Wrestling Heels you enjoyed watching? -

[Frank Rizzo]

Ok all of you Hulkamaniacs, here's a question that, hopefully, hasn't already been asked:

Growing up, did you guys have any heels that you really enjoyed watching? Maybe even cheered for?

For me, it was Mr. Perfect and Ric Flair.

 

[cypocraphy]

I liked Jake Robert's heel stint in late 1991 and early 1992. He was just so evil. He was my favorite back then so I still liked him as a heel which was rare for me.

I fuckin' hated Rick Martel, DiBiase, and Mr. Perfect. But that just meant they were doing a good job

 

[CatParty]

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Oh man, Jake's feud with Macho Man was just so well done. Especially when he had his cobra bite Macho Man, then dared to slap around Elizabeth? You could just see the audience wanting to murder Jake right there and then.

Roddy bashing Snuka with the coconut was also incredible at the time.

 

[CatParty]

 

[cypocraphy]

Honky Tonk Man was also a great chicken shit heel.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Honky Tonk Man was also a great chicken shit heel.

No doubt about that. The way he would somehow weasel his way to victory while he was IC Champ that, by the time Ultimate Warrior squashed him for the title, the crowd went mental.

 

[SonChu's Oil Change]

Dudley Boys during ECW

 

[GS 281]

Kevin Sullivan was good back in the day, not so much in WCW.
Vince McMahon did a good job with the Mr. McMahon stuff in 1999-2000.
Managers always did a good job though. They had to or they wouldn't eat. Cornette, Heenen, good work.
Terry Funk had some great heel runs. The match that made me a fan was Flair v. Funk at Clash of the Champions. "I Quit" Match.
Freebirds did good work, mainly Hayes.
One guy to watch out for who will be one hell of a heel will be Tyler Breeze. Not much now, but he seems bright and he lives his character out there. Not many heels do nowadays. Not many true heels nowadays.

 

[cypocraphy]

I remember wanting Bret Hart to literally murder Jerry Lawler at SummerSlam 1993.

 

[Yaoi Huntress Earth]

One guy to watch out for who will be one hell of a heel will be Tyler Breeze. Not much now, but he seems bright and he lives his character out there. Not many heels do nowadays. Not many true heels nowadays.

He definitely has a good future ahead of him. Speaking of the Honkey Tonk Man, Bo Dallas had the potential to be this generation's answer to him. His phoney messages and cheerfulness reminded me of a parody of the generic shonen hero. It's a shame they dropped the ball on him.

Though Bobby Heenan was before my time when I started watching, he's a wonderful heel. I'd like to share this little scene.

 

[GS 281]

Heenen knew his place yet he stole the show. He was "only" a manager then "only" an announcer, but he added value every second on camera. About the only active guy who I think knows how to do that in a non-athletic role would be Paul Heyman, and he isn't near as good as Heenen, but Heenen was probably the greatest heel commentator ever. Ventura was decent, King WAS good, now everyone sucks. They all suck. Except the NXT teams. Jason Albert is learning, A-Ry is okay, Renee Young can be goofy but I'd like her as a third. They're all better than Cole and King of today. JBL is fine, but in the post-Heenen years, the best heel commentator has been King from 96-02.

Speaking of NXT guys, for some reason Adrian Neville reminds me of Bret Hart. Not good on the mic, but able to play face or heel in the ring quite well. Back at the last event on 9/11 he played a heel in the ring half the time, did a decent job. Sami Zayn will make an excellent IC champ one day.

On Bo Dallas, hell yeah he does remind me of Honky, but I think Honky was better in the role in the ring. Probably because he had jobbers to squash so he could be more multi-dimensional and show a bully side of his pussy heel gimmick.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Heenen knew his place yet he stole the show. He was "only" a manager then "only" an announcer, but he added value every second on camera. About the only active guy who I think knows how to do that in a non-athletic role would be Paul Heyman, and he isn't near as good as Heenen, but Heenen was probably the greatest heel commentator ever.

Without a doubt. Watch his performance commentator wise during the 1992 Royal Rumble. In terms of pure heel commentary, it's Heenan's masterpiece, from the horror of seeing Ric Flair draw number three, to bargaining with God for Flair to win, to the sheer and utter euphoria he has when Flair pulls off the victory.

 

[GS 281]

I actually was watching that like 3 weeks ago. He was telling a story. Flair was telling a story. Everyone had a purpose and it was art. Today its "try the WWE app!" and "Buy CENA merch!" They are missing the product part of their product.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon, to me, had INCREDIBLE chemistry together as commentators, and it really showed in that Rumble. Just the way Monsoon takes delight in telling Heenan how Flair has no chance to win the Rumble due to the number he drew, with Heenan reduced to going "Ah shut up!" by the end.

 

[cypocraphy]

I'll watch anything with Monsoon and Heenan on commentary. Monsoon and Jesse Ventura were great too.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

I'll watch anything with Monsoon and Heenan on commentary. Monsoon and Jesse Ventura were great too.

Monsoon and Ventura were good together, though IMO, I kinda thought Ventura and Vince McMahon had the better chemistry.

 

[Yaoi Huntress Earth]

Without a doubt. Watch his performance commentator wise during the 1992 Royal Rumble. In terms of pure heel commentary, it's Heenan's masterpiece, from the horror of seeing Ric Flair draw number three, to bargaining with God for Flair to win, to the sheer and utter euphoria he has when Flair pulls off the victory.

I gotta see if the WWE Network has it.

Sean O'Haire had a wonderful gimmick as a devil's advocate type who could've been a great, corrupting force in the WWE. As for current ones, you can't go wrong with Brey Wyatt in all of his scarey, demonic, hillbilly cultist glory.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

I gotta see if the WWE Network has it.

All of the old PPV's are on the Network.

 

[Le Bateleur]

I gotta see if the WWE Network has it.

Sean O'Haire had a wonderful gimmick as a devil's advocate type who could've been a great, corrupting force in the WWE. As for current ones, you can't go wrong with Brey Wyatt in all of his scarey, demonic, hillbilly cultist glory.

Bray Wyatt got me back into following wrestling. It seems like the creative team don't always know what to do with him, but man can that guy talk. I'd love to see him do more of his uncanny William Regal impersonation, too...