Do wrestlers have to be hated to be loved?

[Tastycles]

There's a thread in the Smackdown section about Punk turning heel that got me thinking about this. Since Sting won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in 1990, there have been very few world champions in either WCW or WWE that have done so without either being a heel or having been one consistently for a while. The exceptions as far as I see are as follows:

Hulk Hogan's first WCW reign,
Sting's subsequent reigns,
Goldberg,
David Arquette,
Rey Mysterio,
CM Punk,
Jeff Hardy.

Now Hogan and Sting hark back to a previous era, so we can ignore their reigns. Arquette was a joke, so that can be pushed aside, CM Punk wasn't very over as champion, and Rey Mysterio won it because his friend died, which leaves two, Goldberg and Jeff Hardy.

There are countless career heels who have won the title, but there isn't really such thing as a career face in my opinion. Goldberg got over because of the streak, but you can't do that for everyone, Hardy got over because he kills himself every week, but again not everybody can do that. As for everyone else, from Austin to The Rock to Foley to the Undertaker they have all been heels before becoming uber faces.

Cena is unquestionably the WWE's number one face now, but would the people have loved him as much if he was never the obnoxious rapping heel first? I don't think so. The Rock debuted as a face and was routinely hated, he turned heel, but then when he turned face subsequently he was given some of the biggest pops ever. Austin was booed as The Ringmaster then Stone Cold, before becoming the face of the generation, but could he have been as over if he hadn't have been hated first?

So basically, my question is this, do you think that a wrestler can ever, in the modern era, become the number one face of the company without being a heel first?

 

[HBK-aholic]

I think the fact that they were so hated increases the feelings of 'love' when they are the face. It works both ways. Hogan is often called the best heel in the business, but I disagree with that, simply because I think he was the best face in the business. Hogan was loved more than anyone else, and because of that, when he turned heel it automtaically caused more of a shock. It was how great he was at being face which generated his heel heat, as opposed to him being a great heel.

Sorry, slightly sidetracked there. I think it is possible for someone to be loved without them being a heel, but it might be easier for them to make it if the audience hated them - the feelings are just stronger.

 

[DhA]

I think in general it's easier to get people to dsliek you than to like you - try it in real life. Peopel see someone's a good heel, and THEN want to cheer for them. Then a select few have a real connection with the fans to make thier name predominantly as a face.

 

[shazam]

There is something to being a heel before a face. I think the way that it works is that to get someone out there and noticed at the start of their carrer is to be mean and cocky and get the people to remeber you b/c you pissed them off, I know if someone does something nice for me and someone else does something equally bad to me I'm going to be talking about the one that was a dick to me. Superstars start out as a heel to get reconized and then people begin to like them, even when they are still heel. Look around this board and you will see alot of people that like heels. If the performer is good people are going to like them no matter what.

This can be seen w/ the current problems that WWE is having. With the looming retirements of top faces like Undertaker, HBK, and Batista their isn't that many young faces to take over when they leave. Morrison, Shelton, Swagger, Ziggler are all people that I think WWE wants to put in the main event spot, but can't work them in b/c they are heel.

But,this also works for when this heel superstar is going to get the push for a main title. The best way to get someone the crowd will like and care about as champion is by making them have a fued w/ the biggest heel. So it not only helps in at the start of a carrer but it helps when that big push comes.

This isn't the only way to get loved, a good storyline, mic skills, or a just plain good performer will all get you loved, but is someone needs alittle help at first, being a heel is that help that they need.