TNA needs a killer heel. Who is capable of stepping up?

[a0161613]

WWE has a range of characters and one that interests me is Randy Orton. Here is a man who puts his foes through hell. The punt and the RKO are obviously devastating but his ability to break someone down mentally is almost unmatched. Certainly in this era.

But does TNA have someone with this talent? I don't think they do but I feel that they certainly need someone like it.

While AJ is doing OK in the cowardly heel role and Anderson has the cocky heel thing going well too but there is no one who his a devastating finisher and stands over them emotionlessly, not giving a f**k.

Now Russo made it publically clear that if he could sign anyone it would be Orton. And I am not his (Orton) biggest fan but he has his character perfectly tuned, having been given the time to develop it through the Legend Killer stage.

Now AJ is never going to be able to pull off this sort of thing. And Anderson is too good on the mic to change his way. Wolfe could pull it off (and during the Angle feud it looked like he was going to) but he is losing too often for my liking to be given that chance. Joe tried to pull it off with the Nation of Violence but that went WAAAAY too far in the end. And while Magnus could pull it off I am sure, he is nowhere near main-eventing.

If I had to give the gimmick to anyone, it would be Wolfe because he seems to be capable of developing this persona. Certainly his losses haven't affected his credibility.

Do you think TNA need this kind of heel? And who could pull it off to Orton-esque levels?

 

[Truth Hurtz]

Seeing AJ portray this heel persona is interesting right now. I'm not sure what's going to come of it....I doubt he'll be one of the best heels the business has seen. I see that in Desmond Wolfe. Desmond Wolfe could be a great monster heel.

 

[Ghost of Benoit]

Wolfe a big time heel with potential? absolutely yes. But Wolfe a "monster" heel like someone earlier stated?? absolutely not. He is physically way too small for such a title. Brock Lesnar was a monster heel because of his size and sheer brute force. Umaga could be considered a monster heel for the same reason. But skinny Wolfe is anything but a frightening monster of anything!

 

[CaptainZaltan]

Agreed on Wolfe and Magnus. Joe is currently the best IMO, but I don't think he has the look to appeal to a mainstream audience in that role. Kurt Angle can be a monster heel whenever he wants. Abyss as well (if he loses 50 pounds and gets James Mitchell back to do his promos). If Sting actually commits himself 100% to a heel role, that would be huge. Hopefully it won't be a half-assed tweener thing like his run with the MEM.

 

[deathdrop81]

TNA did an excellent job of pushing Sting as a sadistic heel last week, but something tells me that isn't going to last. Reading the spoilers for tonight's Impact, it doesn't look like he did anything of heelish significance besides getting attacked by RVD and escorted out of the building by security.

 

[Reaper22X]

This is the clear difference between WWE and TNA right now. On one side, you have these heels who people love to hate..Orton, Jericho, The Miz are all primetime, main event heels. On the other side, you have AJ, who is a hell of a wrestler, but the heel thing is not working for him. Sting, I don't see it. Mr Anderson could become a decent heel, but with his history, how long will that be. Desmond Wolfe has the most potential to become a main event heel...but the man that TNA needs to carry them is Kurt Angle. I've always loved the witty and tenacious Angle as a heel. An Angle / Wolfe alliance would be awesome.

 

[burnout4200]

I got faces scrolling through my head trying to figure out who has the best heel look. I agree about Wolfe but that one's too easy. I'd say Matt Morgan. The guy already looks physically intimidating and he's got a cocky attitude. It would be cool to see him turn on Hernandez during a match with Beer Money and maybe even form a stable with them. Hand Beer Money the tag titles then cut a promo saying he's too good for tag teams and wants The World Championship.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

I completely forgot about Robert Roode. He has the look, the skill in the ring, and the mic skills to pull it off, if TNA actually decides to start giving him some serious feuds against major faces. Add him to my list as well. And yes, Morgan would be another fine choice

 

[Greenlight13]

The best two heels they've had in the history of the company are Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle. I personally believe Kurt works better as a heel because he has the credibility to beat a face clean without them losing any steam. Behind those two is probably Christian. The problem here is Jarrett's past done, Angle's in the twilight of his career and Christian's moved back to the WWE.

So who is the young(er) heel who will take them through to the next stage? At the moment they seem determined on making that heel AJ but he has more natural face charisma, especially with his move-set. I commend him for grounding himself more, but as long as he's using the pele and the springboard forearm smash he'll never be fully heel.

Desmond Wolfe has company carrying potential as his long ROH Title run, which in my eyes was the most important title run in their history, shows. Joe held it longer, Dragon defended it a lot and had a lot of very high caliber matches, but Nigel was champion through a transitional period for the company and drew legitimate heel heat in and out of the ring, whereas Dragon got face pops a lot. So if Wolfe were elevated the right way he could emulate that title run. Being foreign gets him automatic heat, and his natural swagger adds to it. He's golden on the mic and his moves are very brutal and suit a heel.

I used to picture big things for Mr. Anderson but nowadays I'm not really seeing it as much. He just seems a bit too.... goofy (for lack of a better word) these days. Like he's so desperate to be like "oo look I'm the talky man, see my little phrases I say". I could picture him being a generational heel back in the WWE, if he had been named as Vince's son and become a new-age Triple H, waring over control of the company, then I could have bought it. But based on his work in TNA so far I'm just not seeing it yet.

Weirdly when Joe goes heel he gets more violent and thus gets more face pops. Take a look back at his feud with AJ and Daniels, he overshadowed both of them despite their enormous popularity, because people just dig a bad-ass who hurts people. Joe has the demeanor to be a heel, but much like AJ, his ring-style doesn't suit it as much. They'd have to do a lot to make the crowd boo his antics. All the tools are there, but people just enjoy his work too much.

Daniels makes a very good heel, but people don't buy him as main event. It was a nice two-month flurry but he just doesn't work in that role unfortunately. He can continue to be a mid-card heel.

Abyss makes for a good henchman for a master manipulator heel. The monster role is just perfect for that.

Someone who I legitimately believe could pull it off if given the right push is Matt Morgan. He is relatively young. He is the best talking big man I've ever seen. Kevin Nash is funny, but he is sort of in a niche of promos whereas Morgan has shown remarkable flexibility in his microphone work. He is a huge monster so he's a natural heel. He has the whole Genetic Freak, DNA of TNA thing going for him, so he can be naturally arrogant and elevate himself further as a heel. I believe if you merge Morgan's size with his athleticism, arrogance and mic skills then you have a great heel.

He wouldn't even need lackeys because of his size which would make him quite a unique heel. Big Show, Kane, Nash and Abyss all make for better friends of main event heels than main heels themselves. Undertaker made a decent enough heel but didn't get a long time to work as the main heel in the company. I genuinely can't think of a big man who managed to pull off being the main heel in a company long-term, doing his own mic work, with no henchmen. The more I think about it, the better I think it would be.

To get there I think they need to handle this tag-title friction feud very well. They need to carry these titles for another couple of months at least, have problems but still dominate, elevating them both so that when Morgan eventually turns on him people care about the feud and Morgan looks good when he goes over Hernandez, pushing both men into the main event if possible, but making sure Morgan gets there.

 

[Chicago1989]

Here's my list of guys who would benefit with these roles...

The Monster Heel: Desmond Wolfe - He definitely looked like a monster heel when he arrived in TNA against Kurt Angle. He had Angle's number, played awesome mind games (The video promo that kept looping), and had the looks and skills to go with it.

Matt Morgan is another option for a monster heel as well. He's perfect to play the serious, cold loner like Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z or Sagat from Street Fighter.

The Next "Nature Boy": Robert Roode -

Tell me that doesn't have Nature Boy written all over it. He's would have been the PERFECT choice for someone like Ric Flair to manage, not AJ Styles. Great look, great skills on the mic and in the ring...just the best choice.

The Next "Hulk Hogan": AJ Styles - I think AJ would've benefited the rub from Hogan more than Abyss. Abyss is a joke. A run with Hogan could of taken AJ's babyface run to a new level instead of just having the whole "Phenomenal" thing going on, not that there was anything wrong with that gimmick.

At the same time, I wouldn't want to see AJ "hulk-up" like Hogan. Instead, give him a different type of a "fire-up".

 

[Depakote]

AJ as a heel doesnt work for me. He's not very natural with it. Everything he says seems forced. His voice just sounds awful when he tries to sound bigger than he is. He's trying way too hard to make it work. AJ is an athlete. He's not an entertainer. His athleticism is entertaining though, but that doesnt make AJ an entertainer. He needs acting, public speaking, and voice lessons. Ric Flair is a natural born entertainer. AJ is a natural born athlete. I think there is a huge difference and thats why this current angle between the two feels so off for me.

To stay on topic, TNA does need a top heel that can actually play a top heel. AJ is not the guy for that role. Bischoff and Hogan are trying to recreate the past. Hogan came to WCW as a top face and turned heel, shocking everyone and generating alot of buzz. They thought they could do it again with AJ, since he was the top face of TNA, but its not working.

I think Samoa Joe is being repackaged for that role. I bet he was taken off TV so he could trim some fat, and improve his look. When he comes back, he should be a leaner, meaner Joe and go back to destroying everyone like he used to.

The only problem with this though, is that they will probably book Samoa Joe as a monster wrecking ball, and thats not what Orton is. Will Joe actually get over as a heel when he's destroying people? No way! He's gonna be a huge hit with the fans. They'll be chanting "joe's gonna kill you" until theyre blue in the face, even if Joe is attacking the faces. Joe then becomes the tweener.

That still leaves a void for top heel. For some reason, I think TNA is going to leave AJ in this position for awhile. They will beat it to death and try to milk it for all it's worth. Hopefully, a better heel will arise and TNA will actually book them right. Doubtful though. Duplicating someone of Randy Orton's caliber is going to be virtually impossible for the next 10 years.

Edit: Totally forgot to mention Wolfe, who would be great as the top heel if TNA didnt drop the ball after his program with Angle was over. Wolfe came in to TNA, looking really strong, was booked well, and after the program with Angle ended, Wolfe started jobbing more and just drifting. TNA needs to tap into his talents sooner rather than later.

 

[joe_ortonrulz]

Mr Anderson has a lot of promise only as a heel. The intensity with Kurt angle was unreal that if the momentum continued could potentelly make him the Randy orton of tna

 

[MisterTNA]

TNA doesn't have anybody on it's roster to that's a true monster heel. So fuck it. Make one. WCW did it with Goldberg, only this time make it a heel. Pick someone green, never seen before to WWE audiences. Give him 2 or 3 moves and let him steam roll through TNA. Let him destroy everyone. Faces, heels, everyone. I know I know..."Him destroy Heels? Wouldn't that make him a face?" Nah. Were going to do it nWo style. Let TNA group together to stop this heel. This menace.

Then when he is on top, let him have a group, and give 2 or 3 young guys a good rub. Unlike the shit rub DiBiase and Rhodes got with Orton.

Oh and if by chance the people DO cheer him, that's great. You got your own personal Stone Cold. Win win situation

 

[Suneeboy]

I've been saying it time and time again. Robert Roode needs to leave James Storm and become a singles wrestler again, and have a heel run. He has the potential to be this generation's HHH. He has the look, the skills, great on the mic, not in his prime yet, and is a fresh face. He even has a sick ass name and a catchphrase, "It pays to be Roode".

Robert Roode needs to be the calculating sadistic heel. He has it written all over him. He can have Flair as his manager, but not be a weasel like AJ is. He can be a dominant force like HHH was during his run with Flair.

 

[ramblinroy68]

A heel like Orton...

Joe was similar to that when he first appeared in TNA. I think he could be that way again, but he left as a face and he has had way too many turns over the last 2 years. He needs to stay face for a while.

I thing Sting is potentially that guy for now. As a heel last week, he seemed to have bought in. I think if done correctly, he could be the guy everybody hates.

I like Wolfe in the role, but if he partners with Flair and AJ he will have to take a back seat to them.

Morgan's not bad, but he would need a new finisher. I don't like the Hellavator for a heel. Plus, I don't think his promo's are quite menacing enough.

I would love for them to bring in Paul Burchall. I know they don't need anyone else on the roster, but I think he could be a good fit. He played the ripper character in OVW and was quite believable as the most dangerous man. I think he could pull it off.

Someone else posted to bring in an Unkown and push him like Goldberg. I would bring in Phil Shatter. He played one of the security guards last week with Mikael Judas and Kimo. Phil Shatter could potentially be a great heel. He has a great look and is pretty good in the ring. He wrestled for NWA Anarchy in Georgia and NWA Showcase for a while. He isn't great on the mic, and could stand a manager to speak for him, but he definitely could be a dominant heel type. In Anarchy, he was managed by Jeff G Bailey and was the head man for NWA Elite. The few episodes I got to watch he was very impressive.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1e27FKd4Ss&feature=related

 

[Baximus]

TNA doesn't have anybody on it's roster to that's a true monster heel. So fuck it. Make one. WCW did it with Goldberg, only this time make it a heel. Pick someone green, never seen before to WWE audiences. Give him 2 or 3 moves and let him steam roll through TNA. Let him destroy everyone. Faces, heels, everyone. I know I know..."Him destroy Heels? Wouldn't that make him a face?" Nah. Were going to do it nWo style. Let TNA group together to stop this heel. This menace.

Then when he is on top, let him have a group, and give 2 or 3 young guys a good rub. Unlike the shit rub DiBiase and Rhodes got with Orton.

Does 'Rob Terry, Global Champion' ring a bell? You just described him to a 'T' except he's a tweener.


I think this will be Sting. He hit RVD with a bat 20 times in one segment for Christ's sake! Sting is going to be the sadistic heel and he's going to have to be that bad to make this turn work because he's such a legend. If TNA wants a monster heel, it is going to be Sting.

But long term I think the clear cut choice is Matt Morgan. Split him and Hernandez and have Morgan go over and then challenge for the Global Belt, carry it for a while by hurting people then move him up and you have an elite star.

 

[CBCS]

I agree with you ramblinroy...i was looking at Phil Shatter today. He has a great look to him, seems to work well in the ring. He would need some work on the mic maybe even have a mouthpiece / manger. I like the idea of finding guys like this and giving them a chance.

 

[mikeyboy]

look no further than aj styles, he is great as a heel ,as a face he always kind of got lost in the shuffle. the tna fans love him as either so he has pretty good drawing power already and with the guidance of flair and others i think he could evolve into one of the greats. aj and tna itself are fairly young let them keep growing together as they have and i think we will have a pretty big star.

 

[haulan03]

OK i scanned through a lot of these replies and it seems a lot of people are going the AJ Styles rout. I am going to say no on that one. When he comes out people don't want to boo him, the live audience boos him out of respect. The only boo him because that's what they are "supposed" to do, not because they hate him. Same for Mr.Anderson, he's in the perfect role, in now way is he a face, but at the same time not a heel. He's just a total smart mouth that people love to see.

As for that heel people are looking for TNA needs to build that great heel, such as Desmond Wolf, Orlando Jordan, or something like that. Someone who came out as a heel and nobody cares to even see. The guys you hate to watch, but don't change the channel because you want to see him get his ass kicked. the keys to a great heel is great mic skills, so they need to take the mic away from hogan, foley, and bishoff, and built up a new heel. someone who will talk smack about and to the fans, more than build up their match.

dont get me wrong i like tna, but they seem to just do everything kinda backwards, yes they need a monster heel, but they dont seem to ever try to BUILD one.

 

[Captainwrestling123]

Does anyone think that Jeff Jarrett could pull off the monster heel? If you think about it, Jarrett is being bullied around and being put in matches he can't win, I could see him losing a tag match with Foley as his partner and then Jarrett, upset about losing all these matches, strikes Foley with his guitar, starts to walk away, comes back, and then hits Foley with another guitar.

Then someone like RVD would come out and attempt to help Foley but Jarrett would just beat him down too, starting a feud between Jarrett and RVD.


P.S. (Which in my opinion is a much better feud then Sting vs. RVD. Seriously, put Sting in a feud with someone he could actually go 20 minutes with, like Abyss.)

 

[Kayoh]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Hernandez yet. The guy is huge, athletic, a decent wrestler, and can pull off the anti-Goldberg pretty easily if you ask me. Don't let him talk, just like what they did with Goldberg, but have him (when he and Morgan split) start just tearing through the TNA roster and squashing guys like Orlando Jordan, Rob Terry, Jesse Neal, anybody to get him over as an unstoppable force. Have him feud with Abyss, for crying out loud. I know a lot of people can't stand him because he's not that great on the mic but the guy has the look, the athleticism, and has never been seen by WWE Marks' eyes before. I think it could work tbh.

 

[#hamler]

Seeing AJ portray this heel persona is interesting right now. I'm not sure what's going to come of it....I doubt he'll be one of the best heels the business has seen. I see that in Desmond Wolfe. Desmond Wolfe could be a great monster heel.

Oh hell no. AJ Styles as heel...SUCKS! Desmond wolfe not so bad. Wolfe hasn't had much experience to become the Randy Orton of TNA. Best heel should be Mr. Anderson. You love to hate him, Even when he's digging that metal into kurt's head and spitting on our troops you still have to love him. He's cocky and great in the ring. Kurt Angle, Possibly Suicide, samoa joe, or bring in someone to get the job done... JBL, Big Daddy V, or maybe even Goldberg as a heel???

 

[SuperKnockout]

I don't understand why Sting or RVD cannot become a heel. Sting looks like he is on the verge of it, when he hit hogan he obviosly had something going to happen and since RVD is new here in TNA he can become heel.

 

[a0161613]

Why would RVD become heel? After his debut, he was involved in Sting's heel turn (did you not see that he definitely turned?) He is going to be massively popular and almost guaranteed a main event push as a face.

This thread is not about who to turn heel, it's to discuss who can be the sick killer type that Randy Orton played so well. There's been too many posts derailing the point from my OP.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

The killer heel will be Samoa Joe. He did his best work as a heel, albeit it was mediocre work. But he can be a threat as a bad guy. He's vicious, mean, and does heel things and has heel moves. He wants to hurt people and his motto's 'Joe's Gonna Kill You'.

If TNA were smart, they'd have Joe be heel when he comes back. Because if he's just another face... then TNA's going to have problems.