The Pokémon franchise and the WWE are very much alike. They both feature battles between individuals with their own strengths, weaknesses and character traits, while appealing to both the mainstream and children. There are a bunch of iconic Pokémon and a whole lot of iconic wrestlers, but which characters resemble each other the best?
We’ll start off with the obvious one, the faces of each franchise:
Pikachu – John Cena
Not only are Pikachu and John Cena the most recognizable parts of Pokémon and WWE respectively, but they share some similar character traits as well.
John Cena’s motto is “Never Give Up” and judging from the Pikachu we know from the Pokémon anime, he follows this motto to a tee (-shirt..). Both seem to overcome almost insurmountable odds and whenever either one loses, it comes as a shock for the viewers and probably makes a whole bunch of kids cry.
While some claim they are overrated as a reaction to their mainstream appeal, it’s safe to say that both Pokémon and the WWE wouldn’t be the same without them.
Gengar – Bray Wyatt
This is another obvious one. Ominous, dark, yet bewitchingly charismatic, both Gengar and Bray Wyatt feature a similar build and mystical powers. Wyatt’s moniker “The New Face of Fear” could easily apply to Gengar as well and their signature grins are meant to evoke the same feeling of angst.
Give Gengar a fedora, lantern, cords and a Hawaiian shirt and you have the splitting image of Bray Wyatt.
Suicune, Raikou and Entei – The Shield
What better way to compare The Shield aka “The Hounds of Justice” than to the legendary dogs from Pokémon’s 2nd generation; Suicune, Raikou and Entei. Bear with me you crazy cat people, I know the 3 beasts are not necessarily dogs, but it works for this comparison.
Suicune, with it’s unusual design, can take a whole lot of damage and sports some crazy hair. A lunatic fringe if you will. A valid comparison to WWE’s Dean Ambrose.
Raikou, the electric, black and yellow hound, is the quickest of the bunch and can make you black out in the blink of an eye. Pokémon’s version of Seth Rollins.
Entei, THE BIG DOG, is Roman Reigns. The most powerful of them all, but also the least popular among the diehards. Sadly, unlike Entei, there is nothing borderline about Reigns, who is definitely OverUsed. Hopefully you understand the competitive Pokémon lingo..
Chikorita – Bayley
Appeals to kids ✔
Always has a smile on their face ✔
Signature sideways ponytail ✔
Cute ✔
Doesn’t get the credit they deserve ✔
Lucario – AJ Styles
AJ Styles is the fairly new cool addition to the WWE. Usually seen in black and blue, he is the perfect equivalent to Lucario. With a quick, powerful and high-flying offense, despite not having the size advantage on most competitors, AJ and Lucario have quickly become fan favorites.
Honchkrow/Alakazam – Undertaker
Honchkrow and The Undertaker have a similar look. The confidence and wisdom their eyes behold is immediately apparent and they both sport trademark hats. The dark theme that surrounds them are also a trademark signifiers.
In terms of sheer aura, The Undertaker comes pretty close to what Alakazam is. They both seemingly have psychic powers and their calm, stoic way of moving and attacking is eerily similar. If faced with either one, you better come prepared and with your mind in check.
Machamp/Mewtwo – Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar, the man who conquered Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania does also share similarities to more than one Pokémon. If most wrestlers resemble Machoke, Lesnar looks like Machamp in comparison. He is the Universal Champion after all.
Lesnar’s character is more similar to Mewtwo. Mewtwo was created by science, engineered to be the ultimate in battle and we can’t say for certain that the same didn’t happen with Lesnar. Like Mewtwo, Lesnar rarely shows up, but when he does, you know a beatdown is in order. It takes almost a supernatural effort to defeat the both of them, but it’s extra special when it happens.
Snorlax – Mark Henry
With a similar stature and build, both Snorlax and Mark Henry are freakishly strong. Both are normally gentle giants, but if you piss them off there will be hell to pay, with a likely visit to a certain Hall of Pain.
“The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry is about to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and if there ever was a Pokémon Hall of Fame, Snorlax would surely be one of its first entries.
Hypno – Goldust
They are weird, creepy and gold.
The Bellsprout from Indigo League – Chad Gable
Don’t let the miniature stature or goofy personality fool you, Bellsprout and Gable will use your own momentum against you and turn anything into a belly to belly suplex.
Punyta – Becky Lynch
Yes, I know the name is Ponyta, but if you are aware of Becky Lynch and her fondness of puns, you’d get it straight away.
Not only that, Becky Lynch is straight fire just like Ponyta, with fiery, long, red locks and both hold their own despite the cute image. Well, at least Rapidash can, but Punyta seemed more fitting of a name for Becky Lynch to compare to.
Dugtrio – The New Day
Look at that gyration!
It’s hard not to dig one of the best trios in WWE history, The New Day. Like their Pokémon counterpart, they work effectively as a team and are a lively bunch. Play the music and look at them go:
Arbok – Randy Orton
Randy Orton is nicknamed “The Viper”, for his snake-like movements and rapid attacks, so obviously we’d have to compare him to a snake Pokémon.
I went with Arbok for it’s quick strike ability and body decor. When Randy Orton strikes you with the RKO, I’m sure it must feel like a bite from Arbok. Their malevolent glares can tell you when they are about to strike, but their opponents won’t see it coming when they sneak up on them.
Garbodor – Jinder Mahal
Draw your own conclusions…
Hawlucha – Kalisto
When the Pokémon creators made Hawlucha, it was obviously an homage to lucha libre wrestling. The WWE have had a few notable luchadors, with my favorite Rey Mysterio as the best of the bunch, but I can’t pick him. Rey hasn’t yet signed with the WWE (fingers crossed he will soon), and Kalisto might be more similar to Hawlucha anyway. They do have more similar movements and poses than any luchador I can think of.
Dragonite – Cesaro
Two incredibly powerful individuals who both struggle to be taken seriously. Whether it’s Dragonite’s friendly exterior or Cesaro’s Swiss charm, they both pack a way better punch than people assume they would.
Pound for pound they might be the strongest of the bunch and you’d rather want them as an ally than an enemy. While we still need to wait for Cesaro to become WWE Champion, at least Dragonite was chosen to be Elite 4 Champion Lance’s main member.
Emboar – Braun Strowman
EMBOAAAAAAAR! DUDUDU DU RU DU RU RU
These are some of the newest additions to each franchise. Two wrestling beasts in the form of Emboar and Braun Strowman. I’m not sure which hands I’d rather get. A terrifying prospect nonetheless.
Mew – Alexa Bliss
Going from big to little, Mew and Alexa Bliss might seem short and sweet, but have both proven to be feisty competitors.
Bruxish – The Miz
Bruxish and The Miz’ biggest strengths are their seemingly endless confidence. There is just something about that picture of Bruxish that reminds me of The Miz’ best ability. The Miz might not have the same strong teeth that Bruxish has, but while Bruxish can’t evolve, The Miz has improved loads since he first entered the WWE. He also found his wife in the WWE who is currently pregnant with his child, which gives The Miz all the more reason to smile.
Hitmontop – Booker T
Hitmontop does a mean spinaroonie.
Did we miss anyone? Please tell us in the comments what other WWE Superstar and Pokémon comparisons you can think of. Or hit us up on Twitter @TheVideoScope
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