Image via Complex Original
16.
In professional wrestling, the babyfaces get all the glory, but it’s the heels who make those feel-good victories mean something.
"Heel" is wrestling parlance for "bad guy"—the opponent who the fans are supposed to boo and hate. A heel can be a monster, a coward, or a cheater, but one thing is always true: fans love to see a heel get his comeuppance. Wrestling fans will grit their teeth as heels run, cower, and cheat their way to victory. But when the heel finally loses and is finally humbled? It’s that much more satisfying.
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, Triple H, and Mr. McMahon himself are well-known to the majority of people, even to non-wrestling fans. But then there are the unsung heels—the ones who don’t get the credit they deserve for drawing the heat they did, or for getting their fellow wrestlers over. Let’s correct some of those injustices right now. Here are The 15 Most Underrated Heels in WWE History.
15.Vader
Years active in WWE: 1996-1998
Manager: Jim Cornette
Finishing move: Vader Bomb
Best heel moment: Laying out Gorilla Monsoon
Vader was a former WCW World Heavyweight Champion, but when he arrived in WWE, Vince McMahon didn’t have a clue what to do with him. For example, Vince wanted to call him The Mastadon. Combine this with Shawn Michaels' refusal to lose to Vader, and the massive, monster heel soon disappeared from our television sets. It was such a shame, especially because he made a massive impact when he first debuted. Vader was a ferocious competitor in the 1996 Royal Rumble, and on the following Raw, he destroyed "President" Gorilla Monsoon with a Vader Bomb. Attacking authority figures is par for the course these days. But 20 years ago? It was beyond the pale.
14.MVP
Years active in WWE: 2006-2010
Manager: N/A
Finishing move: Playmaker
Best heel moment: Going 1-on-1 with Matt Hardy
Inspired by Terrell Owens, the MVP character was a swaggering, preening braggart—constantly blinged out and constantly talking smack, even though deep down, he was incredibly insecure. Just the inflatable entrance was enough to get the boos going. MVP was mostly a comedic wrestler, and his 1-on-1 showdowns with Matt Hardy provided some of the best moments on SmackDown back in the day. MVP and Hardy competed in football, basketball, chess, pizza eating, and pushups, just to name a few things. And, of course, MVP found every conceivable way to cheat. He was incredibly good at the niche role he was given. Ballin’ baby!
13."Ravishing" Rick Rude
Years active in WWE: 1987-1990, 1997
Manager: Bobby Heenan
Finishing move: Rude Awakening
Best heel moment: Hitting on Jake "The Snake" Roberts’s wife
Rick Rude’s entire gigolo character was based on one simple premise: No man will cheer for a guy who their girlfriend thinks is sexy. And Rick Rude, with his chiseled abs and incredible biceps, drove the female fans crazy. But still, when Rude decided to harass and lay hands on Jake Roberts’s wife, he went too far. To female fans, he was every douchebag who bothered them on the street. To male fans, he was a challenge to their masculinity. Rude had to retire early due to a back injury, but he’s still one of the underrated greats, loved by his locker room peers and hated by the fans for all the right reasons.
12.Vickie Guerrero
Years active in WWE: 2005-2014
Manager: N/A
Finishing move: Cougar Splash
Best heel moment: Any time she grabbed a microphone
If a voice could kill. After her legendary husband Eddie died in 2005, Vickie Guerrero managed the impossible—she threw away a lifetime’s worth of good will in a matter of months. She was always a manager, rarely a wrestler herself. But still, she got a massive, negative fan response, especially with her trademark shrill “EXCUSE ME!” screeched at the top of her lungs. Fans did not "love to hate" Vickie; fans just hated her. In a time when everyone dismisses wrestling as fake, everyone was united in their real contempt for Vickie. She deserves credit for doing what many trained wrestlers cannot do, which is to draw legitimate heat with her presence alone.
11.Batista
Years active in WWE: 2002-2010, 2013-2015
Manager: N/A
Finishing move: Batista Bomb
Best heel moment: Yelling at a little kid at ringside
Most fans know Batista as an ass-kicking good guy with his rat-a-tat-tat pyro and ring rope shaking antics. But for a few months in 2009 and 2010, Batista was a full-fledged heel who feuded with John Cena, and it was absolutely incredible. Every week on Raw, he was a testosterone fueled manchild, ranting about “his spotlight” and insulting John Cena for “kissing babies and hugging fat girls.” And then there was this unscripted exchange at ringside:
Little Kid: “I hate you Batista!”
Batista: “I hate you too!”
It doesn’t get any more heelish than that.
10.Albert
Years active in WWE: 1999-2004, 2012-Present
Manager: Trish Stratus
Finishing move: Train Wreck
Best heel moment: Beating up Stephanie McMahon
Albert, aka A-Train, aka Lord Tensai, could never catch a break in WWE. He was always cast in the role of enforcer—big muscle guy that backed up a smaller guy—but was never able to break out on his own. Still, Albert was frightening. He had the multiple facial piercings, combined with a penchant for roaring at the top of his lungs whenever he performed a power move. Today, Albert is retired from in-ring competition, but he still serves as a head trainer for NXT, where he is credited for turning the WWE’s program into the well-oiled machine we see today. He was a massive bully in the ring, but he’s an incredible teacher outside of it.
9.Wade Barrett
Years active in WWE: 2010-2016
Manager: N/A
Finishing move: Bull Hammer
Best heel moment: Leading the Nexus in destroying Monday Night Raw’s main event
As leader of Nexus, Wade Barrett made an incredible first impression. He and his crew ransacked the main event of Raw, and in the process, they beat up CM Punk, they beat up John Cena, and they tore the ring down to its wooden foundation. Unfortunately, however, things went south from there. Barrett got buried by John Cena (which Cena himself still regrets), and he never recaptured that old spark from early in his career. Even when he was Bad News Barrett and the King of the Ring near the end of his run, WWE had already moved on to younger, more promising talents.
8.William Regal
Years active in WWE: 1998-1999, 2000-Present
Manager: N/A
Finishing move: Regal Stretch
Best heel moment: Winning King of the Ring
Regal was so good at playing a jerk that it overshadowed his talent in the ring. But watch him carefully during his matches, and you’ll realize one thing: This man lived and breathed professional wrestling and did it better than almost anyone else. He knew a thousand different holds, submission maneuvers, and slams, and he was incredibly talented at storytelling in the ring. Take a look at the above clip of him wrestling Finlay during the King of the Ring tournament, and you’ll see what I mean. Regal constantly goes back to working Finlay’s knee, and ultimately, that allows him to win the match. And that’s why Regal is so criminally underrated. His best moments are these low-key, subtle actions that are best appreciated in hindsight.
7.The Big Boss Man
Years active in WWE: 1988-1993, 1998-2003
Manager: Slick, Vince McMahon
Finishing move: Big Boss Slam
Best heel moment: Dragging the casket of Big Show’s father
Most heels are cocky or arrogant, but the Big Boss Man crossed that line into pure evil. He fed Al Snow his own dog. He wrote a poem insulting Big Show’s dead father. He even showed up to the father’s funeral, hooked his truck up to the casket, and dragged it away from the burial. The video of Big Show, crying on top of the casket as it’s being dragged, has become iconic. The Big Boss Man hit his heel prime in the middle of the Attitude Era; it’s highly unlikely that something like this could ever happen again.
6.Hakushi
Years active in WWE: 1994-1996
Manager: Shinja
Finishing move: Various
Best heel moment: Accusing Bret Hart of racism
When Hakushi first debuted, he stood out. He was inked from head to toe, and had a high flying, martial arts-inspired style that set him apart. And, for awhile, WWE treated him as a special attraction. He defeated every wrestler he went up against. He had a series of well-fought matches against Bret Hart, who Hakushi believed was racist towards the Japanese. But soon afterward, Hakushi became a boring babyface—a wide-eyed foreigner who was learning all about America from Barry Horowitz. That isn’t nearly as badass as The White Angel. He left the WWE soon afterwards and was never heard from again.
5.Doink the Clown
Years active in WWE: 1992-1997
Manager: Dink
Finishing move: Whoopie Cushion
Best heel moment: That MUSIC
Most fans remember Doink as a funny, silly clown, especially when he makes cameo appearances these days. But when Matt Bourne first debuted as Doink, he was an evil, disturbed clown that frightened the little kids in the audience. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long; the gimmick was way too subversive for the early '90s. But thankfully we still have the video footage to enjoy. Just listen to that music; that’s a circus that no one wants to see.
4.Waylon Mercy
Years active in WWE: 1995
Manager: N/A
Finishing move: Sleeper hold
Best heel moment: Putting Jeff Hardy to sleep
Waylon Mercy wrestled in WWE for less than a year before injuries forced him to retire. But in that short time frame, he made a hell of an impression. He played the role of a soft-spoken, southern gentleman until the bell rang. And then, he went crazy. He had an especially scary, bug-eyed look whenever he locked in his sleeper hold, and it would take one or more referees begging him to release the hold before he would comply. If you see shades of Bray Wyatt in Waylon Mercy, don’t be surprised; Wyatt credits Mercy for inspiring his gimmick.
3.Owen Hart
Years active in WWE: 1988-1989, 1991-1999
Manager: Jim Cornette, Mr. Fuji
Finishing move: Sharpshooter
Best heel moment: Nearly ending Shawn Michaels’s career
Today, fans discuss Owen Hart in hushed tones. And it’s no wonder; his falling to his death during a pay-per-view event is still one of the biggest tragedies to ever befall the WWE. But unfortunately, that also overshadows what a fantastic heel he was. He played the spoiled, whiny, “dirty rotten stinking brother” of Bret Hart to utter perfection. His crowning moment, however, came from nearly ending Shawn Michael’s career with a brutal kick to the head. Shawn collapsed in the ring, and he did it so convincingly that none of the fans knew whether it was a work or a shoot (it was a work). Owen bragged about it for months to come, even receiving a Slammy Award for his dastardly deed.
2.The Miz
Years active in WWE: 2006-Present
Manager: Maryse
Finishing move: Skull Crushing Finale
Best heel moment: Telling Daniel Bryan the truth on Talking Smack
The Miz started in the business as a reality show guy from Tough Enough and MTV's The Real World. But fast forward a decade later, and he’s a former World Heavyweight champion and one of the longest running Intercontinental champions. The Miz is nothing if not reliable; he's never had a serious injury in all the time he's been wrestling. But where he really shines is on the mic. From his Piper’s Pit-esque Miz-TV segments to his epic SmackDown of Daniel Bryan on Smack Talk, the Miz is one of the most underrated Superstars in the current era. With any luck that will soon change—his title match against Dolph Ziggler at No Mercy this Sunday is hotly anticipated.
1.Mr. Perfect
Years active in WWE: 1982-1984, 1988-1996, 2002
Manager: Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan, The Coach
Finishing move: Perfect-Plex
Best heel moment: His Intercontinental match against Bret Hart at SummerSlam
Before injuries cut his career criminally short, Mr. Perfect was one of the greatest, technically gifted wrestlers of his generation. And apparently, that aptitude extended to many areas. He was allegedly talented at anything he put his mind to; Brock Lesnar described Perfect as a guy who "had a horseshoe up his ass.” And like William regal, Mr. Perfect’s villainy was far more subtle than that of your typical, evil heel. His epic match against Bret Hart at SummerSlam is a testament to that. Bret Hart became a made guy that night, but any wrestler is only as good as the guy he works with. And Mr. Perfect was, to make the obvious joke, simply perfect.