You know you love to hate them. “Heels” play just as big a part of pro wrestling as the faces do. They keep us tuned in to our television set week in and week out, in the hopes that they will falter.
Here’s my countdown of pro wrestling’s top ten heels of all-time.
#10. Randy Orton has evolved from the Legend Killer to the Viper, while along the way establishing himself as one of the young greats in the business. As a third generation wrestler, Orton has been loved and hated for his psychotic persona and his in ring work. A 2009 feud with Triple H showcased his unpredictability at the highest level.
#9. JBL made his character into the self-proclaimed, million snub, which a blue-collar fan based loved to hate. JBL was one tough S.O.B. that wasn’t afraid to take on anyone. Layfield shared a throwback style of a heel similar to Ole Anderson.
#8. Roddy Piper became a house hold name with classic feuds with Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Snuka. Even as a heel, the Hot Rod has still won fans over.
#7. Bubba Ray Dudley has left an areana running for his life after causing an ECW fan base to riot. Being a part of ECW’s most controversial family, he stood out as the outspoken brother to Devon Dudley. Bubba and Devon have helped re-write the history books as arguably one of the greatest tag teams of all-time.
#6. Iron Sheik bragged about how superior Iran was to the United States which led fans to show their displeasure. Once the bell rang, Iron Sheik showed no mercy on his opponents.
#5. Ric Flair was the “Dirtiest Player in the Game,” a nickname that was well deserved. He would do whatever he had to do to retain his title and usually got himself counted out or disqualified to sell for an opponent and put them over. Love him or hate him, he deserves his place on this list.
#4. Chris Jericho became a champion on all levels and developed into a worker that shared many similarities with Roddy Piper in the ring and on the mic. His feud with Shawn Michaels helped put him over as one of the business’s top heels.
#3. Edge was part of many controversial storylines, which built his credibility as the Rated R Superstar. Edge did a great job of pushing the envelope with the likes of Matt Hardy, John Cena and The Undertaker.
#2. Hollywood Hulk Hogan was Hulk Hogan’s WCW persona. One of the greatest faces in professional wrestling history, also went on to become one of the greatest heels in professional wrestling. Hogan can bring more out of a crowd than any other character, mainly because of the foundation he set for years of good will, positive thinking and great promotion. When he and Eric Bischoff put together the angle for Hogan to “turn”, it changed the course of wrestling history with the creation of pro wrestling’s most influential stables: The New World Order.
#1. Vince McMahon is one of a kind. And had to be, to win the “Monday Night Wars”. McMahon is a genius, giving pro wrestling a character that it had never seen. The boss is a master on the mic and so skilled in the art of catch and release, he is almost one of “them”.
Who’s in your top 10? I’d love to hear your opinions!
