Who is the first heel you remember rooting for?

[WorstWrestlingExcrement]

Jake The Snake Roberts what he did to Ricky Steamboat on SNME lol
Wouldn't say he was better than Randy Orton. He didn't have the body of a god but could speak with the power of one.Roberts perfected the art of being a character. While many guys were trying to establish their repertoire in the ring, Roberts had done that and steered his focus on other aspects such as body language.

He knew how fast to walk, where to direct his eyes, what kind of facials he should be making and how to get in the ring.If you're not familiar with watching Jake “The Snake” in his prime, then this fact should establish how special of a performer he was.

 

[Doctor Awesome]

Hands down the Four Horsemen (except Ole, I always thought he was garbagé)! Even though Slick Ric rode that tweener train throughout the 80's the Dusty Rhodes feud was huge and I became marks for Tully and Arn along w/Flair. The three of them could talk, wrestle and as a kid they seemed legit tough. That started a long run of digging many heels like: JC & The Midnight Express, Roddy Piper, Ravishing Rick Rude, Mr Perfect Curt Hennig, Randy Savage, etc...I think the heels were just more interesting back then. Cool thread!

 

[Just Do It]

First heel I rooted for? Jeez, let's have a think. Started watching in 1992. I think it's a case of staying loyal to Bret Hart when he turned in 1997.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

It was probably Bret Hart in the heel Hart Foundation days, but the one that I really liked was Rick Rude. I knew I liked Rude more than Hogan and the like when he did the Cheryl Roberts on the crotch of his tights. I thought the whole airburshed tights, robe and his music/intro were the best of the time. Then he actually wrestled great matches too.

Such a shame WWE dropped the ball with him.

Since then I always preferred heels, I always hate how they get a hot heel but have to turn them babyface when they go for the title. Rollins is pretty much the first one not to have to do that but it's inevitable he'll turn. Just leave Owens alone OK?

 

[WWEWrestleFest]

Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect.

I was a huge Hulkamaniac, and I was devastated when the Ultimate Warrior beat Hulk Hogan at WM6. After that match, Warrior started feuding with Rude again. I was rooting for Rude because if he won, Hulk might get a title shot. Hulk wasn't going to challenge Warrior again, but he would challenge a bad guy like Rude.

And Mr. Perfect, I thought he was awesome, from the smacking of the gum to the neon singlet to those awesome vignettes to his great theme music. He was just the perfect package, no pun intended. And for some reason, I never liked Bret Hart. During the Hart Foundation tag team, as a kid I always liked the Anvil better. Now as an adult, I can go back and appreciate Bret for the great worker he was, but as a kid I just didn't like him for some reason. So when they were feuding over the IC title, I was clearly rooting for Perfect.

 

[rmp0012002]

Flair from the first time I saw him in MACW.

 

[The Warlord]

Shawn Michaels

I was the biggest Rockers fan ever...and when he turned heel I stuck with him. It was hard watching him get his ass kicked all the time, especially the way he'd sell moves. Years later when I became smart to the business, I appreciated it that much more.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

This is a good question - I'm trying to remember. I think it was either Raven or Chris Jericho in WCW circa 1997-1998. Up until then I was a WWF fan, and I don't ever really remember cheering for a heel.

Actually, scratch that.... I was cheering for The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith during his 1996 heel run challenging Shawn Michaels. But that was mainly just because I hated Shawn Michaels, despite being a babyface now.

 

[Weems2k]

Waylen Mercy was the first heel I cheered for. I remember he would always come down the aisle acting like a total face, then switching to psycho heel when the bell rang.

 

[Wald]

The Macho King was the first heel I ever really got behind. I loved his pairing with Sherri and really, really wanted him to beat Warrior for the title and, when that couldn't happen, in the career ending match.

 

[LascoX]

I remember cheering for the road warriors when they were wrestling against Tommy Rich and some one I can't remember. They were heels at the time and I remember getting a lot of strange looks from the people around us as we were in the Omni in Atlanta yelling for them to kick Rich's ass. Several months later when they were fueding against the 4 Horsemen everyone was cheering for them.

 

[X]

A few pop to mind. Earliest I can remember is probably Triple H and Billy Gunn in '99 when they turned heel because I was a DX mark and always liked Gunn for some god forsaken reason. I specifically recall rooting for Gunn and Chyna when they faced Road Dogg and X-Pac for the "rights to DX" at Fully Loaded '99. After that though, the next two that pop to mind were Austin in 2001 because he was fucking Austin, you could have had him beat up a dyslexic puppy on live TV and he was still going to get the biggest pop of the night. Later that year I remember rooting for Christian when he turned on Edge, probably just to be a contrarian to my friends. He went on to become a favorite though.

 

[Wolf Pac]

The Rock in 1998.

I started watching wrestling in 1998 and The Rock was just too cool to hate that year with the $500 Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, and Elvis sideburns. And he was too damn charismatic on the mic.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

Probably Sid circa early 92. I didn't really watch WCW so I didn't really know of him before he debuted as the referee at Summerslam 91, but immediately I became a fan of his. I don't know why, but there was something about him that made the 9 year old me like him.

Then I thought Hogan robbed him of the Rumble win and the championship and Tunney robbed him of the number 1 contender's spot at Mania 8.Of course I'm talking kayfabe of course. So I really didn't blame him for turning on Hogan, cause I thought Hogan screwed him first. So even though he was a heel and was aligned with Harvey Wippleman(who I hated) it wasn't enough for me not to cheer for him.

I think that was the first. I remember being a huge Demolition fan as a kid but I can't remember if it was ever during their heel run. If it was than they would be it.

 

[therockiswwf]

The Rock around the beginning of 1999 (which is when I started watching).

I was 4 at the time and my reasoning was great. I thought the reason he was such an ass was because people booed him. I thought he didn't have any friends. So I thought if I cheer for him, then I'd be his friend and he wouldn't have to be mean anymore. Well not to brag or anything, but 3 months later, he became a good guy all because I was his friend.

Man my four year old logic was top notch. Looking back he probably was so entertaining, I couldn't help but like him.

 

[Cena Is A Punk Rocker]

For me it was Randy Savage. He was the most unique character I had ever seen at that point. He seemed like a real person in a world of cartoon characters. My all time favorite. RIP Macho.

 

[unfunnier]

I would probably saw The Hot Rod, I remember watching Hulk Hogan's Rock N Wrestling and also pretty much any WWF I could get my hands on. My parents told me I was pretty much watching wrestling before I could speak, I just enjoyed his delivery and his attitude. Any heel in the business since his inception, has at some point had to watch in awe at someone his size putting on the show he did both verbally and in the squared circle.

 

[LBGetBack]

Mr. Perfect would be my answer as well. In particular, I remember rooting for him against Big Boss Man at WrestleMania 7.

I also rooted for Shawn Michaels a lot of the time in his first heel run from 92-95, though that depended on who he was wrestling.

I also rooted for Ric Flair in WCW in some of his matches and feuds, around those same time periods.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

I'm not really sure but I do remember rooting for Randy Orton when he was part of Evolution as the Intercontinental Champion. I got into wrestling later than most of you, mostly because the "wrestling boom" here only started in 2003 if I remember correctly. I've gone back and watched The Rock and Austin in their prime, and pretty much all Golden Era PPVs, but I didn't accompany those monsters on a weekly basis.

I also remember thinking Eddie Guerrero was cool as fuck. But it was Randy Orton for me and there's one reason for that - RKO! I loved the move and Orton had that style that you really wanted to mimic. I remember watching Orton vs. Foley and be in awe for the guy. When he turned on HHH, I was so freaking happy. Dang, I miss being a mark.