WWE 2K25 is set to offer a number of immersive stages where players can hold memorable matches, as well as explore a new environment via The Island. One playable WWE 2K25 stage that caught the attention of fans is a backstage area with a warehouse full of WWE relics, including the iconic SmackDown fist.
A screenshot recently shared by Instagram user pweofficial_ highlighted this warehouse in WWE 2K25 that’s filled with many memorable decorations from past eras. The giant fist is a recognizable symbol from the Ruthless Aggression era of the early 2000s, adorning SmackDown‘s stage for over seven years. While it may be gone from weekly shows, the SmackDown fist still lives on in many wrestling fans’ memories, and WWE 2K25 honoring it will surely bring a smile to the faces of older fans who grew up seeing it every week.
Related
WWE 2K25 is the Perfect Opportunity to Pay Homage to a Future Hall of Famer
WWE 2K25 is coming out soon, and one future WWE Hall of Famer deserves his own showcase to celebrate his career in the upcoming installment.
WWE 2K25 Has a Chance to Bring Ruthless Aggression Back
A Brief History of WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era
- Ruthless Aggression Era (2002 to 2008): Following the previous Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression carried on with having violence, profanity, and sexual themes in shows. What stood out was its emphasis on wrestling as a sport and craft, as it offered memorable characters like the Attitude Era but with better in-ring work.
In 2002, the World Wrestling Federation lost a lawsuit to the World Wildlife Fund over the trademark of WWF. This prompted the company to change its name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and also debuted a brand-new direction for the sports entertainment brand. In the same year, Vince McMahon officially announced that WWE was entering the Ruthless Aggression era. Today, fans define Ruthless Aggression as the time when many would-be megastars, like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Evolution’s Randy Orton and Batista, made their mark in the industry.
Why the SmackDown Fist in WWE 2K25 Matters
According to a WWE Warehouse episode, the SmackDown fist is a 6,000-pound fiberglass piece reinforced with steel rods, which was divided into three parts and was hauled to every city in an 18-wheeler truck. It was used in over 300 SmackDown episodes, mostly during the Ruthless Aggression era, before it was officially retired in January 2008.
The fist hasn’t made a full return to TV yet, but WWE 2K23 turned it into an unlockable stage, which players could access by playing through John Cena’s 2002 debut match against Kurt Angle in 2K Showcase mode. With WWE 2K25 bringing the iconic fist back via the playable backstage area, wrestlers are able to jump off it during No Holds Barred or Falls Count Anywhere matches. What would be particularly cool, though, is if WWE 2K25 would feature playable Ruthless Aggression matches in 2K Showcase mode, so players could relive some of the most iconic matches of this era, including wrestler variants from the early 2000s with different character cosmetics. While the main Showcase is confirmed to focus on the Bloodline, a group that began long after the Ruthless Aggression period, a smaller secondary showcase focused on this period would be a welcome surprise.
More than a throwback, the SmackDown fist represents a specific time in WWE that brought memorable moments inside the ring and even backstage. It was a reflection of SmackDown‘s action-packed shows, and gave any superstar who emerged beneath it a knockout moment. Likewise, the set design was the backdrop for many memorable matches and debuts in the program, which can be seen in nostalgic WWE images that fans look back on fondly. Although today’s WWE programming likely won’t bring the SmackDown fist back to its weekly shows anytime soon, unless there’s a special event, its legacy will always live on as part of the company’s exciting history.
- Released
-
March 14, 2025
- ESRB
-
Teen // Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence