The evolution of wrestling in more recent eras has been drastic. Social media has shifted professional wrestling to a more transparent entity than it was. The audience has unfettered access to everything about the business, and WWE was forced to make significant changes to how it runs its company.
What hasn’t changed in WWE is the fact that if you don’t have amazing heels, then you have nothing. The New Era was rife with a vast roster full of fantastic heels that provided the perfect foil for every babyface.
These were heels that exhibited some old-school characteristics, as well as those that showed a more contemporary approach to their craft. Some heels are still with the company, while others have left for other pastures. They are the greatest of an era and have earned their place below.
Daniel Bryan
It’s impossible to imagine that the Daniel Bryan who sparked the “Yes” movement would become a detestable human being. The fated low blow to A.J. Styles changed everything for the mega-popular star.
Daniel Bryan became the man that everyone hated to see on their screens instead of being the one we wanted on television. The talent was still there, but gone was the man whom everyone wanted to rally behind—the man who captured the hearts of the wrestling world.
What worked so well with Daniel Bryan was the truthfulness with which he spoke. He blended his really life philosophy with an arrogance that drove the fans insane. The best heels have a legitimate justification for their actions, and Daniel Bryan did. He was right in his beliefs, but he didn’t have to be such a douche about it.
Drew McIntyre
Getting fired from WWE, the first time, was a godsend for Drew McIntyre. His character was floundering, and thus, he was able to reinvent himself as the Scottish Psychopath. When he returned to WWE, he brought the brutality and intensity that made him a star on the independents. Drew McIntyre returned as one of the best heels to step foot in World Wrestling Entertainment.
McIntyre’s size was one thing, but it was his nature that made him a great heel. He was the persona of an unstoppable monster. His moves carried a violence behind them that made him a terrifying opponent for every wrestler in the company. As a heel, there was no bigger roadblock to any babyface than Drew McIntyre.
Charlotte Flair
Nepotism is going to be a concept that is going to get you some heat. Those wrestlers who had a famous mother/father drew ire from the crowd, believing that they might not be there just based on their own merit.
That is why it was so easy for the audience to hate Charlotte Flair like they did. She had the family lineage, but the attitude and skill to go along with it. She was given a spot and then proceeded to tear down everyone in front of her. Flair knew precisely how to rub it in everyone’s faces.
The heat was there also because of her success. Charlotte Flair was in every major women’s match, but with good cause. Few could match her skill, but also few who could match the arrogance with which she carried herself. She was a wrestler who was very easy to hate.
Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar was the end boss for every man looking to make a name for himself. Unfortunately, a boss that one could rarely get past. He was the man who had destroyed every fan favourite in the company.
Brock Lesnar ended the streak and made John Cena look like a fool. His matches, regardless of opponent, were glorified squashes. Very few were able to match his raw athleticism, making it easy to detest the man. If your favourite star was taking on Brock Lesnar, you knew you were in for a long night. Emotionally anyway.
Lesnar was also one who always got the main event ticket. It was the top of the card or bust for Brock Lesnar, but that meant at the expense of other roster members. It created a Brock Lesnar fatigue in the audience to the point that his constant push angered them.
Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon’s return was one of the genuine surprises of The New Era, and for a while, it was very welcome from the WWE Universe. Then we got the inevitable heel turn that produced an authority figure that had some of the best go away heat in company history. When he started, the wrestling world loved having him as an authority figure, but then the stuff hit the fan.
When he transitioned into his heel authority figure role, he reverted to what made him so successful during the Attitude Era. Shane McMahon was high on himself, had no problem stacking the deck in his or his charges’ favor, and would often physically insert himself into any situation. He was a glory hog who put himself above everyone for his own gratification.
It was the exact quality that one would want from an evil authority figure. A quality that got amazing adverse reactions from the crowd, but positive ones for the wrestlers in opposition to him. That’s what a great heel makes.
Roman Reigns
Before he took his hiatus, Roman Reigns was already the most hated man on the roster. The only problem was that WWE wasn’t booking him in that fashion. He was the conquering hero that no one asked for, and it looked as if the Roman Reigns experiment was going to be an abject failure. That was until WWE wised up and changed his trajectory by creating the best heel of The New Era.
When Roman Reigns returned and aligned himself with Paul Heyman, we got the top of the card heel that WWE wanted. He used the hatred that was already there and gave it a larger justification by decimating everyone and holding a monopoly over the World Championships.
There was no better way to transition the Big Dawg into The Tribal Chief. Roman Reigns had the swagger, the stable, and the accolades to claim the WWE as his, and we all booed him for it.
Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens is always going to excel at everything he does. As a babyface, he connects with the fans on such a personal level, but when he shifts into a heel, there aren’t many who can hold a candle to him.
What made Owens such a great heel was his intensity. Everything he did carried such a weight to it that the audience bought into it. He was deadly on the stick and would decimate every babyface that he could. When he got his hands on them, there was no low he wouldn’t stoop to get the advantage. Kevin Owens would be brutal and show no mercy, trying to cause injury to anyone unlucky enough to face him.
Kevin Owens was easy to love, but he also made it easy to hate him. His genius was in his ability to turn the crowd against him. He knew what to say and what to do to turn the fans against him. He was the mid-card heel that would make any promotion salivate.
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