Greatest Heel in Wrestling History

[Kaneanite]

Quite often you hear about how Cena is the current Hogan, Rock, or Austin. That is to say, the current face of the company. The guy that when you hear "WWE" most people think of. Whether you hate him or love him, sorry people, Cena is the guy.

On the contrary, who is the greatest heel? The guys that faced these face Hogans, Rocks, Austins, and Cenas. The guys that cut the badass promos and had the crowd booing them out of the building.

Before I say who I think it is, please keep in mind that I'm 18 years old. I wasn't watching wrestling during the Hogan ERA. I started around Wrestlemania 18 because I remember LOVING the game "Wrestlemania 18" for GameCube haha.

Anyways, I have to say it is either HHH or Vince McMahon.

HHH: If I've learned anything since coming to this board other than people actually think the Miz is talented, it's that there are actually people that hate HHH. I understand, he married the Chairmans daughter and undoubtedly has had some runs that he married his way too. But none can doubt the talent this guy has as a heel. One of the best I've ever seen. Evolution, Wrestlemania 2000, his feud with Cena, so many heel-moments I've seen from this guy really make me believe that he is one of the best heels in the history of the business. I think what makes him such an appealing heel is that he can actually be a heel and still win legitly in a match. That just makes him scary knowing that your loving face can actually go out there and lose a fair fight. The Game is a legend.

Vince McMahon: The first bit of WWE/F I ever saw was when my uncle and I watched the Royal Rumble in 1999. This didn't exactly get me into wrestling though it indeed caught my eye. What I remember most about this event wasn't so much the greatness of the "I Quit" match between Mankind and The Rock. It was the hatred I all of a sudden had for Vince McMahon. This old dude won the Royal Rumble by cheaply knocking out Steve Austin. Man I was an angry little kid after I saw that haha. And ever since, Vince has just been an AMAZING heel in my eyes. His feud with HBK was one of the most memorable feuds for me. It was so personal. The feud with HBK, Spirit Squad, constantly messing with Bret Hart, the Kiss My Ass club, his theme music/entrance video, the fact that he literally is "the big cheese" of the WWE, winning the '99 rumble, all of this just leads me to believe that Vinny Mac is the best heel this company has ever seen.


Thoughts?

 

[The Assassin IX]

Tully Blanchard was a great heel. As well as Ted Dibiase. I remember that basketball segment and he had to escorted out the building with security because of the amount of heat he garnered.

 

[JayMiine]

Vince McMahon. It was because of how much people hated McMahon that they loved Austin so much. Vince's character helped Austin become what he was. Maniacal Vince gets my vote.

 

[marklouis]

The dirtiest player in the game-The Nature Boy Ric Flair. Leader of arguably the greatest heel faction, the 4 Horsemen. 16 time world champion, most of them as a heel. One of his signature moves was to poke his opponent in the eye. And, of course, he didn't mind delivering a low blow if necessary. He did anything it took to hold on to the title. Every male fan wanted to be him, riding in limos & jets & sleeping with beautiful women, and Flair let the fans know they could never be him. Plus, he was the major influence on every heel that followed him, including HHH. It's an old school choice, but it's gotta be Ric Flair.

 

[Hbk4life]

I say HHH for the same reasons listed in the first post. He reaaaaally made you hate him when he had that super-long title run. His mic work is FANTASTIC and could stir up a crowd so well.

William Regal as well. This guy was born to be a heel. Does ANYONE actually LIKE that guy? When he music hits, I could vomit.

Lastly I would say JBL. I never WANTED a wrestler to retire as much as JBL, I hated him so much it was almost unbearable. I admire how well he works as a heel though.

 

[schnafoo]

One person I would have to add to this list is Raven. His amazing promos in my mind changed heel characters into something more than the guy who cheats. His feud with the Sandman stands out in my mind as the perfect example of what I'm talking about.

 

[ThePeoplesChampion]

Im only 21 so its ok im with the same as you.

HHH - he was the most hated man in wrestling for awhile...ran down Stone Cold, constantly faced the People's Champion, Married to nagging Stephanie the bosses daughter, held Jericho down...i use to hate him (before i started to get on websites and stuff like this) but i sure wish he would go back to this....look at the great faces he went against....Rock, Austin, and Goldberg three the biggest faces ever he faced them all!

Chris Jericho - Its amazing cause this guy could be in the top faces of all time as well...but i think he's a better heel...i mean people hated him for beating Rock and Austin in one night to become the first undisputed champion and then telling us over and over again...to him now use his intellectual vocabulary to make people look dumb (be honest we all know there are hillbillies watching going, "Damn it Jimbo, why does that Jericho guy has to use big words?") he was one the best in the business

I would say Muhammad Hassin but he was there for so long that and i think anyone at that time would of booed an Arab talking bad about america. Its unfornate to cause he was a great talent

 

[NoCareEver]

I love HHH and I think he's for sure a top wrestler of all time but absolutely not even a top 10 heel. Why? Because the guy is a rockstar. Everybody loves and respects Triple H and he comes out to a huge fanfare and rarely even insults the fans during heel tenures. His entrance and acts aren't heelish to anybody but the person he's feuding with. That's why even though it was too little too late and I always disliked him as a wrestler in general, I thought Batista's heel turn at the beginning of this year was VERY impressive. He garnered legitimate heat, insulted the fans, wrestlers, changed his entrance to show his ego. Triple H could never get real heat no matter what he does other than marry the boss's daughter.

 

[Kaneanite]

Batista is certainly an interesting argument. The argument I'm talking here is what could he have become had he stayed with the WWE as a heel instead of leaving OR was a heel much earlier in his career and for the majority of it? He was flat out fantastic as a heel before he left in his feuds with Rey and Cena. The guy was a power house and dominant, almost scary. I know the hardcore wrestling fans didn't really like his in-ring ability but it was enough for me to think of him as a great heel for his limited time as one.

 

[shadowman2000]

I'm kind of suprised no one mentioned Kurt Angle. Of course, when he arrived, he was the annoying, arrogant, (listing accomplishments type of heel). But over the years, his character progressed so much more. He became one of the best heels I had ever seen and was even cutting his best promos in my opinion with his last WWE heel run. The fans gave him so much heat when he entered. And the way he retaliated was priceless.

 

[bigd22]

I know everyone thinks of Shawn Michaels as a face because he h asa huge fan favorite. However if you look back and watch some of his promos and how he wrestled from '92 till '94 and than again in '98 and for a short time in 2005. He is great at making people hate him. He knows exactly what to say and he was so arrogant and cocky back in the day. People loved to hate the guy. But he was such a great talent people started to like him. It happened to Austin and its now happening to Orton. When guys are so good, fans have no choice but to cheer and like the guy. Watch his rants on Hogan in '05, they are classic. Watch some of his stuff with Mr Perfect and with Desiel from '93. Its great stuff. He had the heartbreak hotel. Segements as such have made alot of heels even better such as Pipers pit, Jerichos Highlight Reel, and Edges Cutting edge. It helped people hate him even more. The stuff with DX in '98 goes without question as some of the best promos and entertainment ever on Raw. After you watch those segments on youtube let me know what you think?

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

im surprised why no one has mentioned jake the snake roberts till now.i think it was actually "the snake" who changed the idea of what a heel should be like.granted he did not win a lot of titles in this industry but he gave us some really great feuds.

i think he is the reason why we have guys like randy orton and cm punk in thiss industry today.he was evil just for the sake of being evil.he had an agenda which was not the wwe title but one wreck havoc all around

flair is the finest old school heel of all time but i think after a point he actually started getting cheered because if you take away the fact that he was a cheat he was actually quite likable and funny.WOOO.......

also a guy who should be mentioned imo is the original heel mankind.that character creeps me out even in present day.what the holy hell was that gimmick??? a masochistic feral child.thats the closest i can get

i hoping cm punk will make a mark someday which is enough to warrant his discussion in this topic.its too early to say for now though

someone said raven and i do agree with him.a very unique heel.seemed to have a certain agenda in his mind.he could have been one of the greatest superstars ever had he been used correctly.

vince is a good one too.i think most of you guys say that vince's character made austin what he was but i think they just both made eaach other.mcmahon wouldnt have been that hated had he been against a lesser talented guy

i do not consider hhh a very good heel.he is a great wrestler but i feel the heat he got in his days was more due to the fact he was opposing almost mythical babyfaces like austin and rock

 

[GoochOwnsYou]

I started watching wrestling during the Hogan/WWF and Flair/NWA era's. During that time you couldn't go past Tully Blanchard. He would brag about having everything and rub it in your face that they had the money, fast cars, faster women, Rolex watches and designer suits.

People put over HHH especially during his Evolution days especially with the 'made, paid, laid' but many forget alot of his persona is based upon Blanchard. Especially given the fact that what made you hate him even more is you could see how talented in the ring Blanchard was.

The argument for Raven is compelling but the Four Horsemen gave other reasons for hating them than besides cheating and its something that has consistently worked. Raven's character could be cheered or booed. It was the feuds with Tommy Dreamer and Sandman, having the Nest as muscle that made him so hated. Raven's character hasn't really changed much and he can be so over with the crowd or hated. It all depends on who he's feuding with and he can switch with the click of his fingers.

Raven will be remembered for being one of the most gifted minds in wrestling, not as the 'greatest heel'.

As for DiBiase, he was almost like a streamlined PG version of Blanchard and Flair. More focus on the money than the success, cars, women, and everything else. Worked great and I have nothing but praise for the guy, but Blanchard perfected what it meant to be a heel.

 

[CruelButFair]

Totally agree with the snake. His interviews were some of the best I've ever seen, and when he was a heel he took on a very dark and creepy side that really hit the spot. The guy was so over it wasn't even funny, and he didn't ever get a single wwe title of any sort. But from wrestlemania 3 on through 8 his blood feuds that culminated there every year were always one of the top matches to look forward to. The actual snake aside, Jake Roberts was one of the most chilling heels and believable faces to ever lace up the boots. It's hard to say he accomplished more as a heel than say Ric Flair or Triple H, but substance wise he was there with Roddy Piper as one of those that were exceptionally good at being a heel even if they were more commonly a face.

 

[Agent_of_Anarchy]

My first choice as the greatest heel candidate would be Andy Kaufman. This was a very famous actor/comedian who started wrestling women and who completely embraced the crowds heat. His promos were solid ("I'm from Hollywood! I'm smarter than you are!) and original and really set the standard for heels for many, many years. If anyone hasn't seen what I'm talking about of doesn't know andy kaufman then I suggest you You Tube him because any wrestling fan would appreicate his work as a heel.

But in more modern times, you can't go past JBL. Here was a guy that was hated by everyone from the casual fans, the kiddie fans and the internet marks. That period in time on Smackdown where JBL was champ for nearly the whole year, always managing to weasel his way into winning by cheating. His mic work just looked and felt way to easy for him. He was very easy to hate. And if a crowd didn't completely hate him, then he'd make damn sure they did by the end of the night. His heat never really seemed to transfer that well over to RAW, but that was more a booking and script problem than Bradshaws abilty. He is, in my book, the best fucking heel ever!

Credit also to Triple H, Hollywood Hogan and Chris Jericho (especially his WCW days).

 

[czar76]

Old ECW Dudly Boys
I have never seen anyone work a crowd like they did. they were given the chance to say what they wanted and they did. Not like the worked plants in the crowd now days, they would find a person and pick them apart.

The best of all time was Roddy Piper. The man made u want to kill him at first glance. he was way over the top but it worked with the era wrestling was in.

 

[Yarrie]

It is hard to pick as it depends on who your fave face was. Back in the day I absolutely HATED Ravishing Rick Rude, because he feuded with The Ulitmate Warrior. In more modern days I would have to agree with whomever said HB, I love him to bits, always did heel or face but people despised him, in real life and on TV. After the whole Montreal Screwjob, dat midget come out as Bret Hart, cheating to beat Undertaker in casket match..the list goes on and on. He was amazing.

And HHH, another one I love Heel or Face, his Evolution and McMahon Helmsley error he was incredible he destroyed JR, lied, cheated, stole and absolute Legend.

And of course a shout out to VKM, when he challenged GOD, and then on HBK's dvd said, he was disappoint
GOD didnt show, and that he thinks GOD was intimated by him, amazing. VKM rulez foolz

 

[Cjslick101]

Jeff Hardy by far...... I'm only kidding lol
although I do like him as a heel, even though I'm a little biased

How can we talk about the greatest heel and not mention the greatest wrestler
Ric Flair is considered the dirtiest player in the game for a reason
Simply being recognized as the greatest wrestler after being heel for most of it alone is an amazing feat
His Promos?.... priceless

and speaking of priceless, I have to giving second best heel to the Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase Sr
What better way to get everyone to hate you besides interacting with them and making kids cry lol He was a great wrestler and his Promo's were worth a million dollars at least....


So those are my picks but much credit to...

JBL, King of the mountain Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, The Rock was hilarious during his second brief heel run...

Dare I say John Cena, before you say wtf? Think about it, his gimmick was genius and people ate it up and he was one of the biggest heels like it or not early in his WWE career.



But.... in all seriousness Ric Flair is the greatest Heel of all time.... and wrestler period... The absolute greatest

 

[mister_b1LL]

Sgt. Slaughter. Why? Let's go back to WrestleMania 7 in 1991. During that time Sgt. Slaughter had played the role of an Iraqi sympathizer during a time when the US and Iraq had come off the heels of war. There was a threat made towards the company due to Slaughter's turn against the fans and the US, leading to WrestleMania 7 switching from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the LA Memorial Sports Arena. Now granted the wrestling world has had it's fair share of Triple Hs, Ric Flairs, and Ted Dibiases, but no heel has ever garnered heat so genuine and so strong that it required a dramatic change of venue for the biggest event in professional wrestling.

 

[harrythem]

Vince McMahon from 98 onwards. The man has the presence and charisma of a top line heel and just makes you hate him with the evil stuff he says and does. Austin was the main reason for the WWE's explosion in 98 but, honestly, I don't think it could've happened unless he'd had the heel McMahon to work against.

Hogan 96 is a close second as no-one ever thought it'd happen and, when it did, there was genuine hate towards Hogan at the time. The crap thrown in the ring by fans says it all.

There have been many great heels in wrestling history but, to me, those two stand out.

Oh, and with Mania 7 being moved. A much more believable explanation is the one the owner of the LA Coliseum gave.....that the event was no-where near close to filling the 100,000 seats they could hold.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I have been waiting for somebody to post this and honestly I'm not sure why I didn't do it myself. To be a good heel you have to be really good at pissing people off or making them hate you. Everybody jumps on the band wagon and says that HHH was the greatest heel of all time but this is my theory. People are tricking into thinking this because the particular heel was at that time in a dominating stable, a really powerful one which always stacked the odds up against the face.

When HHH was a great heel it was when he was in the mcmahon-helmsley era OR in evolution or maybe also the power trip. But if we take the power-trip as an example, it wasn't a huge faction just two guys and the boss so they never got further than feuding with kane and taker really so when you think about how good HHH was in power trip, honestly only as good as stone cold, maybe not quite as good right then. This is a mahor problem then when you are assessing a heel.

Vince Mcmahon is eternally considered the top heel of everything because he was always the most powerful man, he was the one who could decide the future of the wreestlers and so seeing a face get over him was really like watching a minor miricle, thats why him and austin saved WWE whilst NWO was over there feuding with itself.
Vince Mcmahon was in the most powerful faction aside from NWO (because they were a larger group that also had the backing of the boss hence why sting was so over....simple no?) and I think this is a problem in assessing how good he really was as a heel.

So now the only true way you can assess somebody's heel potential is when they are NOT involved in a faction or a stable. E.g we all know kurt angle is a good heel from most of his WWE career, currently we know for example that chris jericho and CM Punk and even Vicky guererro are all good heels.This means that they cant even have a manager (you know like bobby heenan because all they do is cement how good you are and get you over more, which is helping so) And viewing all of these competitors individually leads you to deciding who truly was the best heel of all time.

So based upon this fact I would like to say that I think the best heel of all time was: Roddy Piper.

Ric flair said it himself roddy piper was the most naturally gifted entertainer. he relayed that story at roddys HOF induction about when roddy got stabbed by and audience member. THAT is how mad he could make people, he could make them want to kill him by getting right under their skin. All the storys for me mean I have to be convinced he was the MOST hateable and yet loveable guy in wrestling history

 

[The_Grimace]

I would have to aggree with alex on that... i know getting stabbed by a fan would let me know i was doing my job as a heel. Im not just looking at roddys in ring heel work but his outside work as well. This was a man that lived his character outside the ring as well during anything wrestling relatted he was the pipper be it heel or face. Except that movie with the 25 min fight seen...oh dang it why cant i remmeber what it was called

 

[Wullief23]

Good thread - So many possible answers, and a lot for different reason's.

VINCE MCMAHON.
I would probably have to go for the obvious choice of Vince McMahon. I'm choosing VKM for the reason that he has screwed over so many of the top stars over a very long timeframe. Vince has screwed everyone from Bret Hart and Stone Cold to even his own wife Linda McMahon, and although his character has not been on tv too much lately, you can count on him to have plenty more 'antics' up his sleeve.

Another couple of options i have for different reasons are as follows:

SGT SLAUGHTER.
I would say Sarge has a shot purely for the storyline where he jumped ship for USA to being in the Iraq stable with Col Mustafa and General Adnan. It was at a time where the American fan's and American's in general were at a very partriotic time due to the war, and to have Slaughter in this storyline was very risque indeed - however he pulled it off and became the most hated figure in WWE (WWF at the time). Being a patriotic American himself it must have been a very difficult job to do, but he stepped up and done his job, and done it very well!

MOHAMMED HASSAN.

I would not say he was the greatest heel, however i feel it was worth a mention. He had a very similar storyline to Sgt Slaughter, and he played his character well and had WWE fans detesting him! He didn't stick around too long, however this was as WWE has to pull the plug on his character due to the fact they thought it was/or could have got very much out of hand!

MILLION DOLLAR MAN TED DIBIASE.
I'm giving Dibiase a mention because when i started watching wrestling around 1988 he was a top heel and i HATED the guy. I don't think he has been given as much credit over the years for how good a heel he was. I remember watching his vignettes when he would pay people to kiss his feet and stuff and really really detesting him, and how he treated Virgil. I look back now and really admire Dibiase for how good he worked the crowd and worked his character to perfection! When you are younger you really believe the character you are watching, when you are older you admire the guys who work their character and work the crowd.

BOBBY THE BRAIN HEENAN.
The ultimate heel manager. This guy was so good his family must have hated him. Again like i said about Dibiase - it is when you get older and appreciate the job each wrestler/manager is doing, then you really appreciate how good this guy was and how good he worked his character and worked the crowd. He got on my nerves so much when i was a kid, always interfeering in matches of the faces who i would want to win. I look back now and it was sheer quality how he was contolling the crowd and building the feud. I think he is the greatest heel manager, and probably the greatet manager of all time.

Like i said previously - good thread and there have been so many top quality heels over the years. These are just a few of my opinions.

 

[KBP51883]

Sorry guys but it has to Sgt Slaughter this happened when the first gulf war was happening and he was burning the USA flag etc and there were reports that vince had to change the location of wm 7 due to the threats made against his life and the wwf

 

[themusicman]

Im really surprised no-one has mentioned The Undertaker! Im not talking about the whole biker phase (although to be fair I thought he did a great job with a poor gimmick), but his first inital run. He arrived and after destroying some mid-carders got into it with The Warrior and Hogan and aligned himself with the likes of The Nature Boy. You could see that he genuinely scared the younger memebers of the crowd and managed great heat. Lets be honest, on paper, The Undertaker is a stupid idea, but he makes it work and got a reaction.