Here is the second list chosen by followers of our Facebook page. I asked who were the most hated heels of all time, and I managed to receive 28 lists. I took the lists and added points to each wrestler in the following manner: #1 = 5 Points #2 = 4 Points #3 = 3 Points #4 = 2 Points #5 = 1 Point.
I want to emphasize these points:
- 61% of followers on the Facebook page are males aged between 18-34 years.
- Some lists were not numbered, so I had to assume those lists were given from left to right.
- 35 wrestlers were voted for, however, as they did not receive enough points, they will not be mentioned.
Without further delay, here are the honorouble mentions.
~ John “Bradshaw” Layfield = 13 points
~ Chris Jericho = 14 Points
~ “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan = 19 Points **
~ “Ravishing” Rick Rude = 20 Points
** One list included the New World Order, and was placed in 2nd (4 points). As I was looking for individuals rather then tag teams/stables, I could not include the result. Hollywood Hogan would be placed at #5 if he was mentioned instead.
Let’s begin our journey through .. who you voted, the most detested wrestling personalities ever.
#5 Mr. McMahon – 23 Points
Mr. McMahon was the yang to Steve Austin’s ying. It may be regarded as one of greatest wrestling feuds in the history of the industry. It was down to the love for Steve Austin, but just as importantly the hatred for the boss, which made this feud become the focal point of the Attitude Era, and a primary reason for the fans to tune in every week.
Mr. McMahon played the heel boss role in a time when the WWF needed it to compete with WCW, and it helped the ratings a whole lot. Many have tried to imitate this storyline, and it has never lived up to the unpredictability and excitement they captured.
Vince McMahon has a natural charisma, no one can doubt that when he talks, the fans listen, and he can tell a story as good as anyone. He would go to extreme lengths for that hatred, and the hatred remains to this day. It can be difficult to seperate the Mr. McMahon character from Vince himself, and the fact he is the real owner of the WWE, can often lead to fans blaming Vince for everything.
He welcomes the hate, he feeds off the hatred, and so many bought into his character over the years, and continue to do so.
#4 “Macho King” Randy Savage – 30 Points
The Macho Man will always be known as one of the greatest legends of all time. The Hall of Fame is lacking the induction of Randy Savage, and we all continue to wait for the day. Despite Randy Savage playing a babyface role for most of his career, he did play the heel sometimes.
His most prominent run as a heel was during his “Macho King” persona, after winning the 1989 King of the Ring. This heel turn led to him having feuds with Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, and most importantly The Ultimate Warrior. Savage vs Warrior can be overlooked sometimes. To some fans, they will say it was the best feud Warrior ever had because of Randy Savage.
To be able to recreate yourself in such a manner is a testament to the talent of Savage. There are only a handful of guys who can switch babyface to heel (and vice-versa) and get the crowd to feel the way you want them to feel. This is maybe why the Macho King was ranked #1 in six different top five lists.
#3 Triple H – 32 Points
He has one of those faces .. you know? Triple H has a natural ability to draw hatred from all sides.
As a wrestler, he has never been one of the most exciting, and this is down to design. Triple H knows that heels are not meant to impress you, they are not meant to wrestle to a standard that would impress you, he is there to beat up whoever you don’t like.
Triple H is often referred to being overrated, and all the signs point to that because the fans hate him that much. They want him to go away, they want him to shut up, they don’t want to see him, but they still react to him whenever he appears. I still remember the loud crowd pop when he returned after his long injury, there is no doubt that, no matter how much the fans hate him, they do care about him to some degree.
He has so many nicknames, so many entrances, and so many ways he can get you to hate him. It’s just the little things he does, and he has learned from some of the best. Also the natural chemistry he has with Stephanie makes them a great fit for a power couple. Triple H has had many feuds with all of the big names, and he continues to build stars for the future. I can’t handle saying anymore positive things about Triple H. In my earlier years as a wrestling fan, if there was one guy who I hated, it was him. That nose … seriously. It just sticks out there and makes you hate him even more.
#2 Rowdy Roddy Piper – 37 Points
What to say about “Hot Rod”. Roddy Piper is a pioneer in the industry. He is legendary for his heel antics, and with a very natural charisma, he could channel his passion into the character and become one of the greatest heels of all time.
It’s always said that Piper was underrated and deserved more championships, however I don’t feel he needed it. He made a legendary career out of his character, and is still loved to this day for his work. Main eventing the first Wrestlemania, he was an integral part of the success of Wrestlemania. It is sad we don’t see more guys like Roddy Piper as heel characters in today’s wrestling. He could talk, he really could talk. Piper was unpredictable, he was a hot head, and in doing so, helped to elevate many careers.
#1 Ric Flair – 54 Points
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Was there any doubt? Ric Flair wrote the book on how to be a heel. Back in the old days, heels never got the fame. Heels were used to be paper champions to pass the championship onto the next big babyface, and Ric Flair went against this practice.
Wrestling evolved in the 1970’s, and a huge part of that was Ric Flair. He created (or stole and made famous) many heel tactics, many of which are used to this day. It was shocking back then, to see a champion cheat so much, to use the passion of a babyface against himself.
He innovated the heel stable also with The Four Horsemen. Something original, this stable was so in-sync, they were like brothers, and it was difficult to stop. They garnered so much success as a group, but the focus was always on Ric Flair. He had protection, he could do and say as he pleased, and it made the fans angry. This was a great dynamic for the time, as it got the fans behind the babyface wrestlers more to dethrone him. You can imagine the ever growing popularity of Flair as he continued to regain and retain World Championships.
He was a bad guy, but he was an entertaining bad guy, and you couldn’t help but listen to him. His grand entrance, his ego, the way he projected himself as being better than everybody else, these ingredients make the most hated heel of all time.
Thanks for reading. I will continue to do these in the future. If you wish to particpate, “Like” the Facebook page and wait for a post.
