THE BEST HEEL EVER....

[Goldie]

Probably my single pick would be Jake Roberts from 1991-92.
He was a sick sick heel.... his promos were creepy and sinister, and it wasn't just his delivery! his choice of words really made you think.

This was the period where he betrayed the Ultimate Warrior by locking him in a casket, and then went after Savage & Liz. The segment where Jake got his python to chew up Randys arm was way ahead of its time..... and though its common place now, when Jake slapped a woman (Liz) it was a big big deal and an evil act.

If there was ever the devil incarnated in a wrestler it was Jake during this period

Other choices such as Piper, Rude, Dibiase... I'd agree with. But Jake stands out for me.

 

[lowandmighty]

Its Ric Flair in my opinion, he's synonymous with the term heel. he did some despicable things in his career, some really low acts. I have actually been offended by some of the things flair has done as a heel and I've always looked at wrestling only in a kayfabe kind of way.

You don't get called the dirtiest player in the game for nothing.

However people have forgotten the age of wrestling before about 35 years ago and back then killer Kowalski was genuinely crooked so honorable mention to him.

Hollywood Hogans snapshot in time as top heel in wrestling should be taken into account too but the overall best heel to me is Ric Flair.

 

[deadman talking]

my god its hard to pick just one. i think i will choose punks straight edge society, and his wrestling '' jesus'' character. he pissed off a bunch of people. loved it. also must mention undertakers first run and his satanic ministery. love that too. cant forget vinnie mac also.

 

[LascoX]

The first name to pop into my head on seeing the thread was Piper, I can see I wasn't alone in that. A few other notables would be Flair , I hated the guy , but you have to respect Ric's ability to get the crowd to hate him. He was the dirtiest player in the game.
One of my favorite all time heels was Bruiser Brody , he was big and vicious. He also ended up getting killed in a locker room so obviously he took the whole heel thing a bit to far.
HBK will also be one of the all time greats in my book for being a heel. He has been a face for a long time now but Shawn himself said it on Raw the other night when he told the crowd "I sold out a long time ago" Not knocking Shawn at all by that , I was just on the Hart side of the whole Hart /Michaels feud as back in the day HBK was a major league Asshole.
Last but not least on the honorable mentions list ( I could keep on dropping names as there has been so many great heels both in the ring and outside managing the wrestlers) is Harley Race, Back in the day I hated Harley. Harley was no nonsense, come into the territory and take apart my favorite wrestlers after putting on a good match with them. I really hated him for doing that back when I was a kid. Flair modeled his wrestling style a lot on Harley and the battles they had were epic. It was that feud that really made me like Harley and respect him as a wrestler. That feud was also what really launched Flair over the top, Flairs favorite saying was "To be the man you have to beat the man" Back then Harley was the Man! He was also one of the best heels ever.

 

[Ubermensch]

As a character, it was easily Hogan's heel turn. His baby face persona was so outstanding that it made his heel turn that much worse. To this day I don't think I have seen a stronger reaction than when he turned at Bash at the Beach in 96.

 

[dudenamedric]

Hogan as heel was probably the most impactful, but I think Million Dollar Man was the all time heel. He was the total package for people to hate. Honorable mention to Rick Rude tho too, I hated him so much I loved him lol.

 

[SonicReducer]

DiBiase was a long-time face / top face in Mid-South and UWF. Think of DiBiase and Dr.Death. A good chunk of his in-ring career was outside of WWF, and as a face. ... That being said, I agree that he was one of the best heels ever. His name immediately came to mind.

Honorable mentions:
- Larry Zbyszko
- Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie
- Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
- Stan "The Lariat" Hansen
- Kevin Sullivan
- Jimmy Garvin
- Jim Cornette/ Midnight Express

 

[$Mr. 100%]

Ric flair n his day made u hate him. He was(my shoes cost more than yo house!!!)always won and was champion all da time. He made u hate him and whoever he faced u wanted said wrestler 2 beat his ass. Not 2 mention he always had da horsemen 2 back him up. Promos about $ women championships space mountain 2 this day get me riled and he always had a list of who he beat and how he was da man. Only 1 man made me hate them more than flair:Hollywood Hogan. I was 1 of da biggest Hogan marks and when he turned I HATED HIM!!! 4 wks as a kid(ok teenager)i hoped and prayed he would come 2 his senses. Alas he wouldn't. Spray painting da belt and other wrestlers playing da air guitar w/da belt etc went against everything Hogan promoted. And da underhanded ways he would win and keep title made me wanna scream. Telling us fans 2 stick it. Burying da Horsemen(yea i know i said i hated them but Hollywood i hated more). Bischoff on his nut sack interpose of doom and hitting Rock w/a hammer. This man was despicable as a heel and w/out a doubt did his job and make me hate him w/a passion. When he leg dropped Savage as da 3rd man that broke my heart and i still haven't fully 4gave him 2 this day. That said however i can definitely say that was da greatest heelturn ever.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

It's between 3 guys.

Rick Rude - Awesome WWE run that didn't go as far as it should... Rude should have been winning the title but they wanted to put him with Bossman. The mark of a heel is that you know you're good and Rude walked to WCW, where he was the best heel in the business for a 2 year period bar none. He made the US title better than the WWF title, his feuds with Sting, Steamboat and even Dustin Rhodes and Chono were excellent work. The only blip was his "Halloween Phantom" debut, as they didn't think to cover his tats or give him a mask that hid his 'tasche.

That run would have continued if not for the injury... Hogan comes in? Rude would have jumped back to Vince and continued, imagine 94-95 with Rude on that WWF roster, he would have gotten the belt, feuded with Bret, Razor, Diesel maybe even Shawn and the whole landscape changes... likewise had Vince given him the belt in 1990, you would have had a much different landscape as different talent would have risen at different times from it.

Willam/Lord Steven Regal - There have been a lot of "snooty" heels over the years but none of them have come close to Regal's character. This guy screamed "better than you" with a simple turn up of his nose. Even in his earliest WCW days with "Sir William" at his side, you hated him but once they got the early WWE run out the way he became twice the best heel in the WWE... as the Commisioner being besmirched by guys like Jericho and later as RAW GM/KOTR... That was the best heel character they had had for years. Shutting off RAW early cos he could? Even Vince never pulled that kind of BS off...

Brian Pillman - I put Brian here because it was the one you never saw coming, a guy who had been a loveable scamp his entire career, even down to tiger print trunks and being a Yellow Dog but he was in reality the most natural heel of his era, when they put him with Austin no one really got it but from day one Pillman shined in the heel role, while Austin had had a couple of years honing it, Brian was new to it and out shone Steve in the obnoxious stakes. Fast forward a bit and soon the Horseman was born and he was already of that caliber as a heel he could have fitted into the group in the 80's.... and then the Cannon broke loose.

For all the Austin lovers out there, one thing is true, Pillman was doing it better and earlier than Steve... The Booker-man, Bobby Heenan's F bomb... the loose cannon was for a time the best heel character of all time, threatening to urinate in the ECW ring? Blasphemous but awesome... sadly he signed his WWE deal to be that guy and fight Bret, rolled his jeep and...no more in ring career... but he still was an awesome heel in his limited role... Pulling a gun on RAW? The Marlena "home movies"? This guy was always ahead of his time as a heel, pulling stuff that we now take for granted.

On balance I have to go with Rude as he was the only career heel. He never went face once and to me that steps him above all the others, just as you could argue Steamboat the ultimate babyface.

 

[$Mr. 100%]

It's between 3 guys.

Rick Rude - Awesome WWE run that didn't go as far as it should... Rude should have been winning the title but they wanted to put him with Bossman. The mark of a heel is that you know you're good and Rude walked to WCW, where he was the best heel in the business for a 2 year period bar none. He made the US title better than the WWF title, his feuds with Sting, Steamboat and even Dustin Rhodes and Chono were excellent work. The only blip was his "Halloween Phantom" debut, as they didn't think to cover his tats or give him a mask that hid his 'tasche.

That run would have continued if not for the injury... Hogan comes in? Rude would have jumped back to Vince and continued, imagine 94-95 with Rude on that WWF roster, he would have gotten the belt, feuded with Bret, Razor, Diesel maybe even Shawn and the whole landscape changes... likewise had Vince given him the belt in 1990, you would have had a much different landscape as different talent would have risen at different times from it.

Willam/Lord Steven Regal - There have been a lot of "snooty" heels over the years but none of them have come close to Regal's character. This guy screamed "better than you" with a simple turn up of his nose. Even in his earliest WCW days with "Sir William" at his side, you hated him but once they got the early WWE run out the way he became twice the best heel in the WWE... as the Commisioner being besmirched by guys like Jericho and later as RAW GM/KOTR... That was the best heel character they had had for years. Shutting off RAW early cos he could? Even Vince never pulled that kind of BS off...

Brian Pillman - I put Brian here because it was the one you never saw coming, a guy who had been a loveable scamp his entire career, even down to tiger print trunks and being a Yellow Dog but he was in reality the most natural heel of his era, when they put him with Austin no one really got it but from day one Pillman shined in the heel role, while Austin had had a couple of years honing it, Brian was new to it and out shone Steve in the obnoxious stakes. Fast forward a bit and soon the Horseman was born and he was already of that caliber as a heel he could have fitted into the group in the 80's.... and then the Cannon broke loose.

For all the Austin lovers out there, one thing is true, Pillman was doing it better and earlier than Steve... The Booker-man, Bobby Heenan's F bomb... the loose cannon was for a time the best heel character of all time, threatening to urinate in the ECW ring? Blasphemous but awesome... sadly he signed his WWE deal to be that guy and fight Bret, rolled his jeep and...no more in ring career... but he still was an awesome heel in his limited role... Pulling a gun on RAW? The Marlena "home movies"? This guy was always ahead of his time as a heel, pulling stuff that we now take for granted.

On balance I have to go with Rude as he was the only career heel. He never went face once and to me that steps him above all the others, just as you could argue Steamboat the ultimate babyface.

Regal was a great heel and terrific wrestler. Pillman was n his element w/da Hollywood blondes and even further as da i loose cannon. I still have fond memories of him and Austin acting like they were truly from Hollywood and better than everyone. Hi promos calling flair old and over da hill was must c and a basis 4 dx and nwo parodies later on. Who woulda thought that he would turn out 2 b such a great heel during his milktoast face runs. A shame he passed b4 truly making his mark. Regal he made u hate him. His wcw run when he was snobbish blueblood u just wanted 2 c him lose yet he always won and is 1 of da him best television champions ever. He would win hold da belt up point at it and himself as his swarmy music played and talk shit about how good he was. Ugh hated him w/a passion. And then he had Jeeves Sir Robert eaton squire Dave Taylor doing his bidding which made me hate him more. Good call on both pillman and regal. And rude, always saying how we fat and he look better than us or how he can take r women. He always drew heat and i could never c him as a face. How persona wouldn't let him b 1 truthfully. 3 great performers 3 great heels who sadly never reached they full potential

 

[thebarber]

nobody has gone back to guys like Fred Blassie or Ray Stevens, two of the ,kost hated heels of all time. A question like this is very much open to opinion and nobody is right or wrong.
I think Vince McMahon is the greatest heel of all time, from the Montreal incident to his long running and massively over feud with Austin, to double crossing of Mankind, to his burial of Hulk Hogan in 2003.....since late 1997 Vince has been the best heel in pro wrestling. Guys have had solid runs as heels like Honkytonk Man, Ted DiBiase, Rick Rude was pretty much a career heel but wasnt dastardly, he was an excellent wrestler, had a great look and spoke really wekk. Roddy Piper was one of the all time greats as a heel, and I believe Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff has been forgotten by many. His 1986 feud with Hogan was one of the greatest double crosses of all time. That Orndorff got injured in late 1986, wrestled through his major money program before getting treatment pretty much curtailed his career. I think if Orndorff doesnt get injured and has a major feud with Steamboat or Jake Roberts post Mania 3, he could have been remembered as one of the biggest heels of all time, in my opinion.

 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Ric Flair bar none for me, guy was phenomenal and inspired so many after him.

Other like Rick Rude and Dibiase wee also amazing heels. Infact. I think had Rude not git injured when he did in 94 he'd have become an even bigger star, I can imagine he'd have had a feud with Hogan at somepoint,

 

[Reflection]

My top pick would be Jeff Jarrett around 2005-06 in TNA. He was a real evil character, old school bad guy, and not a cool-heel or a loudmouth or a typical WWE-heel-type half hearted heel.
Low Blows, Tights-pulling, Guitar, Chair, outside interference, turning opponent's allies against them- he employed every form of tactic known to keep the NWA World Title with him.

 

[bryan vs cm punk wm30]

I would have to say Jericho or punk they were just complete assholes as heels

 

[Slash-LN]

I'd go with Honky Tonk Man. I know he had a very short face run but he's been heel for most of his career.

He also seems to be a real life heel and a total jerk. That's how I view him when I see his "shoot" interviews anyway.

Dude just seems like a total slime ball.

 

[elsayedhussin]

For my money, one of the best would be Jake Roberts and another would be Rick Rude. While Roberts had a couple of stints as a face, his best work was easily as a heel. Rude, well, I don't remember him every being a face. In fact, Steiner could and should have watched a lot of Rude tapes since Rick insulted fans, yes, but he got Psych heat as well.

 

[Waylon Mercy]

Rowdy Roddy Piper because people wouldn't of loved Hogan so much if they didn't hate Piper.

Nobody who grew up during the rise of Hulkamania could ever dispute this. The Hot Rod was the original loose cannon. He was the perfect antidote to the rising tide of Hulkamania, and he should be given much more credit for actually making Hulk Hogan a legend. The hatred Roddy Piper had towards Hulk Hogan and everything he represented was palpable.
Back in those days, before Kayfabe was a common term in the world of professional wrestling, I will never forget that infamous Piper's Pit where he smashed the coconut over Jimmy Snuka's head and knocked him right out of his chair. It was the most brutal, shocking and glorious display of violence this young impressionable teenager had ever seen. Thanks to that segment, and Roddy Piper's brilliant timing and believability as a despicable heel, I was forever hooked on wrestling.

 

[WBL]

The Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase.

He had a cadre around him he could hide behind, but when worse came to worse, he could fight himself. He was the pure example of greed and extravagance back then, could cut a biting promo, and that laugh.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Nobody who grew up during the rise of Hulkamania could ever dispute this. The Hot Rod was the original loose cannon. He was the perfect antidote to the rising tide of Hulkamania, and he should be given much more credit for actually making Hulk Hogan a legend. The hatred Roddy Piper had towards Hulk Hogan and everything he represented was palpable.
Back in those days, before Kayfabe was a common term in the world of professional wrestling, I will never forget that infamous Piper's Pit where he smashed the coconut over Jimmy Snuka's head and knocked him right out of his chair. It was the most brutal, shocking and glorious display of violence this young impressionable teenager had ever seen. Thanks to that segment, and Roddy Piper's brilliant timing and believability as a despicable heel, I was forever hooked on wrestling.

Yes they can dispute it... I grew up in that era and yes for a spell Piper was lightning in a bottle... but he wasn't used in that way... I just watched the KC Timeline with him and it came across very much that Vince had no clue what he ACTUALLY had in Piper and that translates to his work, of which his BEST heel work was in a 3 month period before the first Mania, when it wasn't as widely seen.

For all the good he did, it was never the plan for him to be the "Lex Luthor" to Hogan's superman, and was resisted.

Guys like that can never be the "best face or best heel ever" because they are put into positions that prevent them reaching that greatness... Roddy v T at 2 was a classic example of that... he should have been fighting Hogan for the title in the cage or a the minimum ending his feud with Snuka.

It happened with Rude as well, but Rude was able to overcome it by leaving and saying "Fuck you I'll be better for them than I am for you...and I'm the best" and he really was at that time...

Piper also had the natural face charisma that was always going to end up with him a hero... when they teased him heel again against Bad News with the blackface or Bret with the bell it just made the fans love him more for being their "renegade". The best heel of all time is someone who either never works as a face or goes SO bad that they never turn face again...

 

[Old school 1]

I would have to go with Ted DiBiase.

Only for the sole fact that this guy was never a face in his entire career. Now I can only speak for his WWE days as I'm not well-versed with his career with Mid-South Wrestling. I'm pretty sure he had a run as a face really really early in his career prior to the WWE, but the guy had a gimmick that just worked. He was booed constantly every single place he went. He was never turned face by the crowd. He was never turned face by the writers. He was just that good.

I agree with your choice. The fact that he bought the WWF title put him at the top of that list.