Is The Rock one of the Best heel's ever?

[Paradox]

I've been watching some old videos of The Rock when he was a heel in 03 with the whole hollywood gimmick. I can not believe how much heat the guy drew from the fans. His promo's were some of the best I've ever seen, with his concert, and Rock appreciation night. We all know that he was golden on the mic. Not only where his promos great his matches were amazing. He made people hate him so much when he was in the ring. He drew a huge amount of heat for the way he won the rematch with Hogan (with McMahon's help). Then at Wrestlemania his match with Austin was great. When he put on Austin's vest, people went nuts. He really knew how to get people to be pissed at him. In my opinion was the best form of the Heel Rock.

Then when you look back when first started. He drew just as much heat from the vans in his first couple of runs as a heel. When the fans started booing him as Rocky Maiva, he used that and became the arrogant man that we knew as The Rock. Then he joined the Nation of Domination. He then used the faction great, the way any heel would. Then when when he sold out joining McMahon and became the Corporate Champ.

So here's my question. Is The Rock one of the best heel's ever? Let the debate begin.

 

[Miko]

He's one of the best wrestlers ever, I'd say if I was being unbiased that he's 3rd behind Hogan and Austin respectively. Both of those guys played amazing faces and heels, as did The Rock.

I dont think there can be much doubt that he is one of the greatest heels, always a better face though, but anyone who can get a crowd to turn on him the way he could despite the fact that only a couple of months earlier people would lap up everything he said is pretty impressive.

 

[rockyr]

The Rock is simply one of the greatest of all time! Cocky heel or mega over face, The Rock knew how to work a crowd and the energy he brought to his matches is what made he a star. I loved The Rock appreciation night but his work with "The Hamburgular" was hilarious.

 

[Muttley]

I loved The Rock...in all aspects, the mic, the wrestling ability, the entertainment. Any of the feuds between Austin and Rock were amazing, whether Rock was heel or Austin was heel, you knew that it was going to turn out great for everyone.

The fact is, The Rock was one of those superstars that you loved to love when he was the face and you loved to hate him when he was the heel. When he was the face he always had some intensity and comedy in his promos (which they try and duplicate now with Cena and it just fails miserably). But along with HBK, The Rock could simply just flip a switch and become face or heel and the fans would be entertained regardless. Back with the Austin/Rock feuds The Rock always had those great reactions to everything that Austin did, and when The Rock got the best of Austin it was even better and more entertaining.

Even though this was a little later...I think this is one of the funnier segments with The Rock, Coach, and even...The Hurricane...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzky0OAghHQ

 

[Sivsyboi]

The Rock was generally an all round great. The only person that I can think of now that can draw serious heat AND is amazing in the ring is Jericho. But Jericho doesnt even come close to the rock! What does that say about wrestling now?

 

[Spjadoe05]

i'm kinda split on this. if we are simply talking about did he get some of the biggest heat of any heel ever i would have to put him on the top of the list. but let's be honest and really think about it. if Rocky hadn't been such a huge face would he be the heel he was? notice Hogan and Jericho get ridiculous heel heat (i'm not so sure about Austin, i know he got heat but i'm not sure his HEEL heat is as big as the others. before you stans attack me i am not saying he didn't get reactions) The more the fans love you the easier it is to draw heat when you turn, generally. Sure a lot of people go from face to heel but most don't get the babyface reactions that Rock, Hogan, Jericho got and then turn on the fans.

 

[avi01]

Dunno if he was one of the best ever but certainly one hell of a heel. Everything he did and say during 2003 was awesome. Those promos were priceless. And in 99, the over the top guy, those trash talks, that I quit match vs. Mankind. Great great heel.

 

[Paradox]

He's one of the best wrestlers ever, I'd say if I was being unbiased that he's 3rd behind Hogan and Austin respectively. Both of those guys played amazing faces and heels, as did The Rock.

I dont think there can be much doubt that he is one of the greatest heels, always a better face though, but anyone who can get a crowd to turn on him the way he could despite the fact that only a couple of months earlier people would lap up everything he said is pretty impressive.

I agree that he's one of the best ever. Like you said The Rock could flip a switch and people hated him. Not just months earlier, days, hell even minutes, look at his feud Hogan's in 03. That's why I think Austin is behind him. Yes, Austin was a great heel, and could get people to hate him. Though it wasn't like Rocky could. With a seconds people would hate The Rock. To me, Austin kinda did what Jericho did last year, he built up slowly into a tweener before going full fledged heel. The one time that he did turn heel in one night was at WM17, and even then Austin was getting cheered. (You can correct me if I'm wrong, that's just my view on it.) That and the thing that hurt Austin as a heel, was that he was so over with the fans. Anything he did he was getting cheered for.

Hogan was a great heel, but in my opinion he only had one really good run as a heel. That was in his wcw days. (him as a heel with the wwe's version of the nwo wasn't that great. least it wasn't to me.) While The Rock had several great heel runs. I don't disagree with that both Hogan and Austin were great heel's. To me there was only one man that was a better heel then The Rock, and that's Vince. No matter what he did he was hated.

The Rock was generally an all round great. The only person that I can think of now that can draw serious heat AND is amazing in the ring is Jericho. But Jericho doesnt even come close to the rock! What does that say about wrestling now?

Yes I think that Jericho is the closes now (though the Miz has been getting better lol, still is no where close to Jericho). To me wrestling today isn't that bad. We just got spoiled with the likes of The Rock, and Austin. It's not everyday that you have to legends in the same era. It most likely will never happen again.

 

[yoshi_doce2006]

The rock is the greatest talker in the history of the business and may be the best storyteller in history. He may be the only person in wrestling history that can claim to be one of the Top 3 heels and Top 3 faces in the history of the business. Maybe the only other person that can claim that is Hulk Hogan.

One could argue that the Rock is the greatest entertainer the business has ever seen heel or face. I dont see anyone in this generation that will even come close to the Rock. Even though right now Jericho is the top heel in the business on any brand or in any company.

 

[supersayian]

the Rock the best heel ever is a pretty bold statement. there are many heels that i san think of who are better. just to name three are Piper, Diebasie, Vince. Rock was one of the best in his time. but the only time i think his heel character was good was in 2003. back in 1998 and 99 he was still not huge. 2003 he was in
Hollywood. his movie character was great because he would take that role and turn it into a character. his mic work was classic Rock. as he Let Austin know and the entire wwe that he still had the talent to put guys over as well as still work a crowd into a frenzy. Rock would be my fourth guy or 5th as far as heels. he is top 2 in faces easily. the guy was the greatest entertainer in wwe history as far as mic goes.

 

[Nev]

He was heel, for what? A couple of programs?

No, he's not the best heel ever bro.

Just because he drew positive fan reaction doesn't mean he's the best heel, more like an average heel.

That's not really the answer, he was a heel for such a short time. It's tough to put him ahead of the McMahon and Triple H factions, Shawn Michaels in the 90s, etc etc.

 

[KillBill]

the Rock the best heel ever is a pretty bold statement. there are many heels that i san think of who are better. just to name three are Piper, Diebasie, Vince. Rock was one of the best in his time. but the only time i think his heel character was good was in 2003. back in 1998 and 99 he was still not huge. 2003 he was in
Hollywood. his movie character was great because he would take that role and turn it into a character. his mic work was classic Rock. as he Let Austin know and the entire wwe that he still had the talent to put guys over as well as still work a crowd into a frenzy. Rock would be my fourth guy or 5th as far as heels. he is top 2 in faces easily. the guy was the greatest entertainer in wwe history as far as mic goes.

Jake Roberts should be put up there. Ive said before, he is one of the best heels ever, and that stint in 91-92 may put him at the top. The Rock was hatable, but it didnt last long, and he got heel by being a boring face, and people ate it up. Its hard to judge heels in attitude era other than Vince, because being bad was being good...

 

[Paradox]

He was heel, for what? A couple of programs?

No, he's not the best heel ever bro.

Just because he drew positive fan reaction doesn't mean he's the best heel, more like an average heel.

That's not really the answer, he was a heel for such a short time. It's tough to put him ahead of the McMahon and Triple H factions, Shawn Michaels in the 90s, etc etc.

That's your opinion, He was a heel for the majority of 98, though mid 99. Then he was a heel, late 02 through 03. He was a heel for a good percent of his time. I never said that he was the best of all time. I said he's one of the best. I put Vince above him.

The point of being a heel, is getting heat, is making the fans hate you. That does mean getting reaction from the fans. Not only that it's making the face look good. In which he always did. Look at Mankind, made him look great. Look at Austin, he made Austin look great. Yeah I know a lot of people are going to blast me for that, But really look at it. In 99 his matches with Austin were good, he made Austin look good. At WM 19, he made Austin and all of his injuries look like the toughest sob they're was by not being able to put him away.

Triple h? Triple h was a good heel, but nowhere near the level The Rock. Yes he was a great heel. The reason he drew so much was because who he was against. The Rock, Taker and Austin. The greater the face the greater the heel. That's part of the reason I put Rock so high, he had Austin. Their feuds were golden.

 

[Upgrayedd]

He was an entertaining heel. Personally, I liked his work in 2003 the absolute best. I think he was so confident by then and playing the heel was very entertaining.

But... I wouldn't say he's a great heel in that the fans hated him. Even when he was ripping on them and doing the "If Ya Smell..." the fans would always finish it no matter how bad he just insulted or tried to be a heel. Remember it got to the point where he'd even say "This isn't sing along with The Rock" and the fans would still cheer him. He was just too entertaining to be a heel.

Flair, Piper, Hogan, Mr. McMahon, Austin (in 2001), Triple H (in 2000/2001) those were great heels. The fans loved to boo them.