The Most Underrated Superstars in WWE 2K23

The world's premiere wrestling organization, WWE, is well on the road to the biggest show of the year, WrestleMania. A number of marquee matches have been announced for the Show of Shows, no more so than the main event. That will feature 2023 Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes in his attempts to end Roman Reigns’ 900+ day reign as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

Elsewhere on the card, two giants will collide as Brock Lesnar faces off with the seven-foot-four behemoth known as Omos. Also, two women’s championships will be defended as Rhea Ripley takes on Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown women’s championship and Asuka will attempt to dethrone Bianca Belair for the Raw strap.

The Granddaddy of Them All takes place on April 1st and April 2nd however, just over two weeks prior to that, 2K Sports releases WWE 2K23. The game will be available to wrestling fans and gamers alike on March 14th, and excitement has already reached a fever pitch.

 

The one task that most will attempt to accomplish is usurping Roman Reigns as the company’s top champion. The Tribal Chief has a perfect 99 rating on the game and defeating him will be no easy feat. However, accomplishing that task promises to be as exhilarating - picking up the victory will surely be a joyous moment.

But while the Head of the Table has a perfect rating, some superstars have a rating that is seriously underwhelming. Let’s take a look at the most underrated superstars in the upcoming release.

Sami Zayn - 84

Has there been a bigger star in WWE throughout 2022 and early 2023 than Sami Zayn? This time last year when WWE 2K22 was being released, the Conspiracy Theorist was on his road to a supposed comedy match against Jackass star Jonny Knoxville at last year's WrestleMania. That match ended up being better than it ever deserved to be and arguably stole the show, proving to the powers that be at Stamford, Connecticut what fans knew all along, Sami Zayn deserves his moment.

And that moment would indeed come. Throughout 2022, the Montreal native aligned himself with Roman Reigns’ Bloodline faction and arguably became the biggest star of WWE programming, perhaps even ahead of Reigns himself. He was the center of attention in two of the biggest shows of the year for the company, namely Survivor Series and Royal Rumble. In the former, Zayn was the reason why Reigns’ and co picked up the victory in a War Games match, while in the latter, he sent the fans home happy when he finally turned on Reigns and drove a steel chair into his back.

The Canadian sensation would finally get his shot at Reigns at last month’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. And while his heroics ended in defeat, Zayn more than handled his own and came within inches of becoming the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and subsequently headlining WrestleMania. As such, it makes it all the more baffling that Zayn is rated a paltry 84 overall in WWE 2K23, below the likes of The Miz, Karrion Kross, and Xavier Woods.

Solo Sikoa - 82

Another man who has shone as part of the Bloodline is Solo Sikoa. The breakout star is the real-life younger brother of Jimmy and Jey Uso, the current Undisputed Tag Team Champions, and he emerged on the scene when he helped his older cousin Roman Reigns defeat Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales.

Sikoa made a name for himself in NXT where he became the North American champion and he has since become the enforcer of the Bloodline. He has laid out a number of superstars including the likes of Kevin Owens and the aforementioned Zayn and McIntrye, and it is clear that the youngest member of the Bloodline is destined for greatness.

With that being said, his rating of 82 truly beggars belief. While his older brothers, namely Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso, are rated 89 and 90 respectively, it’s unfathomable that 2K Sports feel that Solo is so much worse than his stablemates.

Austin Theory - 82

Austin Theory was another superstar that had a stellar year throughout 2022. He won the Money in the Bank briefcase in July and proceeded to interject himself in the main event scene alongside the likes of Reigns, McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar.

In November, he became the first superstar in history to cash in his title opportunity on the United States champion rather than the World Heavyweight Champion. And to make matters worse, he inexplicably lost the match to Seth Rollins, and many feared that Theory’s Road to superstardom was over once and for all. Much to the surprise of many, however, he would defeat two of the biggest stars in WWE, namely the aforementioned Rollins and Bobby Lashley, in a triple threat match to win the US title.

Since then, Theory has been one of the highlights of WWE TV. He retained his championship against six other men inside the Elimination Chamber last month in one of the greatest Elimination Chamber matches in history. He is also said to be slated in for a WrestleMania match against megastar John Cena.

So his rating of 82 is harsh, to say the least. However, should he beat the Leader of the Cenation at the Show of Shows, then Theory will be the one who laughs last.