughest men to ever lace up a pair of boots never seems to get much love when it comes to the video games.

Vader is known world wide as being one of the best big wrestlers to ever step foot in the ring. I once read a story about how his eye popped out during a match, and he just popped it back in. That's a tough guy.

Being a former world champion and father of an up and coming wrestler in FCW it would make perfect sense to include Vader.

He had notable runs in both WCW and WWE where he held world championships and feuded with top talents like Sting and Bret Hart.

To play as Vader would be awesome because he was such an unstoppable wrestler back in his day and memories of his matches are still fresh in my mind.

Since posting this article I have learned that he will in fact be playable in WWE '12, so woohoo!

Brian Pillman

Another wrestler who left a lasting impact on the business who we also lost way too soon is Brian Pillman. The high flyer was known in many different promotions as one of the craziest people alive.

Pill man first started out in WCW, moved on to ECW and then ended his career in WWE. He is one of the few people to ever be successful in all three brands. Even RVD never saw success in WCW.

Pillman was a member of the Hart Foundation towards the end of his career and as a part of one of the best stables in WWE history I think having him in the game would excite quite a bit of people.

Pillman's most memorable WWE feud was with Steve Austin. The two had a long history having been a tag team called The Hollywood Blonds back in WCW.

The one segment people seem to remember the most saw Austin break into Pillman's house with Pillman brandishing a gun.

The segment was deemed almost too much for USA network and was cut short when it aired. Having Brian Pillman as one of the playable characters would be a good move by WWE for those fans who remember him fondly.

Owen Hart

Before anyone says that this will never happen let me state that I realize the position of Owen's widow on not having him appear in anything WWE-related.

That does not mean I am not allowed to want to play as Owen. He was one of the more talented wrestlers to never hold a world title in his day.

Owen was also the only member of the Hart family to not leave the WWE after Bret left during the Montreal incident.

His fans still have fond memories of the King of Harts and many of them would love to be able to play as Owen. Luckily with WWE's custom creator dedicated fans have been able to make realistic representations of the youngest Hart brother for others to download.

I would love to see WWE and Owen's widow come to terms so he can be put in the game for all of his fans to enjoy.

Men on a Mission

Before he was Bigg Daddy V, before he was Viscera and before he was King Mabel, he was simply known as Mabel and he was part of a tag team called Men on a Mission.

Together with his partner Mo and Mable worked the WWE tag team division for years. They had a hip hop gimmick and they would come to the ring wearing bright yellow and purple attire.

They are one of the teams that was around when I first started really getting into wrestling and I have many memories of them feuding with other tag teams like Well Dunn and the Heavenly Bodies.

Mo has sort of fallen off the map but Mable was still around up until a few years ago when he was playing Big Daddy V. At that time he was actually one of WWE's longest standing employees.

2 Cold Scorpio/Flash Funk

In ECW he was known as 2 Cold Scorpio, but in the WWF he was known as Flash Funk. He would come to the ring with beautiful women on his arms and he would usually be dancing as well.

His trademark bodysuit with lightning bolt design and huge boots made it hard to miss this talented wrestler.

Scorpio was someone who didn't look like he should be able to pull off the high flying moves he performed, but he did them with the grace and expertise of a veteran.

To this day, I still have never seen someone perform a backflip leg drop like Scorpio used to.

His time in ECW was much better for him than his time in the WWF as he was the holder of every ECW championship at the same time at one point.

He may not be the most remembered wrestler, but he is one of the most talented of his day.

New Age Outlaws

Having worked for TNA the past several years made it impossible for Billy Gunn and Road Dogg to come back to WWE through a video game character, but that is all different now.

BG James is working for WWE again, and Billy Gunn is no longer a TNA employee so now would be the perfect time to bring the New Age Outlaws back to the WWE Universe.

Their antics when they first teamed up was partly what made DX possible. Shawn and Hunter were the driving force behind the team, but it was Billy Gunn and Road Dogg who were raising hell in the WWE before DX came along.

These two guys still remain one of many people's favorite tag teams and together they made a great team. Both men had been through several gimmicks in WWE before being paired up and it ended up being a match made in heaven.

I think reforming the full DX stable and playing as the New Age Outlaws is something many fans would really enjoy.

Adam Bomb

Bryan Clark is someone many fans might not remember too well, but I have some great memories of his career.

My first exposure to him was when he was playing the character of Adam Bomb. His gimmick was that of a survivor of the Three Mile Island incident.

He was a part of Harvey Whipplemans stable at one point and looked poised to be getting a big push from WWF early one before being released due to backstage issues with Scott Hall.

He went to WCW where he was part of the Blood runs cold storyline. After being injured he returned and used his real name while forming a tag team with Bryan Adams.

Together they returned to WWE in 2001 as a tag team called Kronik. After being sent to developmental to work off ring rust, Clark was released.

I know he may not be the most memorable character in WWE history but he was a pretty popular wrestler for being a heel.

Brian "Crush" Adams

Speaking of Brian Adams, he is another wrestler who I feel had a good enough career to deserve a legend appearance.

Unfortunately for wrestling fans Adams passed away from what is believed to be a drug overdose in 2007. His time in the industry saw some degree of success, but also had it's hurdles.

In the WWF he was known as Crush. The face painted warrior was a member of the team known as Demolition, which despite being a knockoff of the Legion of Doom found their own popularity among fans.

Crush left WWE for a short time before returning as Kona Crush. This gimmick lasted a few years before he was placed in the Nation of Domination.

After being kicked out of the Nation he formed the Deciples of Apocalypse, a biker gang stable which feuded with the Nation and Savio Vega's Los Boricuas stables.

Adams was never a huge standout wrestler, but he has many memorable feuds and angles which could merit an appearance in a video game.

Fans of the team Demolition would love Crush to come back to the WWE universe in some form.

The Headshrinkers

The team of Fatu and Samu were one of the most dominant forces in all of wrestling. Together they held tag team gold in numerous federations including WCW and WWF.

One of the most memorable things about The Headshrinkers was that they would always no sell attacks to the head.

They were billed as having very hard heads that were impervious to pain and if someone tried to head butt one of them they would often hurt themselves more than one of the Headshrinkers.

Belonging to the Anoa'i family makes them part of a legacy in wrestling that goes back decades. Wrestling as the Headshrinkers in a new WWE video game would be great for long time fans of the Samoan wrestling family.

The Wild Samoans

Another tag team from the famous Anoa'i family that deserves an appearance is The Wild Samoans. Afa and Sika comprised the tag team which would end up holding more than 20 tag team titles from all over the world.

The two legends found success in the AWA, NWA and WWF as well as numerous smaller promotions all over the world. Their manager was none other than the legendary Captain Lou Albano.

One thing that was different about their history from other tag teams was that both men had decent singles careers while still teaming together. In fact both men had opportunities at the WWF championship while it was being held by Bob Backlund.

Oddly enough The pair's last major feud was against Rocky Johnson and Jimmy Snuka. Snuka is also a member of their extended family while Johnson is known for being The Rock's father, also a member of the family.

Sherri Martel

Many people say Sunny was the first true WWE Diva, but I beg to differ. I think the title of first Diva will always belong to Sensational Sherri.

Not only was Sherri an accomplished wrestler but she also managed some of the biggest names in the history of the business.

Guys like Ric Flair, Macho Man, Shawn Michaels and teams like Harlem Heat and The Heavenly Bodies received managerial services from the sensational one.

Sherri is one of the most well known managers of the 80's and 90's but she was also a great wrestler in her own right.

Including her as a a playable character or even just a manager would be great because it would be a call back to the days when most major wrestlers had a manager like Sherri.

Jacques Rougeau

Another name who may not sound familiar to some of today's younger fans is Jacques Rougeau. He is arguably one of the best tag teams wrestlers in history and had decent success in several places.

He originally started in the WWF teaming with Ray Rougeau calling themselves the Rougeau brothers, but the team did not last for long as Ray retired in 1991.

His next gimmick was the Mountie, a Canadian answer to the Big Boss Man. The two law enforcement based characters had a feud which eventually saw Boss Man get the upper hand.

His next tag team was with Pierre Oulet and they were known as the Quebecers, a French-Canadian tag team.

The two found relative success in WWF before moving to WCW and being called the Amazing French Canadians.

Jacques holds the distinction of being one of a select few people to hold a clean pinfall victory over Hulk Hogan. Hogan has said that he put over Rougeau because of his respect for his family.

Jacques Rougeau had a great career and would be a welcome addition to WWE games by many fans of the Canadian legend.

John "Earthquake" Tenta

Another name that might not sound so familiar is John Tenta, but many fans will recognize the name Earthquake.

Earthquake wrestled in the WWF for roughly four years under the name Earthquake, during that time he became very close friends with Hulk Hogan.

After leaving WWF for WCW he changed his name to Avalanche, but after WWF threatened legal action his name was changed to the Shark.

He even changed his tiger tattoo to that of a shark in hopes that the gimmick would last a long time. His biggest feud was against a member of the Dungeon of Doom called Big Bubba Rogers.

The two faced off numerous times with Rogers shaving off portions of Tenta's hair on occasion. The two eventually stopped their feud when Tenta joined Roddy Piper's Family stable in 1997.

He returned to WWE for a short time as part of the Oddities stable. He last appeared for WWE during the WrestleMania 17 gimmick battle royal under the Earthquake name.

Tenta was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2004 and forced to retire from the ring. In 2006, Tenta passed away after his battle with cancer.

Bringing Earthquake into the WWE '12 video game would be nice for fans from that era to relive some great matches from the big man.

Arn Anderson

Ric Flair may be unable to be in the game doe to his involvement with TNA, but that does not mean Arn Anderson can't be in it.

Anderson was one of the main members of the Four Horseman stable during the entirety of it's run in WCW. He was paired with Ole Anderson and the two were billed as brothers due to their similar appearance.

Anderson is said by many to be the best wrestler to never win a world title, which I would say is a fair assessment.

His in-ring technical skills are second to none and the long time veteran of the ring is currently an employee of WWE, which would make it easy for them to incorporate him into the game.

While many fans would rather have the whole four horseman stable in the game, I would be happy if just Arn had a spot in the game.

I have always felt that he did not stand out enough due to his plain look, but his in ring work spoke volumes to where he is still one of the most respected names in the business.

Having him included in the game would be a great way to pay tribute to one of wrerstling's hardest working men.

Since posting this article I have learned that he will in fact be playable in WWE '12, so woohoo!

Barry Windham

Barry Windham was one of those guys that wrestled just about anywhere there was a ring available and an opponent willing to face him.

He found success in most places as well, having been a world champion in NWA and a tag team champion in numerous places with many different partners.

His most famous tag team partner is Mike Rotunda AKA Irwin R Scheister. The two held tag gold in NWA as well as the WWF.

He also held tag gold with the likes of Mike Graham, Dustin Rhodes, Tully Blanchard, Lex Luger and Curt Hennig.

Windham also teamed with JBL and the two were called the New Black Jacks before Windham left for WCW once again.

Barry Windham is a well respected legend in the wrestling business who always seems to get forgotten when people talk about the all time greats.

I would like to see Barry appear in the game with a couple of his different gimmicks throughout the years as different attires.

Mike Rotunda

Another legend the WWE already has on their payroll who could factor into the game is Mike Rotunda, better known to WWE fans as IRS.

Rotunda is another wrestler, who like Windham, wrestled all over the world for just about every promotion that mattered.

His biggest success was in WWF as Ted Dibiase's tag team partner. The Tax Man, as he was called, was a stiff worker in the ring who brought experience that could be used to help mold the future stars of the company.

He had several gimmicks over the years including being a member of The Varsity Club as well as Mr. Wallstreet during a period with WCW.

Rotunda makes occasional appearances for WWE as IRS when they need someone for a comedy segment or gimmick battle royal.

He was generally a heel, but if you look hard enough you can find some of his babyface work as well.

I think including Mike Rotunda with a few attires for his Varsity Club and IRS gimmicks would be a nice call back to the old days for many WWE fans.

King Kong Bundy

When I first started watching wrestling, the heel who I hated the most was King Kong Bundy. The guy was just so big and mean that I couldn't stand to look at him, which meant he was doing his job very well.

Bundy was one of the bigger men of his day and his 10 year run in WWE saw him feud with some of the biggest names in the business.

Bundy's biggest match came when he headlined WrestleMania II with Hulk Hogan. The two faced off in a steel cage match which saw Hogan retain his WWF Championship.

Bundy was sent from stable to stable as he was mainly used as a monster heel who would get over the babyfaces of the company under the guidance of managers like Jimmy Hart, Ted Dibiase and Bobby Heenan.

Bundy disappeared from the national wrestling scene in 1995, making a few indi appearances here and there.

He has also appeared in some TV shows and movies, most notably on Married With Children where the title families name is Bundy.

King Kong Bundy is someone I always think of when I think of wrestling the 80's and I would love to see him show up in a WWE video game.

So that's it folks, the end of the list. If there is anyone I left off the list you feel should have been included leave a comment below.