Top 10 Technical Wrestlers in WWE 2K25

Summary

  • WWE 2K25 reintroduces technical wrestling features like chain wrestling mechanic for an old-school feel.
  • The game features a great set of technically minded wrestlers with move sets designed to wear down opponents.
  • Some of the best technical wrestlers in WWE 2K25 include Johnny Gargano, Cody Rhodes, and Shinsuke Nakamura.

WWE 2K25 does a great job of recreating the WWE television shows and premium live events thanks to its production values and excellent visuals. Moreover, the game has reintroduced technical wrestling features like the Chain Wrestling mechanic, giving it a more old-school wrestling feel where wrestlers can go back and forth with grapple holds and takedowns.

Of course, WWE 2K25 features a good set of technically minded wrestlers with move sets designed to wear down opponents, submit them, and utilize classic wrestling and MMA moves with style. Here are some of the best technical wrestlers in WWE 2K25.

This list focuses on a wrestler’s technical move-set and how they are designed to break their opponents down instead of their overall Superstar Rating.

9. Johnny Gargano

Combination Of Speed And Technical Ability

Signature Superkick
Finisher Arm Trapped Crossface

Johnny Gargano is a former NXT Champion and former WWE Tag Team champion. He has wrestled in various American wrestling promotions, like Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Ohio, and found success in the Japanese promotion Dragon’s Gate.

He excels in technical wrestling, utilizing arm-focused maneuvers to set up his Arm Trapped Crossface finisher and signature Superkick moves. Gargano also boasts impressive technical submissions such as the Octopus Stretch and Fujiwara Armbar, and he has satisfying head-damaging moves like Shiranui and Diced Bread at his disposal.

8. Cody Rhodes

A Skilled Wrestler With A Wide Arsenal Of Moves

Signature The Cody Cutter
Finisher The Cross Rhodes

Cody Rhodes has come a long way since he came back to the WWE. He was the face of WWE 2K24 and is arguably the top full-time star of the company. He has a unique wrestling move-set that shows him fighting from underneath against more powerful wrestlers like Roman Reigns, and he has had outstanding matches against wrestlers like Chad Gable. Cody is listed as a technical wrestler in WWE 2K25, and his moves are accurately represented in the game.

Rhodes has a strategic approach to executing his signature moves like the Cody Cutter and Cross Rhodes. He excels in submission techniques with two adaptations of the Figure Four Leglock, a Fujiwara Armbar, and the Hammer and Chinlock.

7. Shinsuke Nakamura

A Striker With MMA Style Submissions

Signature Landslide/Inverted Powerslam
Finisher The Kinshasa

Shinsuke Nakamura is one of the most unique WWE Superstars in WWE 2K25. The Japanese star is a former IWGP champion, NXT Champion, and WWE US Champion, boasting notable feuds against AJ Styles, Cody Rhodes, and more recently, LA Knight. Nakamura also had a stint in MMA with a 3-1 record and a no-contest and turned down a contract with the UFC so he could continue his wrestling career.

Nakamura is a striker who excels in technical submissions reminiscent of MMA, showcasing maneuvers such as the Cross Armbar, Armbar Leglock Combination, and Triangle Choke. He also boasts an array of strategic strikes to inflict damage on both head and body using variations of his Kinshasa finisher and signature moves like the Landslide and Inverted Powerslam.

6. CM Punk

A Skilled Mat Wrestler With Good Submissions

Signature Anaconda Vice/Flying Elbow Drop
Finisher Go To Sleep/Avalanche Pedigree

CM Punk is one of the most recognizable figures in wrestling. His time in AEW ended in controversy but ultimately benefited WWE. Since his return, he has arguably become an even bigger star and is now more popular with fans. Since returning, he had the best feud of 2024 against Drew McIntyre after coming back from a triceps injury, which sidelined his return. His move-set and matches often pay tribute to legends like the Macho Man Randy Savage and Bret The Hitman Hart.

Punk’s moves in WWE 2K25 focus on damaging the head and body to soften them up for the Anaconda Vice submission signature as well as his GTS Finisher. Punk has a solid submission game using the Koji Clutch, Cross Armbar, Triangle Choke, and Sharpshooter.

5. Bret Hart

A Skilled Technician In The Ring

Signature Sit-Out Piledrive/Ringpost Figure Four Leglock/Seventh Heaven Piledriver
Finisher The Sharpshooter

Former WWE Intercontinental, Tag Team, and World Heavyweight Champion Bret Hart is often touted as the best technical wrestler of all time. His style was flawless and had the skill and intensity to make moves and matches look realistic without ever hurting his opponents. Hart’s style and move-set have been captured well in WWE 2K25, and this includes everything from middle rope-pointed elbow drops to his snap suplexes.

Bret uses a combination of suplexes and technical takedowns to wear down the back and the legs, setting his opponents up for his famous Sharpshooter finisher. He also has strong signature moves like the Piledriver and the Ring Post Assisted Figure Four, which causes massive damage in WWE 2K25.

Ken Shamrock

A Former UFC Champ With Greco-Roman And MMA-Style Moves

Signature Belly To Belly Suplex
Finisher The Ankle Lock

Ken Shamrock is a former MMA fighter who held the UFC Heavyweight Championship and the King of Pancrase Openweight Championship. He’s also a former WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, and NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

His experience in authentic MMA and Greco-Roman wrestling serves him effectively in professional wrestling, as he employs powerful suplexes, Judo throws, and Fireman’s Carry takedowns with proficiency. Shamrock also uses a variety of effective submission moves such as the Heel Hook Achilles Lock, Cross Armbar, and Single Leg Camel Clutch. Ultimately, he finishes his opponents using his signature Ankle Lock maneuver, a technique similar to that used by Kurt Angle.

4. William Regal

A Combination of Rule-Breaking And Technical Joint Attacks

Signature Regal Plex/Knee Trembler
Finisher Regal Stretch/Straight Jacket Neckbreaker

William Regal is a WWE legend and was an outstanding performer who, most notably, worked in WCW and the WWE. Before this, he wrestled legitimate shoot matches in Blackpool, England’s Pleasure Beach Amusement Park, challenging members of the public to defeat him, and he also wrestled for ITV’s World of Sports Wrestling.

Regal uses a classic British wrestling style that combines brutal rule-breaking attacks with technical wrestling, incorporating moves like the Snapmare and Face Scrape, Knee Pressed Knuckle Grind and European Uppercuts. He has a lot of moves that target the head to set up his signatures and finishers, with the Regal Plex, the Knee Trembler, the Regal Stretch, and the Straight Jacket Neckbreaker being used for an easy finish.

3. Charlie Dempsey

A European Style Technician

Signature Crossface Chicken/Regal Stretch
Finisher The Dragon Suplex

Charlie Dempsey is the son of William Regal and similarly uses a European and British shoot wrestling style that combines technical wrestling and rule-breaking. Dempsey uses even more technical moves than his dad, incorporating moves like the Wrist Clutch Assault, Arm Wrench Suplex, Gentleman’s Clutch, and Stunt Rider Stretch, combined with classic moves like European Uppercuts and Side Headlock Takeovers.

In simpler terms, Dempsey uses the Last Chancery, Muta Lock, and Dragon Sleeper as strong submission techniques. He gradually sets up these moves to execute his signature ones. His final moves include the Crossface Chickenwing, the Regal Stretch, and the Dragon Suplex.

2. Kurt Angle

An Olympic Gold Medalist WIth Great Mat Wrestling And Takedown Skills

Signature The Angle Slam
Finisher The Ankle Lock

Kurt Angle is a former Olympic Gold Medalist in Freestyle Wrestling and is widely considered one of the best wrestlers ever. The WWE Hall of Famer is a former WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE European Champion, WWE US Champion, WWE World Champion, and TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

Unsurprisingly, Angle’s Freestyle wrestling background and athleticism translate to his move set in WWE 2K25. He uses classic technical wrestling moves with various Mat Return takedowns via the Gator Roll and the Grounded Wrestling Roll. He is a suplex machine in WWE 2K25, and he uses a lot of them to damage the body for the Angle Slam and the leg for his Ankle Lock Finisher.

1. Chad Gable

A Freestyle Wrestler And Mat Technician

Signature The Cliffhanger DDT Diving Headbutt
Finisher The Chaos Theory Ankle Lock

In a different phrasing, we can say: Chad Gable was once an Olympic wrestler and his moveset shares some resemblance with Kurt Angle’s. However, when it comes to variety in WWE 2K25, Gable might just take the cake. On a strength-to-weight basis, he ranks among the most powerful wrestlers in the WWE, executing the Deadlift German Suplex even on the massive Braun Strowman.

Gable utilizes a lot of suplex moves in his arsenal but has some of the most diverse technical moves in the game, having access to classic wrestling moves like the Spinning Drop Toe Hold, Mat Return, Fireman’s Takedown, Ankle Pick Knee Crusher, and more. Gable also has a strong submission game with the Crossface and two Fujiwara Armbar variations with his finishing moves, the Chaos Theory and Ankle Lock submission.

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2025-03-16 18:44