Best WWE heel of this decade?

Rjd2

It’s a very tough one choice, all those have excelled in the role of heel. Edge has probably been the companies best heel since his 2006 push, while Hunter has also proved many times why he is more comfortable in the role than face.

Hollywood Rock is another favourite of mine, and Vickie and Jericho have also excelled recently. JBL despite his ring limitations was phenomenal on the microphone and could generate a superb reaction. Anyways I let you people choose!

flahavaj

The Rock

I think best pure heel has to be JBL. Just a great great character, brilliant talker and always generated his own heat and had the crowd baying for his blood.

I considered Edge, but it was the Lita thing that really put him over as a heel and subsequently needed Vickie with him to keep his heel heat. I'm not sure he'd have been close to being that over as a heel without those two.

Tricity Bendix

Hunter

Lol. It wouldn't be an internet wrestling poll if it didn't include Christian.

I voted Edge because he has consistently been the best heel on any programme he's been put on.

Diabhal Beag

The Rock

If Hassan had been around longer he would have been the biggest heel ever. JBL is about as good as we have seen in this decade. He cuts great promos, he was a bit fat and had a boring style of wrestling which made you hate him to **** when he would be against Eddie or Rey.

Edge is a bit off but he is a pretty solid heel. Christian was a pretty random pick though IMO. I would be shocked if somebody voted for him. Lita or Steph would be a better choice.

Rjd2

Kurt

Tricity Bendix wrote: »

Lol. It wouldn't be an internet wrestling poll if it didn't include Christian.

.

Christian is the new Hogan don't you know?
Yeah I was stuck for a name and forgot about Lita, Trish and even Regal when doing the poll.

SlickRic

Orton

it's a toss up between Hunter and JBL for me.

as shrewdly picked up on already, for pure heelness, Edge just falls short. He needed Lita and Vickie to too great an extent in order to be hated. he didn't garner the level of hate the above 2 did.

nobody could touch Hunter from 2000 until mid-2001 when he got the quad injury. he was the man, pure and simple. 2000 was his year full stop, and 2001 wasn't half bad, what with his series with Austin including the No Way Out 2 out of 3 Falls (where he got a victory I might add), and his epic encounter with Undertaker at X-7. This bout, on any other night ever, would have stolen the show. It's a pity it was on the greatest wrestling pay-per-view of all time.

Some will say Hunter needed Steph, just like Edge needed his women. For me, it's different. His turning of Steph only stregthened a hatred that was patently already there, whereas Edge only broke through as a full bonified heel with his dalliances. It's a subtle, but for me, important distinction to make.

Hunter's turn on Michaels along with the feud that followed it, along with subsequent forming of Evolution, cannot be underestimated either. Even though it by-and-large turned into the Hunter show around that time, while ballooning up in weight, he still garnered a significant heel reaction, and still had decent matches to boot.

it's mainly his work in the first 2 years of this decade which push him over the edge for me though. he really was incredible in every facet.

I can't say anything more about JBL that hasn't really been said. Nothing about the way he wrestled made you like him. His manner, his brashness, that rich persona...all of it was hateable. and he could talk. he could bring the fans into it. he was the perfect hate figure. Cena, and even Eddie, can attribute a lot of the love the fans had for them around that time, to the hatred JBL garnered while feuding with them imo.

His matches weren't terrible either. The bull rope match with Eddie was brutal in a good way. His 'I Quit' match with Cena, straight after Cena won the belt for the first time, helped get Cena further over as champion...at a time when already fans could be heard not really taking to Cena all that well.

Hunter for me though...by a nose :pac:

Vince135792003

Kurt

Eddie Guerrero in my opinion did the best heel promos of the decade before he died.

Bubs101

Hunter

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Eddie Guerrero in my opinion did the best heel promos of the decade before he died.

Scott Steiner?

flahavaj

The Rock

Bubs101 wrote: »

Scott Steiner?

I can never tell if you're joking about Steiner or not.

The Cannibal

Hunter

You have to give the WWE credit, they really know how to make a good heel. Unfortunately, it's the babyfaces they suck at. The heels are so awesome and the faces so bad that the crowd will often cheer the heels and boo the faces.

Vince135792003

Kurt

Bubs101 wrote: »

Scott Steiner?

Not even close. Some of the promos Eddie did in his feud with Rey were amazing.

The Cannibal

Hunter

Actually, I'd probably vote Paul Heyman. I felt Heyman with his time as a manager and colour commenator could out heel anybody on the roster. I think without Heyman it probably would have taken Brock at least another year to make it to the very top.

flahavaj

The Rock

The Cannibal wrote: »

You have to give the WWE credit, they really know how to make a good heel. Unfortunately, it's the babyfaces they suck at. The heels are so awesome and the faces so bad that the crowd will often cheer the heels and boo the faces.

In fairness its so so much more easy to make people to boo you than it is to get an audience to connect with you and actively cheer you on.

flahavaj

The Rock

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Not even close. Some of the promos Eddie did in his feud with Rey were amazing.

God yeah. And the feud with Batista afterwards, where he kept letting on they were friends. He was at the absolute peak of his powers when he passed and was head and shoulders more entertaining than anyone else in the world at that time.:(

Bubs101

Hunter

flahavaj wrote: »

I can never tell if you're joking about Steiner or not.

It's the same with Steiner's promos. Comical menace. Like The Mask. Anyway, his best work this decade was in WCW and TNA so I can understand his exclusion.

Voted Edge for consistency but in retrospect I should have voted Kurt. Loved most of his stuff, in particular his feud with Edge. If it was not just the WWE though Jarret would deserve a mention IMO and i'd have Cena and Booker over quiet a few on that list

Trail_Blazer

Jericho

I chose Orton, and can't believe I'm the only one who voted for him.

Edge would be a close 2nd.

Rjd2

Kurt

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Eddie Guerrero in my opinion did the best heel promos of the decade before he died.

Stiff like this was awesome/:)
How I forgot Booker I will never know.

Mr.Nice Guy

Orton

For me the standout heels of the decade are Hunter and Edge. I don't think the others come close really. Hunter in the early part of the 2000s (hate that phrase noughties) generated terrific heel heat and was a big part in the success of the period. Edge in recent years I think has become the new top heel of the company. However, if I compare the two I think I'd go for Hunter just because it's an era that I have a great fondness for.

Honourable mentions would go to The Rock (who I'd regard like Austin as too likeable to win this poll) and Lesnar who in 2003 was one of the nastiest heels I can recall.

I am surprised JBL has polled so well in this as I think a lot of his heat stemmed from being given a top position when most fans felt he was totally unworthy. 'Get off my TV' heat mainly.

flahavaj

The Rock

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I am surprised JBL has polled so well in this as I think a lot of his heat stemmed from being given a top position when most fans felt he was totally unworthy. 'Get off my TV' heat mainly.

The vast majority of fans don't think like that, though, especially the demographic at who the product is aimed. Thats internet fan thinking, which makes up a small minority of the WWE fanbase and not reflective of the audience who booed him to death at live arenas on a nightly basis.

gerrybbadd

Jericho

I'm not really surprised JBL is polling so well. When he took the strap off Eddie, and went on his streak on Smackdown, it was handled perfectly. He was the perfect heel champ, holding onto his title by the skin of his teeth (remember the barb wire cage match with Big Slow?)

I vote for Orton though, for his cold demeaner, and actions!!! (great fued with Mick Foley also !!!)

Vince135792003

Kurt

gerrybbadd wrote: »

He was the perfect heel champ,

JBL talked like an effective main event heel. The problem was when it came to buying a show with him on top, the majority of people knew he couldn't back it up in the ring.

flahavaj

The Rock

Vince135792003 wrote: »

JBL talked like an effective main event heel. The problem was when it came to buying a show with him on top, the majority of people knew he couldn't back it up in the ring.

He was never that great of a worker, (although he did have really good matches as a champion with Eddy and Cena), but his heel persona was outstanding. We're not so much discussing in ring workrate as much as the ability to play a heel character.

Vince135792003

Kurt

flahavaj wrote: »

He was never that great of a worker, (although he did have really good matches as a champion with Eddy and Cena), but his heel persona was outstanding. We're not so much disussing in ring workrate as much as the ability to play a heel character.

His ability to play a heel character in the ring was poor. 90% of the charisma he shows on the mic disappears in the ring.

The fact that he is second on this poll is ludicrous.

flahavaj

The Rock

Vince135792003 wrote: »

His ability to play a heel character in the ring was poor. 90% of the charisma he shows on the mic disappears in the ring.

The fact that he is second on this poll is ludicrous.

In what sense? What does he not do in the ring that the others on the list presumably do?

I would have said he was a great heel in ring, the variety of ways he won his matches during his title reign through heelish antics was great. Not to mention thumbs to the eye, cheating constantly behind the ref's back, all the usual hallmarks of a great heel.

Vince135792003

Kurt

flahavaj wrote: »

In what sense? What does he not do in the ring that the others on the list presumably do?

Maintain the heat he has created when it comes to actually wrestling the match .

JBL can set up feuds with his ability to talk on the mic. He is really good.

However, when it came to the actual match, his limitations as a worker often killed the heat he created.

For example, Cena took the belt off him at Wrestlemania 21 after JBL had the belt for the guts of 9 months. It should have been a huge deal and while to be fair the match was cut very short, while they were in the ring it was all met with a tepid response particularly the finish.

The only times he could maintain the heat he created were in no disqualification matches and things like that.

flahavaj

The Rock

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Maintain the heat he has created when it comes to actually wrestling the match .

JBL can set up feuds with his ability to talk on the mic. He is really good.

However, when it came to the actual match, his limitations as a worker often killed the heat he created.

Again, that makes him a relatively limited in-ring worker more than a bad heel per se. Also I don't remember crowds exactly being dead during his matches to be perfectly honest.

For example, Cena took the belt off him at Wrestlemania 21 after JBL had the belt for the guts of 9 months. It should have been a huge deal and while to be fair the match was cut very short, while they were in the ring it was all met with a tepid response particularly the finish.

That has as much to do with the fact that the match wasn't treated as a big deal whatoever on the night in question. As you say, the match was cut ridiculously short. In fact apart from the Sumo match ans women's match it was the shortest match of the night. Even the dark match ran 5 minutes longer. Giving 11 minutes to a World Title match is a disgrace. Blaming JBL's shortcomings as a heel alone for the fact that the match came off as a damp squib is quite the jump in all fairness.

Rey's title win at Mania was equally treated ridiculously poorly in terms of time and positioned down the card at Wrestlemania and equally it came off as a damp squib. This after an emotional buildup where the win was supposed to be dedicated to Eddy etc. But no one blames the workers for this, they quite rightly blame whoever allocated a pitiful time for the match. But when its a JBL match its immediately his fault? Deeply unfair IMO.

The only times he could maintain the heat he created were in no disqualification matches and things like that.

Mick Foley rarely excelled in matches that didn't involve plunder or no DQ rules. Does that make him any less of a brilliant babyface by the same logic as you're using?

Again you're mistaking the abilty to play the role of heel or face for in-ring workrate and its grossly unfair. There have been tonnes of great heels (and indeed faces)down the years who stunk up the joint in the ring, it diesn't stop them being great at playing their role.

big syke

JBL

I chose Jericho and cant believe i was one of only two who did!! Hes an awsome heel, so cocky, smug and uses those annoyingly big woprds that confuses me anyways!

Penn

The Rock

big syke wrote: »

I chose Jericho and cant believe i was one of only two who did!! Hes an awsome heel, so cocky, smug and uses those annoyingly big woprds that confuses me anyways!

I would have voted Jericho, but this is of the past decade, not past year. So in my opinion, people like JBL and Edge deserve it more.

Voted for JBL because his transition from Bradshaw to JBL was brilliant. Great promos, evil to the bone, easily got cheap heat, did well in most of his fueds. I thought he was really good

JP Liz

JBL

Its between Jericho and HHH for me

gimmick

The Rock

^ Why? I hate polls like these as too many people do not tell us why they give their reasoning.

I too went for JBL. I just loved how he managed to rile up the entire crowd so quickly in his promos. he played the cowardly heel brilliantly. I do not think it was "xpac heat" he got in the most case - it was genuine "I hate you heat". His promos in his Eddie feud using such horrific racial slurs as "real champsion speak english" etc totally sent him over the top.

I also think he played the heel well in the ring. A mentioned a very limited worker, but he used what he had, and cowardice and cheating is a big part for any heel to have. How many times, when we were sure he was going to drop the belt, did he scrape through? This just generated more heat on him again.

Regarding the Cena win, I am surpised this even came up, as I felt this was more of an indictment of how not over Cena was at the time than anything else. He won, jumped into the crowd trying to make a reaction, but no one cared.

As for others on the list, HHH and Edge are obvious contenders, Hassan was not around long enough. Jericho would be a contender if his heel run in 2002 was not so utterly destroyed by the HHH/Steph feud.

Vince135792003

Kurt

flahavaj wrote: »

Also I don't remember crowds exactly being dead during his matches to be perfectly honest.

The majority of his last year in the WWE was like that.

The topic is the best heel of the last decade. Not the very good which JBL was. The best.

To me that means a guy that drew reactions that caused people to pay money to see him lose. JBL was not the best in the last 10 years at that. Not by a mile.

Another example would be the 2004 No Way Out ppv, the month the Wrestlemania where he lost the belt.

It got the lowest buy rate No Way Out has ever gotten. JBL was the main event and his main event ppv record incidentally is not very good. I'm sure he promoted it really well. I'm sure he talked great but the heel persona he had in the ring was 10% of the heel persona he was on the mic. That's the story of JBL.

Triple H in 2000, Vince McMahon who despite his obvious limitations in the ring was still able to draw very successfully on a sporadic basis and Edge would be my top 3.

flahavaj

The Rock

The really ludicrous thing about this poll is the lack of votes for Vince McMahon. He was the perfect foil for Austin and it was the McMahon/Austin feud perhaps more than any that was the fuel behind the entire Attitude era. Without that feud WWE may even have gone out of business bafter the sh*tty start to the 80's that they had. Obviously Austin was the megastar face, but the evil owner character that McMahon played had a more than significant role to play in the whole boom ans was the perfect foil for the rebel Austin. Crowds were absolutely rabid at the thought of McMahon getting his comeuppances from Austin and at least some of the credit for that has to go to Vince. The more I think of it, maybe I should have voted for him.

With regards to Hunter, I would never think of him when people talk about the best ever heels in the business. Theres no doubting he was absolutely unreal in 2000, up until his injury, one of the best runs of matches anyone has ever produced since HBK in the mid nineties. But as a heel per se, he wasn't one of the greats. He tends to kill a crowd by going on far too long in his promos. When he was most over as a heel it was probably during the McMahon-Helmsley era in late 99 early 2000. But how much of his heat stemmed from his own ability to generate it and how much of it stemmed from the fact that the bosses daughter was on his arm? Look at how terrible he was around 2003/4 when he was a stand alone heel. He singlehandedly nearly killed RAW with his interminable, monotonous, sh*tty promos week in week out, not to mention the unbelievably bad matches he was having at that time. The fact that he dominated RAW as the top heel during a run when it was never more unwatchable means he surely can't be voted best heel of the decade.

Likewise Edge. How much of his heat can be attributed to firstly Lita and then Vicky? Theres no doubt there was unreal heat, but how much of it was directed specifically at him and how much at the women? Certainly I've never really seen him anywhere near as over as a stand alone heel than he was with those two in tow.

grames_bond

Orton

i went for HHH, i think he was able to draw heat no matter what he did, delivered brilliant promos, and even turned one of the most popular groups of all time (DX obviously) heel, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand at all times and had more heel weapons in his arsenal than pretty much any other heel!

Rjd2

Kurt

That's a spot on analysis of Vince and the ease he can still generate heel heat when he wants is remarkable.
I am surprised their is no love for Rock, because for me his Hollywood character was incredible even brief, his Toronto promo is HOF worthy on its own merits.

Vince135792003

Kurt

Triple H's run as a heel is patchy with many poor feuds but with alot of peaks too (his run in 2000, his programme with Batista that made him and did great business and his programme with Shawn Michaels).

I voted for Vince.

Nody

Orton

I voted HHH for one simple reason; if there is ONE moment which stands out to me as the heel moment of a decade (which I admitt I did not watch it all) it has to be HHH turning on Orton.

I can still see the scene (or believe I can ), Orton has just won the WWE belt and the rest of the group is walking up to the ring. HHH has spent the previous weeks preping Orton for the match etc. and being generally evil and grumpy towards all. As he comes to the ring with Flair and Baptista, clapping and congratulating Orton on his big win (Orton being the young champion who's new to the company etc. etc.) and then demanding the belt from him because Orton did not deserve it.

That was the ultimate, dominating, anything goes kind of heel I remember from HHH and like to see as a heel. JBL was never hated by me, I just found him boring and would fast forward when he was out.

I admitt that Vince was on the list of heels I was considering voting for but in the end could not feel being a real heel (i.e. he got heat just for being the owner and not having to work for it) of a decade.

Reganio 2

Vickie

I went for Brock. He was an awesome heel he destroyed everything in his path and did it in a good way and was a good wrestler and didn't just get his push cause he was big (See Mark Henry, Big daddy V, Snitsky etc) he ripped people apart and you believed obviously helped by Heyman but I reckon he would have got over on his own it might have took longer but it was a matter of time.

I like Edge as a wrestler but didn't vote for him as he is too 1 dimensional, how many battle royals or matches with numerous people did he win where he wrestled for a few mins got knocked out of the ring only to crawl back in the last few mins and pick up the win, its very annoying.

JBL would have been my next vote, everything about him you hated, he would have been even better now with nobody having money people would have hated him.

smilerf

The Rock

i went with jbl.
omg u hated him.
he was great on the mic played he's character brilliantly
average in the ring at best but u very rarely get both.

Mr.Nice Guy

Orton

flahavaj wrote: »

The really ludicrous thing about this poll is the lack of votes for Vince McMahon. He was the perfect foil for Austin and it was the McMahon/Austin feud perhaps more than any that was the fuel behind the entire Attitude era. Without that feud WWE may even have gone out of business bafter the sh*tty start to the 80's that they had. Obviously Austin was the megastar face, but the evil owner character that McMahon played had a more than significant role to play in the whole boom ans was the perfect foil for the rebel Austin. Crowds were absolutely rabid at the thought of McMahon getting his comeuppances from Austin and at least some of the credit for that has to go to Vince. The more I think of it, maybe I should have voted for him.

The best parts of Austin/McMahon were the late nineties though wouldn't you say? This decade I think Vince has been a very good heel but since around 2003 I think the character has declined. In the last couple of years he's basically been a comedy character and I don't think has generated the vitriol he used to.

flahavaj wrote:

With regards to Hunter, I would never think of him when people talk about the best ever heels in the business. Theres no doubting he was absolutely unreal in 2000, up until his injury, one of the best runs of matches anyone has ever produced since HBK in the mid nineties. But as a heel per se, he wasn't one of the greats. He tends to kill a crowd by going on far too long in his promos. When he was most over as a heel it was probably during the McMahon-Helmsley era in late 99 early 2000. But how much of his heat stemmed from his own ability to generate it and how much of it stemmed from the fact that the bosses daughter was on his arm? Look at how terrible he was around 2003/4 when he was a stand alone heel. He singlehandedly nearly killed RAW with his interminable, monotonous, sh*tty promos week in week out, not to mention the unbelievably bad matches he was having at that time. The fact that he dominated RAW as the top heel during a run when it was never more unwatchable means he surely can't be voted best heel of the decade.

I think that's a hugely unfair criticism of Hunter (yes me in defence of Hunter shocker! :pac:). I agree his run in 2003/04 was painful but you've just jumped from 2000 and left out 2001 and 2002, which I think were two of his best years where he was still a terrific heel in his own right. The feud with Shawn Michaels in 2002 for instance is a fantastic example of his heel ability.

The way he worked that Summerslam '02 match with HBK was a heel work of art and I think this is the kind of thing Vince was referring to earlier when he talked about the heel's part in the match itself. Subtle moments like refusing to let go of the abdominal stretch on Shawn's bad back, getting pissed off at the ref because Shawn wouldn't stay down, the bloody sneer as he walked up the ramp after hitting Shawn with the sledgehammer.

All of this was his own natural ability and had nothing to do with Steph being on his arm. To credit Stephanie with Hunter's heel success I feel is incredibly harsh.

flahavaj

The Rock

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

The best parts of Austin/McMahon were the late nineties though wouldn't you say? This decade I think Vince has been a very good heel but since around 2003 I think the character has declined. In the last couple of years he's basically been a comedy character and I don't think has generated the vitriol he used to.

Good point actually about it being late nineties. Those years tend to blur into one for me at times. In my defence I was very drunk in collge for a lot of those RAWs.:pac:

I think that's a hugely unfair criticism of Hunter (yes me in defence of Hunter shocker! :pac:). I agree his run in 2003/04 was painful but you've just jumped from 2000 and left out 2001 and 2002, which I think were two of his best years where he was still a terrific heel in his own right. The feud with Shawn Michaels in 2002 for instance is a fantastic example of his heel ability.

The way he worked that Summerslam '02 match with HBK was a heel work of art and I think this is the kind of thing Vince was referring to earlier when he talked about the heel's part in the match itself. Subtle moments like refusing to let go of the abdominal stretch on Shawn's bad back, getting pissed off at the ref because Shawn wouldn't stay down, the bloody sneer as he walked up the ramp after hitting Shawn with the sledgehammer.

All of this was his own natural ability and had nothing to do with Steph being on his arm. To credit Stephanie with Hunter's heel success I feel is incredibly harsh.

Rather boringly I can't argue with any of this either, he was great in the feud with HBK, its no co incidence that HBK handpicked him to work with on his return. I singled out the McMahon Helmsley era simply because others had brought it up. HHH's decade has had several unreal highs, but my basic point was that I cannot forgive him the absolute horrenduous lows of his run on RAW in 2003/4 and how bland and stale he has been pretty much since. But you don't need me to tell you about that.;) Given those lows, I can't in all honesty call him best heel of the decade.

Trail_Blazer

Jericho

I think William Regal could've been added to the list. The man had people wanting his head on a pole, just by standing in the ring! He didn't even have to say anything, and the place wanted to kill him!

I think he's definitely in the top 5 of the decade.

big syke

JBL

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I would have voted Jericho, but this is of the past decade, not past year. So in my opinion, people like JBL and Edge deserve it more.

:eek: Jericho has been a heel for the majority of his career and from 1998 he was one of the top heels in wcw. His fued with Goldberg when he brought out his security was so funny and placed him among the top heels in the company.

The majority of his time in WWE (1999-present) has been as a heel and he appeared in many main events as such. He was a heel when he won the undisputed championship sure!

Penn

The Rock

I know he was a heel around late-2001 for a good while after that, but he's a much better heel now than he was then in my opinion. He was still good as a heel back then, he's just a lot better now

big syke

JBL

I dont agree with that. In WCW he was a great heel with his promos and in ring work. Stuff like the man of 1004 holds in WCW, his stuff with "benoyt" etc made him an obnoxious heel that people loved to hate....

Penn

The Rock

big syke wrote: »

I dont agree with that. In WCW he was a great heel with his promos and in ring work. Stuff like the man of 1004 holds in WCW, his stuff with "benoyt" etc made him an obnoxious heel that people loved to hate....

Not this decade though

davrho

Kurt

I voted Vince. The morally corrupt, Diva kissing, sending wife to a mental home, screwing over his kids etc. playing the smarmy owner of the company was immense. The guy can turn heat in seconds. His facial impressions are quality. The fact he always ends up fecking up is quality. In his day the best heel character.

HHH is up there too. I loved his comments to Edge when he got rid of Foley "Foley is like one of those turds you cant flush, he will keep coming back":) . His put down and audience heat made him quality.

JBL and Edge deserves a mention.

I think Orton makes a terrible heel. His back up is pathetic too.

Norman213

why has no-one mentioned micheals short heel turn before his match with hogan at summerslam??his anti hogan promos were brilliant

The Cannibal

Hunter

Maybe because he made a mockery of the actual match itself.