Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
This weekend, WrestleMania 38 is going down in Los Angeles, California. As wrestling's biggest stars and fans come together for a (hopefully) spectacular show, we're thinking about how some of our favorite video game characters would be the perfect cherry on top.
Question: What video game character should make an appearance at WrestleMania?
Ah, I love wrestling. By the time this goes live, I'll be on my way to Ring of Honor's Supercard of Honor. Every Friday, my contribution to Evening Reading features a look at the realm of the squared circle. I've also played video games my whole life, so I know there is no shortage of video game characters who would fit nicely at WrestleMania.
However, of all the potential characters I could pick who would fit beautifully in something like the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale, King from Tekken is certainly the most recent. Look at him bust out this WWE-centric arsenal. He's hitting dudes with the Pedigree! What's not to love about that? Plus, we're actually seeing him cut promos into a mic! He doesn't have anything to say other than animal noises and growls, but that's still super cool. Plus, the Mexican in me loves guys in masks. Good wrestling masks are always awesome.
Mike Haggar holds a special place in my heart. To me, every pro-wrestler that has ever gone into politics was just chasing the coattails of the best mayor Metro City ever had (Sorry, Cody. Give it a few years of experience). Mike Haggar is happy to govern, happy to debate, but also just as happy to drop a spinning lariat or pile driver when the forces of politics prove futile in the face of adversity.
He may have hung up his boots and tights, but it never stopped Mike from throwing down when the time called for it. He joined Cody, Guy, and other do-good brawlers in taking down the Mad Gear Gang many times over. And even before that he had grabbed championship gold in Saturday Night Slam Masters. He’s a man who has achieved all sorts of things, but if he made a surprise appearance at Wrestlemania? I would pop. Stuff Taker in the casket, send Ric Flair into retirement for realsie reals, and bring the Mayor of Metro City in for a surprise match. Bonus points if he brings the olive khakis and one suspender back.
You could assume that I’m picking R. Mika from the Street Fighter series due to her skimpy outfit and brutal buns of steel. But really I just prefer Japanese pro wrestlers over the US ones. Their fighting styles tend to have a bit more flair for the dramatic and be more acrobatic than a lot of the bulkier WWE wrestler styles and I’d prefer to see a high-flying performance. Mika tends to use a lot of high-flying throws and tosses that usually set her opponents up for a brutal body-slam finish of some sorts and that’s my kind of entertainment. And yes, admittedly, I do find it utterly hilarious that she can effortlessly destroy an opponent using only her butt.
Either with his MJOLNIR armor or without, it doesn’t matter, Master Chief would clean up at WrestleMania. While he typically fights with weapons, he’s more than capable of fighting with fists, feet, and all the other pointy bits of the human body. In fact, he was able to dispatch a group of ODSTs when just a teenager so a couple of blokes in a ring shouldn’t be an issue.
Smash Bros. fans didn’t get to see Wario’s buddy join the massive roster in the ultimate video game crossover, but Wrestlemania with Waluigi as a special guest wrestler would be a nice consolation prize. With vast experience in several Mario sports franchises, Waluigi could probably make some noise in the WWE. From Tennis, to Golf, and even Kart Racing, Waluigi brings the noise (usually “Wah!”) and funk to any sports entertainment event. Your move, HHH.
I’ve been in a lot of fights as Arthur Morgan, both with weapons and without, and I can say with a good degree of confidence that Arthur Morgan could win the Royal Rumble to punch his ticket to WrestleMania.
In the WrestleMania main event, he could ride in on a horse, dismount, and give a pat and a, “It’s okay, girl.” before sliding into the ring. And, if you messed with Arthur’s signature hat, he would lose his mind and put the boots to you. His signature moves would include a slap straight out of the “A Quiet Time” mission, or straddling his opponent while he questions and beats them with vicious right hands.
Incineroar is a true showman in every meaning of the word. This Fire/Dark-Type Pokemon would make a massive splash at WrestleMania, similar to his surprise reveal for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He's got a solid range of moves in his arsenal, and the Pokemon knows how to work a crowd. He even wears a flaming belt around his waist, come on.
I have to go with the silent killer, Link, from Legend of Zelda. He has a wide array of weapons at his disposal, and I know you might be thinking Link is more of the hero type, but those weapons make him more of a villain type in the wrestling ring. Switch out the Hookshot for a folding chair and Link turns into the perfect WWF fighter! Link has fought in the ring before and takes on giant monsters. If that doesn’t make him a perfect Wrestlemania fighter, then I don’t know what does. He’ll even give a feisty battle cry. A “Hiyah” if you will!
Those are the characters that we think would get the biggest crowd pop at WrestleMania. Tell us, who else should crossover from the virtual world to the material plane for a WrestleMania appearance? Sound of in the Chatty!