It's easier to make them hate you than love you. That's a quote we often hear from wrestling performers when discussing their preference between working heel or face. Being cast in the role of a villain grants one a certain freedom that they wouldn't enjoy otherwise - to go out and be insulting, antagonistic and downright evil under the guise of playing a character. It's probably quite cathartic for some; unleashing their frustrations on the public. Most of the greatest workers of all-time have shown a propensity for playing both sides of the fence, with very few exceptions - Ricky Steamboat immediately springs to mind - but nearly all of them are more closely identified with one role over the other. For all the adulation he receives from fans, Ric Flair will always be the dirtiest player in the game who whipped crowds into a frenzied rage for the majority of his career. Hulk Hogan was stellar while playing the nWo's Hollywood, but he's always going to be the cartoon super-hero of the 1980s. The secret to being a truly great heel is to embrace the role and dive headfirst into it, not being afraid of the heat that comes along with it. The modern day WWE system restricts guys to an extent, but even still we've seen some great ones over the last several years such as Edge, CM Punk and Chris Jericho. And you know what made those men the elite at their profession? They thrived on hatred.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
