magic fingers
4th Level Yellow Feather
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2001
- Messages
- 3,776
- Points
- 63
Being a heel in the world of Professional Wrestling is a lost art. Back in the day there were clearly defined "good guys"(babyfaces) and "bad guys"(heels). Now w/the current generation of wrestling fans cheering for "Anti-heroes" like C.M. Punk, Stone Cold, and The Rock the line between good and evil has been blurred. But not so long ago, you could always depend on a heel to piss off the fans, shock the announcers, and cheat to win a title match. Any wrestler w/even a little bit of charisma can be popular w/the fans. It takes or used to take real talent, and guts to be a heel.
This is my own personal list of the 10 greatest heels in Pro Wrestling history. I don't think these are the best wrestling heels(in fact some weren't wrestlers at all), but the heels who were the funniest, the scariest, the dirtiest, and the meanest.
10) Scott Hall - Of all the NWO/Outsiders in the WCW days, Hall used to annoy me the most. I don't know if it was the slicked back hair, the porn star jewelry, the fake latino accent, or throwing his toothpick, Hall bugged the hell out of me. Which makes him a good heel. Plus unlike a lot of heels who were actually decent guys in real life, I heard Hall was also a complete a-hole outside the ring
9) Classie Freddie Blassie - With his silver hair, gravelly voice and sadistic smile, Blassie was truly an intimidating presence. I never got to see Blassie the wrestler(his wrestling career ended roughly around the time I was born), but if he was half as mean as a wrestler as he was as a manager, then you couldn't have paid me enough to get into the ring w/him, fake or not. Plus you have include the man who coined the term "Pencil Necked Geek."
8) Georgous George - I never saw Georgous George wrestle(again, way before my time), but how can you have a list like this without including the original heel? The man was ahead of his time, and blazed the trail for guys like Ric Flair. Even Professional Boxings first modern day "heel" Muhammed Ali(well he was considered a heel by some people), got the idea for his own cocky, and colorful public personna from the Georgous one himself.
7) The Great Kabuki - The first of the "Mysterious Asian Wrestlers"(I hope that's politically correct). With the face paint, the martial arts(which was rarely seen in wrestling years ago) the green mist, and his equally creepy manager Gary Hart, Kabuki was yet another innovator. I used to be a big fan of the Great Muta(who I believe was Kabuki's son), but you have to go w/the original. Plus the fact he never spoke added to the whole effect
6) George "The Animal" Steele - The only time I was ever scared watching a wrestling match(OK not scared, but weirded out) was when I saw George destroy some hapless jobber w/the aforementioned Freddy Blassie at ringside. I never saw anything like "The Animal" in my life. The bald scarred head, the green tongue, the disgusting body hair. He looked like the missing link, and it was awesome. The Animal was the one who peaked my interest in Pro Wrestling. Funny fact, I believe George is actually an incredibly smart man who has worked as a College Professor - when he wasn't chewing up turnbuckles.
5) The Iron Sheik - Right man at the right time. America was just beginning to deal w/Radical Islam, and straight from Tehran we have the Iron Sheik. The Sheik enrage American wrestling fans, by carrying a Iranian flag bearing the picture of Ayatollah Khomeni, and spitting on his American opponents. Plus he defeated the current champion Bob Backlund. Keep in mind wrestling wasn't like it is now where title belts change hands every other month. Back then when a champion, especially an All American Boy like Backlund drops the belt to America's enemy, it was a big deal, and that victory penciled the Sheik into heel HOF status. Plus he was so hated he turned former heel Sgt. Slaughter into a babyface, and the two spent the better part of the 80's beating the hell out of each other.
4) Jerry "the King" Lawler - OK I know he's been a fan favorite for years, but when Lawler first joined the WWF, he was the quintissential heel. Not so much scary or intimidating but obnoxious and pretty damn funny. He had a legendary fued w/Bret Hart capped off by a "Kiss my foot match". Not content w/attacking Hart he also verbally assaulted Hart parents Stu and Helen. Now you may not agree that Lawler was a great heel, but anyone who bully's a couple of senior citizens was a top notch heel in my book. And again, he was really funny on the mic
3) Ric Flair/Four Horseman - The masters of the gang attack. Every Saturday on TBS, I'd tune into the old NWA wrestling matches and almost invariably the horseman would launch a 4 on 1 attack that would lay out a fan favorite whether it was Dusty Rhodes, Lex Luger, Sting, Ronnie Garvin - nobody was a match for the Horsemen. Not only did they personify greedy spolied atheletes, they loved bragging about their money, their fancy cars and beautiful women. That alone would be enough to irritate Joe six-pack. But when they constantly cheat and bully their way to success - well then you have 4 world class heel(actually five including J.J. Dillon)
2) Jim Cornette - My personal favorite. Cornette was the stereotypical spoiled rich Momma's boy who was born w/a silver spoon in his mouth and never had to work for anything in his life. He reminded me of some of the obnoxious preps I had to deal w/in High School. Plus he was funny as hell. During every tirade he'd be swinging around his tennis racket, sounding like Mickey Mouse on coke, and he'd launch a couple gut busters that would just crack me up. And his team the Midnight Express were my favorite tag team. But Cornette talked so much neither Sweet Stan or Beautiful Bobby could get a word in edge wise. But in addition to simply having a big mouth and a loaded tennis racket, Cornette could also be pretty evil. Remember when he set Ronnie Garvins face on fire? Who knew Momma Cornettes little boy had such a dark side? Unfortunately he's not nearly as entertaining these days, he's simply bitching and moaning about everyone and everything he doesn't like - kind of like Keith Olbermann
1) Rowdy Roddy Piper - Who else? Piper didn't invent being a heel, he simply perfected it. Whether it was knocking out Jimmy Snuka w/a coconut, humiliating a defenseless midgett wrestler, or taking a cheap shot at Hulk Hogan, Piper was the ultimate heel. More often than not, Pipers Pit was more entertaining than the wrestling matches themselves. Piper was merciless both physically and verbally. Picture a Pit Bull mixed w/a stand up comedian - wearing a kilt. Half the time the audience was too busy laughing to boo him
Oh wait, I forgot - Bobby the Brain Heenan. How could I forget the Weasel? Bobby was another funnyman ala Cornette, Lawler and Piper. He portrayed an arrogant Beverly Hills snob who referred to wresting fans as "humanoids" His big mouth always got him in trouble, but he never learned his lesson. He was always arrogant, always conceited always obnoxious. Heenan was such a jerk a lot of times he pissed off his OWN wrestlers. He was fired twice by Paul Orndorff and was beaten up Terry Taylor who he managed at the time. Now THAT's a heel.
So maybe I should make this list the Top 11 heels of all time
Honorable Mention goes to HBK, HHH - Degeneration X.
This is my own personal list of the 10 greatest heels in Pro Wrestling history. I don't think these are the best wrestling heels(in fact some weren't wrestlers at all), but the heels who were the funniest, the scariest, the dirtiest, and the meanest.
10) Scott Hall - Of all the NWO/Outsiders in the WCW days, Hall used to annoy me the most. I don't know if it was the slicked back hair, the porn star jewelry, the fake latino accent, or throwing his toothpick, Hall bugged the hell out of me. Which makes him a good heel. Plus unlike a lot of heels who were actually decent guys in real life, I heard Hall was also a complete a-hole outside the ring
9) Classie Freddie Blassie - With his silver hair, gravelly voice and sadistic smile, Blassie was truly an intimidating presence. I never got to see Blassie the wrestler(his wrestling career ended roughly around the time I was born), but if he was half as mean as a wrestler as he was as a manager, then you couldn't have paid me enough to get into the ring w/him, fake or not. Plus you have include the man who coined the term "Pencil Necked Geek."
8) Georgous George - I never saw Georgous George wrestle(again, way before my time), but how can you have a list like this without including the original heel? The man was ahead of his time, and blazed the trail for guys like Ric Flair. Even Professional Boxings first modern day "heel" Muhammed Ali(well he was considered a heel by some people), got the idea for his own cocky, and colorful public personna from the Georgous one himself.
7) The Great Kabuki - The first of the "Mysterious Asian Wrestlers"(I hope that's politically correct). With the face paint, the martial arts(which was rarely seen in wrestling years ago) the green mist, and his equally creepy manager Gary Hart, Kabuki was yet another innovator. I used to be a big fan of the Great Muta(who I believe was Kabuki's son), but you have to go w/the original. Plus the fact he never spoke added to the whole effect
6) George "The Animal" Steele - The only time I was ever scared watching a wrestling match(OK not scared, but weirded out) was when I saw George destroy some hapless jobber w/the aforementioned Freddy Blassie at ringside. I never saw anything like "The Animal" in my life. The bald scarred head, the green tongue, the disgusting body hair. He looked like the missing link, and it was awesome. The Animal was the one who peaked my interest in Pro Wrestling. Funny fact, I believe George is actually an incredibly smart man who has worked as a College Professor - when he wasn't chewing up turnbuckles.
5) The Iron Sheik - Right man at the right time. America was just beginning to deal w/Radical Islam, and straight from Tehran we have the Iron Sheik. The Sheik enrage American wrestling fans, by carrying a Iranian flag bearing the picture of Ayatollah Khomeni, and spitting on his American opponents. Plus he defeated the current champion Bob Backlund. Keep in mind wrestling wasn't like it is now where title belts change hands every other month. Back then when a champion, especially an All American Boy like Backlund drops the belt to America's enemy, it was a big deal, and that victory penciled the Sheik into heel HOF status. Plus he was so hated he turned former heel Sgt. Slaughter into a babyface, and the two spent the better part of the 80's beating the hell out of each other.
4) Jerry "the King" Lawler - OK I know he's been a fan favorite for years, but when Lawler first joined the WWF, he was the quintissential heel. Not so much scary or intimidating but obnoxious and pretty damn funny. He had a legendary fued w/Bret Hart capped off by a "Kiss my foot match". Not content w/attacking Hart he also verbally assaulted Hart parents Stu and Helen. Now you may not agree that Lawler was a great heel, but anyone who bully's a couple of senior citizens was a top notch heel in my book. And again, he was really funny on the mic
3) Ric Flair/Four Horseman - The masters of the gang attack. Every Saturday on TBS, I'd tune into the old NWA wrestling matches and almost invariably the horseman would launch a 4 on 1 attack that would lay out a fan favorite whether it was Dusty Rhodes, Lex Luger, Sting, Ronnie Garvin - nobody was a match for the Horsemen. Not only did they personify greedy spolied atheletes, they loved bragging about their money, their fancy cars and beautiful women. That alone would be enough to irritate Joe six-pack. But when they constantly cheat and bully their way to success - well then you have 4 world class heel(actually five including J.J. Dillon)
2) Jim Cornette - My personal favorite. Cornette was the stereotypical spoiled rich Momma's boy who was born w/a silver spoon in his mouth and never had to work for anything in his life. He reminded me of some of the obnoxious preps I had to deal w/in High School. Plus he was funny as hell. During every tirade he'd be swinging around his tennis racket, sounding like Mickey Mouse on coke, and he'd launch a couple gut busters that would just crack me up. And his team the Midnight Express were my favorite tag team. But Cornette talked so much neither Sweet Stan or Beautiful Bobby could get a word in edge wise. But in addition to simply having a big mouth and a loaded tennis racket, Cornette could also be pretty evil. Remember when he set Ronnie Garvins face on fire? Who knew Momma Cornettes little boy had such a dark side? Unfortunately he's not nearly as entertaining these days, he's simply bitching and moaning about everyone and everything he doesn't like - kind of like Keith Olbermann
1) Rowdy Roddy Piper - Who else? Piper didn't invent being a heel, he simply perfected it. Whether it was knocking out Jimmy Snuka w/a coconut, humiliating a defenseless midgett wrestler, or taking a cheap shot at Hulk Hogan, Piper was the ultimate heel. More often than not, Pipers Pit was more entertaining than the wrestling matches themselves. Piper was merciless both physically and verbally. Picture a Pit Bull mixed w/a stand up comedian - wearing a kilt. Half the time the audience was too busy laughing to boo him
Oh wait, I forgot - Bobby the Brain Heenan. How could I forget the Weasel? Bobby was another funnyman ala Cornette, Lawler and Piper. He portrayed an arrogant Beverly Hills snob who referred to wresting fans as "humanoids" His big mouth always got him in trouble, but he never learned his lesson. He was always arrogant, always conceited always obnoxious. Heenan was such a jerk a lot of times he pissed off his OWN wrestlers. He was fired twice by Paul Orndorff and was beaten up Terry Taylor who he managed at the time. Now THAT's a heel.
So maybe I should make this list the Top 11 heels of all time
Honorable Mention goes to HBK, HHH - Degeneration X.
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