‘Heels’ are the bad guys, the villains of the story. They will use underhanded tactics and dirty tricks to pursue their selfish interests. Vince McMahon was one of the best heels during the Attitude Era, and it was his villainous persona, that helped Stone Cold become such a huge babyface.
In the modern era, there are only a limited few individuals, who are able to draw the ire of the crowd. In spite of the crowd cheering for them, these superstars are able to turn the crowd against them. They act like they are the most despicable individuals on the planet, and everyone ends up hating them.
Let’s take a look at five of the best heels in the business today, and compliment these men and women for their true brilliance.
#5 Sami Callihan
For those who don’t know, Sami Callihan is part of Impact Wrestling, as a part of the heel stable OVE(Ohio versus Everything).He is one of the most ruthless individuals on the Impact roster. Fans might know him from his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, where he works both, as a performer as well as a creative executive.
He was recently in news for accidentally breaking Eddie Edwards’s nose, a fellow wrestler in Impact Wrestling, during a post-match beat-down. Even though Callihan did not intentionally hurt the man, he would make you believe otherwise.
His interview with TMZ and his Twitter responses regarding the incident, replicate what a truly hateful character Callihan is. His disrespect for other roster members adds to his villainous persona, and makes him look like an outright ‘bad-guy’.
#4 Alexa Bliss
Her post-match interview after the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match is a huge evidence of why she is the only female wrestler on this list. She’ll use her friends to advance her gains, she’ll use any and every opportunity to get out of a title match and she’ll take all sort of shortcuts to retain her Championship. All these elements establish her character as a sly, cunning and sneaky individual, who would resort to anything to defend her RAW Women’s Championship.
She is rumoured to defend her RAW Women’s Championship against her former best-friend Nia Jax at Wrestlemania 34. The ‘Goddess of WWE’ has comfortably embraced herself in this role of a manipulative and deceitful Champion pretty well. Many believed that she was called up to the main roster pretty soon but her heel-work has clearly silenced all the doubters.
#3 Tommaso Ciampa
If you are an NXT fan, you would surely despise Tommaso ‘Blackheart’ Ciampa. Ciampa turned on his best friend Johnny Gargano, after their defeat to the Authors of Pain at NXT Takeover: Chicago 2017, and hasn’t looked back since.
He has never missed an opportunity to humiliate and demean his former best-friend. He has used his Twitter account on multiple occasions to belittle and dishonour Gargano.
‘The Sicilian Psychopath’ is one of the most effective heels ever seen. Since his return on NXT TV, he hasn’t muttered a single word in his promos and was still able to draw massive heat from the crowd.
Gargano is of the most-over Superstars in NXT and a considerable amount of credit, for this, goes to Ciampa. A bright future awaits both these men. Gargano and Ciampa are rumoured to face each other at NXT Takeover: New Orleans, in what should be an amazing match.
#2 The Miz
The Miz is arguably the most evolved Superstar on the WWE roster. His heel work is second to none in the company. His ‘Talking Smack’ promo really put him on the map, wherein he taunted Daniel Bryan regarding his inability to compete as a wrestler. There was a new sense of energy in The Miz, ever since he was paired with his wife, Maryse.
His A-Lister gimmick is probably the best work of his career. He is one of the best on the mic, and his quality to rip apart his opponents on the mic, enables him to amplify his ‘villain’ persona. ‘The Awesome One’ is a highly crafty heel, who wants everything to be about him. An egotistical, self-centered individual; ‘The A-Lister’ wants the spotlight to shine solely on him. His work in recent times has made him one of the top-level heels in WWE.
#1 Cody Rhodes
Cody is part of the Bullet Club faction, and wrestles for both ROH and NJPW. He has really come into his own, as a despicable heel wrestler, with an innate ability to draw jeers from crowds, both in Japan and USA. He is probably the best heel wrestler in the independent wrestling scene. An obnoxious, arrogant and self-obsessed individual, the ‘self-appointed leader of Bullet Club’ considers himself to be ‘wrestling royalty’.
During the recent Honor Rising shows in Japan, his heel work was top-notch. He would spit gum into the crowd, tear up signboards, and even went on to kiss Ibushi. His promo saying, ‘Bullet Club is Fine, and Bullet Club is Mine’, clearly show what a self-involved individual Cody is. His efforts to cause rift between the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega have almost come to a fruition. His recent run is an evidence of what an under-utilized talent Cody was, during his time in the WWE. The ‘American Nightmare’ is well on the path to success, as he gets ready for his highly anticipated clash with Kenny Omega at ‘Supercard of Honor’.
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