Who is the better villain? Rusev or Rollins?

[MartialHorror]

Obviously I'm referring to how much heat both competitors have generated. People love to hate both men, but who do people love to hate more? On one hand, sometimes people will cheer for Rollins because booking issues aside, Rollins is awesome. He's the kind of performer who can carry people with middling skills, but also has an interesting personality. Even though I often think of his character as a joke, every once in awhile he will suddenly become terrifying. His assault on Edge was probably one of my favorite moments in 2014, even if many people thought it looked awkward and Rollins said 'John' too much.

Rusev on the other hand is a much more unconventional villain. He often wins cleanly, does have an almost admirable side by overcoming more odds than the freaking heroes, and still makes you want to see him get crushed. Whereas the writing often makes Rollins look like an idiot, despite the fact he's supposed to be smart, Rusev seems to know how to use psychology in his favor. Whether it's focusing on Henry's back or Sheamus' skull, this makes him seem intelligent. This becomes more interesting when rematches seem fall in Rusev's favor even more as they're much more one sided, suggesting that Rusev learns their weaknesses in Round 1 and exploits them in Round 2,3, etc (Big Show almost had him at first, but every time they fought, Rusev got better).

I think the problem with Rusev is that Lana's anti-America/pro-Russia speeches have gotten old. It's gotten very repetitive and I think has deflated Rusev somewhat. Rollins on the other hand is being booked like he's the Miz 2.0, which I am not fond of. Both can still be excellent villains, but who will be the next big one? Who is the most 'over' of the two?

(Sorry Bray fans, but 2014 was his year and WWE botched it. He no longer gets the strong reactions that he enjoyed when he was being pushed more firmly)

 

[Reflection]

Rollins is the better heel and is more over; he shows all the traditional heel traits like using underhand tactics, getting help from outside, being a coward, having enough mic skills to taunt the crowd, the people in power making matches in his favour etc., and gets heel reaction from the crowd. Rusev is more of a badass, and often fights a fair battle with no fear (like once he was surrounded by Show and Henry, but still went on the offensive), and as you said, uses far less unfair tactics than Rollins does. His manager too doesn't jump up on the apron or pull the opponent's leg. He gets booed because people want to see him lose, but if he interrupts Brock Lesnar or Bray Wyatt, the reaction will be huge, and it will be positive. I enjoy Rusev more than Rollins.

 

[ShowOffHEEL]

Take away the anti-US promos and ask yourself this..
Is Rusev really a heel?

He doesn't back away from a challenge, wins clean and dominates his opponents.
Creative screwed up and it showed when he faced Show and Henry. A 2 on 1 fight on Raw and he took them on without running away. He was a total babyface that night.

Rollins on the other hand has been the best heel in the company and is exactly what a heel should be. Surrounded by protection, cowardly tactics and being looked after by the people in charge.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Rollins is awesome. He's the kind of performer who can carry people with middling skills, but also has an interesting personality.

Rollins and Rusev present an interesting contrast and it's hard to gauge which one is the better villain because they bring such different looks. Rollins is almost like an emperor, having various people functioning in service of his imperial self, which is very unusual for a rookie, no? Without his entourage, he's nothing and WWE Creative has taken great plans to paint him that way.

Are Seth's ring skills good enough to beat top contenders? We don't really know, do we? All the ring interference clouds the issue and makes Rollins a super villain because we like people who can handle their problems by themselves.....and that sure ain't Seth Rollins.


None of the above applies to Rusev. He's a stoic, hard-boiled individual, apparently operating in service of his country.....but without Lana, we wouldn't even know he was anti-American; she's the one who makes all the noise.....when Rusev speaks, he seems more interested in cutting down opponents than serving anyone else's agenda. If it weren't for the nationalistic tendencies of Rusev and Lana (i.e., the Russian flag that drops after each match), I wonder if he'd be a villain at all. However, all the Putin-loving stuff is there, and the writers want to make sure we don't miss it.

To answer the original question, I "hate" Rollins more (kayfabe, of course) because there's nothing good about him; he climbs to the top only with the aid of others..... yet while I don't hate Rusev at all, I believe he makes the better villain because even while he puts down America and Americans, he does it strictly by his own effort, making it impossible to boo him for the same reasons we boo Rollins; a person who stands on his own two feet is always going to be harder to despise than one who doesn't, evoking a grudging respect we hate having to bestow.

 

[MartialHorror]

He did kick the soldier, joined the Authority and has been acting more like a villain during his Ryback feud. But he definitely defies the normal conventions, like when Triple H ordered him to put Ziggler through the table. He seemed hesitant, probably because he's not used to doing that kind of stuff. He doesn't need to.

I personally think they should've had Rusev be like heel Bret Hart where his feuds are more of a clash of ideals, putting down defenders of what he genuinely believes to be an inferior country- instead of the traditional 'good vs evil' story.

 

[JDHale]

I personally prefer Rusev but I still am a big supporter for both guys. In answer to your question who is the better villain I'm gonna have to say Rollins on a worldwide level. What I mean by that is that as someone who is English it's hard to invest into a story line which is constantly based on USA vs Russia, but they were going in the right direction with the Rusev/Ryback feud. Just for that reason I'm gonna have to answer Rollins, but both have been performing their roles incredibly in my opinion.

 

[WhiplashUnited]

Lana is the better villain of all three. She gets Rusev over more than he has.

I agree with ShowOffHEEL. He's a bad ass, almost in the same mould as Lesnar*

Rollins is mainly a heel because crowds can't get over their tiresome 'you sold out' chants. Rollins kind of reminds me of Corporate Champ Rock minus Rock charisma and the strap.

*well Lesnar if WWE weren't trying to make Lesnar act like a heel and draw hear in his feud to John Cena. Anyone but Cena Lesnar would be all over them.

 

[L@RISANO]

As JDHale above said;
It is hard to dislike Rusev as a non-American given his opponents themselves haven't exactly been hugely over on their own, rather they have ridden the USA stuff moreso than not.
I mean, I see loads of people going on about Swagger, but have yet to be given a reason why I should ever get behind him at all, to the point that I was rooting for Rusev to beat him.


Seth Rollins on the other hand, has been booked as a very smart heel, who does whatever is needed in order to achieve his goals... regardless of who he double-crosses.
The biggest mistake that can be made now that Rollins did brilliantly in his segment to bring back the Authority, is for the WWE to make the Authority returns all about the veteran, Vigilante Sting and Triple H(if that is the desired direction).



It would result in Rollins becoming a virtual afterthought, much like Randy Orton was when it became clear that HHH was taking over as Daniel Bryan's main enemy.



WWE needs to keep both guys equally relevant in their own ways, without having one seem like a lapdog doing nothing in the background.

 

[LBGetBack]

Definitely Rollins. For one, he was a very popular face. He had that Jeff Hardy appeal with all the crazy stuff he would do. So for him to turn out of nowhere gets him heat. And then his character is such a low, sleazy character who runs away at times, but attacks viciously when he has the opportunity, and really tries to hurt people. Stomping a head through bricks, trying to break the neck of an old retired wrestler with a bad neck, etc. He's much more underhanded and evil.

Rusev has run away from a few fights, but he also usually attacks straight up. No help. He wins his matches clean usually, and he hasn't really done or attempted anything especially brutal after the bell, other than maybe holding on the camel clutch longer than necessary.

Rusev could actually stand to get much more vicious IMO. Right now he's like that from bell to bell, but it seems more about winning than hurting people for him.

Rollins is a despicable character. Rusev really isn't.

 

[BestWrestlingOpinions]

I think Rusev gets more heel reaction, but he isn't the better heel. He is just the typical anti-America guy, that will obviously get easy boos, like a cheap pop. If he goes to any other country for example, he will get cheered probably.

Rollins is by far a better heel, and it's the reason why he isn't getting booed completely. Some people play along with the storyline and boo him, others just appreciate him and cheer.

 

[Kidpolean]

Better heel...Rusev easily wins that one. Better wrestler/performer is obviously Seth. Seth has gotten to the point that he is so good at what he does that you start liking the guy and wanting him to win which takes away from him being a heel. Without the authority, I would bet that Rollins would mostly be cheered at this point.

 

[Bernkastel]

Rollins threatened to kill a man on live television. I'd say that makes him better. I personally don't see Rusev as being all that heelish. He doesn't cheat, he doesn't act like a coward and run away. All he and Lana have ever done are cheap shots, whether that be in promos or attacking someone from behind. The heat he gets is mostly generated by the fact that he's foreign and jingoism by the American audiences. As far has being the closest thing to a "true" heel and doing it well, Rollins is better. I can see Rusev turning once he loses.

 

[MrHashasheen]

"I'm going to kill him anyway."

Seth Rollins said he was going to kill Edge on a live television show. Granted, he did it in the service of the Authority, but that shit is more diabolical than anything Rusev has ever done. Take into account his betrayal of the Shield, and compare that to Rusev's litany of villany (I like that line). Lana's been kicking shit up, but in general Rusev hasn't been the direct aggressor or shit-starter. He's more of a sleeping dragon than an conspiratorial villain.

 

[Prince Vee]

Woah Woah Woah is this even a question?
1. He created a stable that took out the entire roster and made a hell of an impact
2. Then he betrayed his own stablemates and told everyone that they were his business partners not brothers
3. He joined the Authority and won the Money in the Bank with the aid of them
4. He Curb stomped his former stablemate through cinder blocks
5. He took all the opportunities to beat the guys he doesn't like
6. Tried to kill a Hall of Famer and brought back the authority

What have Rusev done to even compare him with Seth Rollins?

If you still wanna know more obvious reasons listen to the Fans Chants!!
USA USA Chants got voiceless
but not the YOU SOLD OUT chants

 

[ckoneagain]

Yeah, Rollins is the better heel. Rusev isn't really a heel, he's just foreign which makes him a heel to the American audience. I mean think about it, all he does is say Russia is better than everyone else and crush anyone who disagrees...if he was american he'd be...well...he'd be Hulk Hogan!

Rollins on the other hand not only has a finisher that in reality would probably kill a person, but he wins by cheating and seeks only Power, he's basically a comic book super villain, so hands down he's a better heel.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Rollins easily. Seth Rollins is a great heel. He had one of the best turns in recent years and is good at getting heel reactions from fans. I want to pay money to see a face defeat him, yet at the same time I really enjoy his matches. Few heels can pull that off, being someone who fans love to hate and look forward to see each week. Rusev, on the other hand, is nowhere near Rollins' level. 90% of his heel heat is thanks to Lana. Without her promos, Rusev would never have made it as far as he has. He's not that great in the ring and is horrible on the mic. Rollins destroys him in both categories, and that's without having someone like Lana doing many of his promos for him like she does for Rusev. So, I would say the better heel is the one who does a better job without the help of a manager. Seth Rollins is a much better villain than Rusev. He's believable as someone his face rivals should hate. Rusev, while he has grown on me, is just a one dimensional Anti-American foreign heel who without Lana is nothing.