Players can now perform three basic kinds of taunts by pressing directions on the D-Pad. The major reversal timing window is much larger than in 2K16, thankfully, so players now have a hope of pulling them off. Certain moves allow for major reversals, which involves hitting the button at two different times. Hit the button too early or late and you'll just keep on getting pounded. The timing on basic reversals is still tough, as the icon usually pops up for only the tiniest instant.
Hit the button (Right Trigger on Xbox) at just the right moment and you'll escape the attack, consuming a bar of Reversal stamina and inflicting damage on the attacker. Most moves have a brief window during which they can be reversed by the opponent, indicated by an icon above the wrestler's head. Reversals play a key role in the direction of the fight. A sufficiently weakened wrestler can be eliminated by pinfall, submission move, and sometimes other methods. Each competitor tries to maintain momentum for as long as possible, striking, grappling, and occasionally using weapons and objects to wear down their foes. Still, the fighting is quite good, once you figure it out.
But telling me how to chain wrestle once I'm already doing it won't help if I can't figure out how to even start it in the first place. The first time a player or the AI initiates certain types of moves, like chain wrestling or submissions, instructions for that mechanic will pop up on-screen. The developers have at least added some context-sensitive tutorials here and there, though. You'd have to fumble blindly or search the web to learn some of this stuff. Nor does the controls list describe how to do certain important things, like tag in after tagging out, grabbing weapons from under the ring, or dragging a prone opponent.
The controls aren't even listed in the main options menus – players must pause from within a match to view them. The game still lacks a proper tutorial mode, a major hurdle for new players. The core wrestling gameplay hasn't changed drastically from 2K16.