WWE has held a stranglehold on the professional wrestling video game market ever since Vince McMahon bought out its biggest competition in World Championship Wrestling. Since the Nintendo 64 era, WWE has remained untouched by other lesser competition related video games like TNA Impact! in 2008. AEW now throws its hat in the ring with its video game debut with AEW: Fight Forever.
For a long time, the only way a wrestler could appear in a video game was by working with WWE or being created by fans in community creations on the SmackDown vs. Raw and 2K. Some of those names that once appeared in a WWE video game are highly unlikely to appear again due to a multitude of reasons. So let’s take a look at some of those names that will never appear in a WWE title again.
10 alberto of the river
Alberto Del Rio would part ways with WWE in 2014 due to an altercation with a co-worker over a racist comment. Del Rio would return in 2015 to defeat John Cena for the United States Championship and eventually form the League of Nations faction alongside Wade Barrett, Sheamus, and Rusev.
After leaving once again in 2016, Del Rio hasn’t been on the best of terms with WWE and even burned a few bridges with promotions like Impact Wrestling and AAA. Due to the bad terms Del Rio and WWE are on, it’s highly unlikely that fans will see Del Rio return in a future 2K installment.
9 gail kim
Gail Kim has etched her name in history while working with Impact Wrestling and becoming the first ever Knockouts Champion. She would have a brief career working in WWE when she arrived on the scene in 2003 winning the WWE Women’s Championship in her debut. Kim would return to WWE in 2008 and have a few WWE Divas Championship matches before leaving once more.
Since her final departure from the promotion, she has been very critical of the company and its way of doing things on social networks. Gail Kim and WWE are not on the best of terms with Kim often mocking them online and talking about how her time there was horrible. Kim has since retired from professional wrestling, making it highly unlikely that she will return to WWE.
8 paul london
Paul London made WWE history when he and partner Brian Kendrick held the WWE Tag Team Championships for 331 days in 2006. London would leave WWE in 2008 after being released from his contract. He would later start making the rounds on the independent scene working with PWG and Dragon Gate USA.
Paul London would later head over to Impact Wrestling where he began working behind the scenes as a producer. London hasn’t had any connection to WWE since his release and it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll return to his video games.
7 pink adam
Adam Rose would become a decently popular name when he debuted on WWE’s main roster due to his wild entrance and eccentric character. Rose would not have the brightest career after his initial popularity faded and he was released from WWE after a suspension and arrest.
Rose would have the opportunity to appear in WWE 2K15 and 2K16, as well as being a part of the popular WWE SuperCard mobile game. Since there was some controversy surrounding his name and the way he left WWE, Rose doesn’t appear to be returning to the franchise.
6 Tatsumi Fujinami
Tatsumi Fujinami would make a surprise WWE 2K16 debut after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame prior to the game’s release. Fujinami would later reappear in the following 2K17 and 2K18 entries.
The former six-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion has not been seen in WWE since the release of 2K18. Fujinami would return to another match when he wrestled on the Wrestle Kingdom 17 pre-show in a six-man match.
5 General Adnan
General Adnan was a pick many fans never expected to see appear in a WWE video game, but the release of WWE 2K15 had a DLC pack featuring his SummerSlam 1991 main event. next year.
Adnan would work with WWE when they were known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation, becoming world tag team champions alongside his partner, boss Jay Strongbow. He would retire from professional wrestling in 1998 after one season in the AWF.
4 brodus clay
Funkasarus would make his arrival in the WWE video game franchise as a DLC character in WWE 12. He would continue to be included in the series until his final appearance in WWE 2K14. Clay would part ways with WWE in the summer of 2014 and his last match was a countout loss to then-NXT Champion Adrian Neville.
Clay would change his ring name to Tyrus and work with Impact Wrestling and the NWA, where he would capture the World Heavyweight and World Television Championship during his tenure.
3 jimmy snuka
Jimmy Snuka would appear in a few random WWE titles including SmackDown! Here comes the pain and WWE All Stars. The last appearance of him in a game was with the mobile game WWE SuperCard featuring him in 2014.
2015 would see Snuka get into some legal trouble before he was declared unfit for trial in 2016 due to his insanity diagnosis. Snuka would pass away in early 2017 at the age of 73. With the legal mess in which he was involved, WWE has tried to distance itself from his name.
2 CM Punk
CM Punk would be a regular in WWE video games following his debut on SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 as part of the ECW revival brand. He would be included in every title up to WWE 2K15, even being the cover of WWE 13.
Every fan knows of his departure from WWE in 2015 and the long absence he would have from wrestling during that time. Punk has been highly critical of WWE and is currently a member of AEW’s roster, even appearing in his debut game, AEW: Fight Forever.
1 Owen Hart
Owen Hart has not been in a WWE title since he was inducted into WWF Attitude. The game would feature a tribute to Owen in the game’s intro as he passed before its release. Owen’s widow, Martha Hart, would have ongoing issues with WWE after Owen’s passing and she has prevented them from having anything to do with her name.
Since then, Owen has had the opportunity to be immortalized once again with his inclusion in AEW: Fight Forever. AEW also honors the legend by having the Owen Hart Cup tournament with early winners Britt Baker and Adam Cole.