WWE 2K22 is my new favorite TV show

digitaltrends.com:

I began watching wrestling in earnest in 2014. I was in the deepest depression of my life when a friend invited me over to watch WrestleMania 30. That just happened to be the year that WWE told one of media’s greatest underdog stories, as pipsqueak Daniel Bryan (or Bryan Danielson, as you may know him now) overcame impossible odds to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. It was an impactful moment — one that gave me the confidence I needed to start the long climb out of a deep hole.

WWE doesn’t tell stories like that anymore. Its creative work has stagnated in recent years especially. Promising talent is thrown to the side to prop up the same big names I was watching in 2014. Mass firings at the company have abruptly killed storylines, making it impossible to get invested in any character. The show that meant the world to me as an empowering outlet I needed has become a frustrating train wreck that seems beyond saving.

Perhaps that’s why I’m obsessed with watching, not actually playing, WWE 2K22. The latest pro wrestling simulator from 2K Games features a standout mode called MyGM that’s been eating up my time. It allows me to rehabilitate the TV show that I once loved and tell the stories that matter to me.

MyGM lets fans take on the role of a “general manager” instead of a wrestler. Players get to run their own promotion, calling the shots like CEO Vince McMahon himself. That starts with a draft where managers hire a roster of superstars. From there, they book weekly TV shows (three matches and two promos per show), building up to a pay-per-view event every month. Players need to balance their budget while putting on the best show they can week after week.

While the core of WWE 2K22 is built around combo-based