5 wrestlers who only appeared in one WWE game on PlayStation
WWE video games are cherished by millions of wrestling fans worldwide. The PlayStation era introduced Stamford-based company to the world of 3D games for the first time, starting with 1998's WWF War Zone for the PS1. However, the very first World Wrestling Entertainment game for the Sony console was 1995's WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game.
World Wrestling Entertainment has sold tens of millions of video games to consumers all across the globe. The company has released multiple different video games across every generation of Sony's PlayStation. Legends such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and The Rock have been included in WWE games across all five generations of PlayStation.
However, what about the wrestlers who have only made one appearance on a Sony video game console? Without further ado, let's look at five wrestlers who have only appeared in one WWE game on PlayStation.
#5. "Marvelous" Marc Mero was outshined by his valet Sable in WWE during the Attitude Era
Marc Mero is a former Intercontinental Champion who wasn't as popular as his now ex-wife Sable. Mero never moved beyond the mid-card, but there are rumors and reports that there were plans to include him in a feud with main eventer Stone Cold Steve Austin. However, Austin reportedly declined to work with Marc after the latter got powerbombed by his former wife.
By the time WWF Attitude was released on consoles in 1999, Mero had long been absent from WWE programming. His last match with the company was at the December 1998 UK-exclusive pay-per-view WWF Capital Carnage at the London Arena. He'd lose his final WWE performance in a tag team bout alongside Jacqueline against Sable and Christian.
Marc Mero is available as an unlockable character in WWF Attitude for home consoles. To unlock Mero, the player must win the European Championship in Career Mode on any difficulty level. Doing so also unlocks Sable and a special Trainer character. These three wrestlers are the first batch of characters that players can unlock in Attitude.
Sable would only appear in one PS1 game. However, unlike Mero, she'd appear as a playable character for PS2's SmackDown: Here Comes The Pain (2003) and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw (2004). She would also be playable in all versions of WWF Attitude, including the Game Boy Color version, while Mero only appeared in the game for PS1, Nintendo 64, and Sega Dreamcast.
Mero reportedly had a WWE contract that guaranteed $350,000 a year. However, in the end, The Marvelous One didn't live up to expectations.
#4. Essa Rios is a forgotten champion of the Attitude Era
Essa Rios currently goes by the ring name Mr. Aguila, and he can still be seen wrestling in Mexico in 2024 for companies such as Producciones Aoza, Panther Promotion, and Robles Promotions, among others. During his time in WWE, he was known as "Essa Rios," "Papi Chulo," and "Aguila."
He made his WWF debut while still a teenager in 1997 as part of a tournament to crown the first officially recognized Light Heavyweight Champion in WWE history, not counting the title's previous history in Mexico and Japan. He'd win the quarter-finals by defeating Super Loco, but he'd lose to the tournament's eventual winner, Taka Michinoku in the semi-finals. While he failed to capture the title during his first few months with the company, he eventually attained the gold while under a different moniker in the New Millennium.
While wrestling under the ring name "Aguila," he unsuccessfully challenged Taka for the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 14 on March 29, 1998. He'd have to wait until February 2000 to finally call himself Light Heavyweight Champion when he was repackaged with the "Essa Rios" moniker.
He won the title by defeating Gillberg on an episode of Sunday Night Heat during the debut match for Essa Rios. His reign as champion would last roughly a month before he dropped the gold to Dean Malenko.
Rios was introduced alongside Lita, but their partnership would only last a few months before they broke up. The Extreme Diva would then join forces with The Hardy Boyz and later become one of the most legendary women's wrestlers of all time. However, Essa's WWE career didn't go very far, and he was featured much less prominently than his former valet.
The only PS1 video game that featured Essa Rios was SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role. He'd also appear as a playable character for Nintendo 64's cult classic WWF No Mercy. Not only would Lita appear in every WWE game that featured Rios, but she'd also appear in a video game across all five generations of PlayStation.
#3. "Dr. Death" Steve Williams' rumored WWE push stopped after a knockout punch from Bart Gunn in the Brawl for All tournament
"Dr. Death" Steve Williams was reportedly in line for a huge push against megastar Stone Cold Steve Austin. He was successful in the first round of the Brawl for All tournament against the eye-patching-wearing Quebecer Pierre. However, a knockout in the quarter-finals against Bart Gunn ensured that Dr. Death wouldn't have the momentum necessary to be pushed into the Attitude Era's main event scene. During the fight, Williams also suffered a torn hamstring.
After he was KO'ed by a lower-card competitor, it wouldn't make much sense to put him against a top star like Austin. But that career-altering knockout didn't stop him from being included as a playable character in WWF Attitude for PS1, N64, and Dreamcast. However, Dr. Death wasn't included in the Game Boy Color version of the game. The competitor who defeated him in the tournament, Bart Gunn, has never appeared in a WWE-licensed video game.
In contrast to wrestlers like Sable and Marc Mero, Dr. Death doesn't need to be unlocked in Career Mode to be playable in Exhibition matches for WWF Attitude. Steve Williams is one of 30 wrestlers who are available right at the start of the home console versions of the game.
WWF Attitude would be the first and only WWE-licensed video game to feature Dr. Death as a playable character. However, he did appear in a variety of other wrestling games that weren't released by Titanland, such as WCW vs. The World (as a fictional wrestler named Siberia), WCW Wrestling, Virtual Pro Wrestling 2, Wrestle Kingdom 2, Legends of Wrestling 2, and Showdown: Legends of Wrestling.
Dr. Death has appeared as a playable character on consoles such as PS1, PS2, N64, Dreamcast, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance, as well as the original Nintendo and Xbox.
Dr. Death's career was honored by the Stamford-based promotion in 2020 when he was posthumously inducted into the Legacy wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. He passed away on December 29, 2009, leaving behind a legendary career that unfortunately never truly shined in WWE.
#2. Kurrgan of The Oddities
Kurrgan is perhaps best remembered as a member of the sideshow-inspired faction The Oddities. The group was akin to a circus freakshow, and this connection is noted in the stable's babyface theme music performed by the Insane Clown Posse, who'd sometimes rap their theme song in person.
Kurrgan, who is billed as being roughly seven feet tall, isn't even the tallest member of the group. That honor would go to Giant Silva who legitimately stands at over seven feet tall.
To unlock Kurrgan in WWF Attitude for home consoles, the player would need to win King of the Ring in Career Mode at any difficulty level. Doing this will also unlock Taka Michinoku as a playable character in the game's Exhibition mode.
Despite his large size in real life, Kurrgan's towering frame isn't accurately depicted in WWF Attitude. In the game, he stands at eye level with wrestlers who are much shorter than him in person, such as Taka, who is billed as 5'8".
The tye-dye-wearing giant was no longer an active competitor on WWE television when WWF Attitude was released. His last official match with the Stamford-based promotion was a quick bout against The Undertaker on an episode of Sunday Night Heat on February 28, 1999. Following the conclusion of the bout, The Ministry of Darkness performed an in-ring beatdown on The Oddities.
Kurrgan is the only wrestler to depict The Oddities gimmick in an officially licensed WWE video game. He is among 12 unlockable playable characters in WWF Attitude for home consoles. The supposed sideshow attraction is only available in the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast versions of the game.
#1. Darren "Droz" Drozdov's in-ring career ended after he was paralyzed following a botched powerbomb from D'Lo Brown during a SmackDown/Heat taping
The most memorable moment of Droz's in-ring career is also one of the most tragic incidents in WWE history. Darren Drozdov was paralyzed following a running powerbomb attempt from D'Lo Brown, a move that Droz had taken numerous times in the past without injury.
Tragedy struck on October 5, 1999, when Droz landed on his head and broke two vertebrae in his neck, suffering instant paralysis and becoming temporarily quadriplegic. Darren claimed that this injury wasn't the fault of D'Lo because the timing was off and Drozdov was wearing a loose shirt that didn't allow Brown to maintain a proper grip. Unfortunately, Droz didn't jump at the right time when his opponent was performing the move.
The story of Darren Drozdov is a grim reminder of the very real danger that comes with being a professional wrestler. Video footage of the incident that left him paralyzed was never released to the public. Droz would eventually regain use of his arms and part of his upper body, but he was never able to walk again.
During his short in-ring career with WWE, Droz had the honor of becoming an official member of LOD 2000 alongside legends such as Animal and Hawk. Darren Drozdov is also remembered for a scene in the 1999 documentary film Beyond The Mat, which showed Vince McMahon requesting him to puke into a wastebasket at WWE headquarters. He earned the nickname "Puke" during his time playing and puking for the Denver Broncos in the NFL, and this moniker would carry over to his debut on Raw is War in May 1998.
Droz would only appear in two video games for the company formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation. He is a playable character in WWF WrestleMania 2000, which was released exclusively for the Nintendo 64. He is also a playable wrestler for WWF Attitude, which was released across numerous gaming platforms. However, Droz only appears in the home console versions of the game and not in the portable handheld version available for the Game Boy Color.
Darren Drozdov passed away on June 30, 2023. He was 54 years of age at the time of death, having spent over two decades of his life in a paralyzed state. While moments in the sport of professional wrestling are oftentimes scripted, the injuries can be very real and incredibly devastating.