Due to the critically-panned debacle that was WWE 2K20, there was no official game released by the company the following year, so fans have waited a long time for WWE 2K22. Thankfully, this installment has received far better reviews than its predecessor but as always, there are still things it got wrong.
For starters, many of the wrestlers on the game's roster received overall ratings that just don't make sense. WWE fans always debate these scores and they understand that some major stars were rated too low, while a handful of others were given ratings that were just way too high.
John Morrison (80)
A lot of these ratings aren't typically based purely on skill but often combine that aspect with the wrestler's success, achievements, and spot on the card. Former Survivor contestant John Morrison has kind of done enough in all three categories to deserve a rating higher than an 80.
The multi-time Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion is indeed not in his prime but the same could be said for Shelton Benjamin (81), except Morrison was more prominent in recent years than him. Morrison likely should've been rated closer to an 83 or so, similar to Dolph Ziggler.
Mansoor (80)
On the flip side, there's Mansoor, who also has an 80 overall. However, unlike John Morrison, this feels a bit too high for him. That's not a knock against Mansoor's talent as the young stud is seemingly a guy with a bright future and he's still only in his 20s.
That being said, Mansoor hasn't really done a whole lot in his career so far. His team with Mustafa Ali ultimately went nowhere and the only cases where he wins big matches or looks like a star is when he competes in his home country. Outside of that, he's a guy who should be around a 76 or 77. Still, it's nice to have him in WWE 2K22 to complete a loaded roster.
Maryse (79)
Most fans who have enjoyed WWE for the past decade or so can appreciate Maryse. In the late 2000s, she won the Divas Championship and she plays her character to perfection, making herself the perfect addition at the side of her husband, The Miz. They even have a reality show together, Miz & Mrs.
The issue with Maryse's rating is that it is a bit too high for someone who no longer really competes as she has only had a few mixed tag bouts in recent years. Giving her the same rating as some active women like Tegan Nox or Toni Storm feels odd. It would be more understandable if this was a Maryse from 2010 or something like that.
Dakota Kai (79)
Speaking of women who are rated the same as Maryse, there's Dakota Kai. This one feels like a major problem because Kai is consistently in the conversation for being the unheralded MVP of the NXT women's division, which has been great in recent years.
Although Dakota Kai doesn't have a bunch of accolades (only holding the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles for about an hour), she is always an integral part of storylines and delivers in the ring. Kai doesn't need to be ranked among the likes of Sasha Banks or Bayley but a few more points would be well earned.
Jim Neidhart (86)
The late Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart was certainly a powerhouse of a man. He was built like someone who could be nearly unstoppable, so his ratings in the game when it comes to strength should indeed be high. Alas, that's probably all that should be impressive. Neidhart was never a great technical wrestler, he didn't ooze charisma, and his accomplishments were only in the tag team division.
A rating in the low 80s would make perfect sense for someone like him but at 86 he's ahead of the likes of Kevin Owens and Sheamus while being the same as Rhea Ripley and The Miz, which doesn't add up. He has been surpassed in fame by his daughter Natalya, star of Total Divas.
Lacey Evans (81)
This one is a true head-scratcher. As noted, a lot of these ratings come from how accomplished the wrestler is, which is why Lacey Evans getting an 81 feels like a mistake. She's above someone like Carmella, who has racked up the accolades, and the same as Kay Lee Ray, who has dominated on NXT.
For the most part, Evans hasn't achieved much other than earning a few major title matches and getting involved in an odd storyline with Charlotte's father. She would be more fitting in the 76-78 range, so maybe swap her rating with Sonya Deville, who sits at 77. Things like this are why some fans want the series to get rid of overall ratings.
Faarooq (88)
Sometimes, the legends get rated a bit too high which seems to be the case for Faarooq. Again, this is no knock on Faarooq but being an 88 makes him one of the highest-rated wrestlers in the game. That's above Finn Bálor and Bianca Belair and tied with Randy Orton, Bayley, Batista, Shawn Michaels, and Sasha Banks.
If this were Ron Simmons from 1992 when he made history as WCW's first Black World Champion, this rating would make a bit more sense. But this is Faarooq from his APA days where he was a tag team guy who mostly drank beer, played cards, and beat a few people up.
Mustafa Ali (77)
If Manoor is ranked too high, then Mustafa Ali is certainly ranked too low. The two were in an uneasy team for a lot of the past year or so, with Ali clearly leading the way. Despite that, Mansoor scored three points higher and Ali stands as one of the lowest-scoring members of the roster.
While Mustafa Ali hasn't won a ton of titles or anything like that, he is considered one of the best wrestlers in WWE. He was also the leader of a stable and a rising star for a while. Putting him on the same level or below Otis, Papa Shango, Stephanie McMahon, and Danny Burch feels strange.
Road Dogg (85)
This feels like another case of rating someone from the past too high simply because they were around during a popular time for WWE. Road Dogg will certainly go down as a top-tier tag team star for WWE, winning multiple titles alongside Billy Gunn.
However, with no Gunn in the game, you can't recreate the New Dage Outlaws and must use Dogg as a singles guy. That was never his strong suit and his charisma was always his selling point. His rating puts him on par with Roddy Piper, Kevin Owens, and Jeff Hardy. Things like this might hold WWE 2K22 from being one of the best WWE games ever.
Liv Morgan (77)
Considering the rising star status of Liv Morgan, her rating of 77 seems especially low. When the ratings were revealed to the wrestlers on YouTube, she and everyone else was pretty surprised to see her score.
At the time the game was being made, Morgan was shining brighter than ever, becoming very popular, and taking Becky Lynch (the highest-ranked woman in the game) to the limit. While she might not be on the level of the top females on the roster, she deserves at least five more points.