WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition Unboxing

The WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition has finally arrived and it is absolutely gorgeous and a fitting tribute to Ric Flair, a man who has been a mainstay in the professional wrestling world for over 4 decades. This Collectors’ Edition of the latest entry in the WWE 2K series is arguably the best one yet, and I’d placed an order for it as soon as it was announced in July.

Wooooo! Ric Flair famously said, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man”, and that’s never been more true for the pro wrestling legend in 2018. After a near-death experience a year ago in August, in which he was placed in a medically-induced coma, Flair has since recovered well enough to recently tie the knot with his partner of 5 years, Wendy Barlow.

The box itself is a gallery of Ric Flair’s storied career, featuring portraits of him wearing several iconic robes through the years. It even includes a large one of him and daughter Charlotte Flair in gold robes that was taken specifically for the game. Each of the portraits has an intricately designed embossed frame. Calling it “premium packaging” is not hyperbole – you’d definitely want to keep the box.

The box contains:

• a copy of WWE 2K19 Deluxe Edition (PS4 or XBox One); this includes:
  • the WWE 2K19 Season Pass (all unlockable content and DLC when available)
  • exclusive playable characters including “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat
  • exclusive playable Starrcade ’83 arena, which featured Ric Flair winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Harley Race in the main event.
  • exclusive in-game attire for Ric Flair – his Wrestlemania XXIV robe from 2008, his WWE retirement match, and Charlotte Flair – her Wrestlemania 32 from 2016, when she won the title that would now be known as the WWE Raw Women’s Championship.
  • pre-order bonus playable characters Ronda Rousey and Rey Mysterio
  • WWE SuperCard limited edition AJ Styles card, and AJ-themed cardback
• exclusive and individually numbered WWE Hall of Fame replica ring
• exclusive Ric Flair “Stylin’ and Profilin'” Funko Pop! figurine
• Fanatics limited edition commemorative plaque featuring a fabric piece from Ric Flair’s pink or purple robe
• WWE SuperCard limited edition Ric Flair and Charlotte Flair cards, and Ric Flair-themed cardback

Phew. Now let’s look at each item one by one. Let’s start with the most disappointing.

Fanatics limited edition commemorative plaque featuring a piece of Ric Flair’s robe

Now, I will admit that this was always going to be a gamble – after all, they had only planned to cut up two robes – the iconic pink one from the 80s and the less iconic purple one from 2002, so there was a high chance that the collectible you got would be a less gaudy piece of fabric.

But the one I got was downright… plain.

And I guess a part of me was also hoping the plaque would be a little more… ostentatious? I mean, Flair’s robes were nothing short of attention-grabbing. And the packaging of everything else has just screamed “premium”. This plaque’s design looks absolutely dull in contrast.

Still, all things considered, I definitely prefer this collectible to the ones from previous WWE 2K Collector’s Editions – which was a piece of ring mat. I mean… seriously.

Exclusive Ric Flair Funko Pop! Figurine

Clearly inspired by one of Flair’s many legendary promos from 1985, the Ric Flair Funko Pop! Figurine is the epitome of the Rolex-wearing, diamond ring-wearing, kiss-stealing, wheeling-dealing, limousine-riding, jet-flying, son of a gun.

But I don’t need to say more to convince you, just look at the detail of this Ric Flair Funko Pop:

It’s arguably one of the best looking WWE Funko Pop! figurines out there and it’s all because of the sheer level of detail from the Rolex watch to the championship belt, the shades and of course the slicked back bleached platinum blonde hair.

But before I go to my favourite item in the WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition, I must first speak of the WWE SuperCard tie-up.

Exclusive limited edition WWE SuperCard QR codes for AJ Styles, Ric Flair and Charlotte Flair

The WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition comes with QR codes to unlock 3 of the best cards in the game right now – AJ Styles, Ric Flair and Charlotte Flair. They’re all Summerslam ’18 tier and you’ll get 2 of each card in order to Pro them. This means that buying the WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition gives you an immediate and significant advantage in WWE SuperCard, whether you’re a new player or a veteran like me.

It also means that 2K is finally embracing the concept of rewarding players who are willing to pay. Last year’s WWE SuperCard offerings were almost an embarrassment in comparison. It was no better than an afterthought.

This also means that if you aren’t planning to play WWE SuperCard, the QR codes you have are still extremely valuable to players. I would personally recommend selling them for no less than $30.

Exclusive and Individually Numbered WWE Hall of Fame Replica Ring

I’ll be honest, one of the main reasons I wanted to splurge on the WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition was because of the replica WWE Hall of Fame ring, and I’m really glad it didn’t disappoint. When I first saw the textured, but cheap-looking box, I was worried, but my fears dissipated once I opened it.

It’s probably the same size as the real deal (a lot bigger than I expected it to be!) and while I doubt it weighs the same as the genuine article, I was happy to discover that it still had substantial heft to it. I believe it’s very important that it looks and feels like a replica and not like a toy, but you definitely can’t pass it off as the actual ring.

The WWE 2K19 logo and Ric Flair’s embossed signature drive home what an exclusive item this is. I was honestly surprised to flip it over to the other side however!

I did not expect it to be the Class of 2018 ring! That said, while I do have loads of respect for Jeff Jarrett, Ivory and Mark Henry, I also felt inducting Goldberg into the Class of 2018 was a joke and Kid Rock is a joke.

Instead, I’m going to wear this Hall of Fame ring and just going to focus on the fact that Ivory and Mark Henry are truly inspirational people who consistently keep their spirits up despite being in an industry that is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding.

To Be the Man, You’ve Got to Beat the Man

And that’s it! I’ve been anticipating this year’s WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition for months ever since it was announced and I’m really happy that it delivered on so many levels. I hope that 2K continues to curate such exclusive physical and digital items in future Editions as a way of encouraging fans to get value for their money.

In fact, already on Carousell there are 4 listings as of this writing, 2 for the PS4 version and 2 for the XBox One version. One listing is even asking for $300! That’s almost twice what I paid for it! And no, just in case you were wondering, I don’t think it’s worth $300.

Check out my Insta-stories for the unboxing video here: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17922467500218166/