10 Best Heels In WWE Today
Bad guys who really get IT.
In wrestling, being a heel is easier than being a babyface. It's truly difficult for a star to genuinely get fans to like and care about him or her, but by contrast, getting booed is as easy as insulting a city or beating up a good guy. Heck, in today's wrestling environment, even being bad at your job is enough to turn a crowd rabidly angry.
Still, being a really good heel - the kind that draws money - is hard. It's more difficult than ever, in fact. WWE's hired so many great workers over the past several years that even the bad guys are expected to wow the crowds with scintillating offense and great matches - it's not enough to just have a good-looking punch and a blade handy. Likewise, the idea of talking fans into hating a wrestler is all but gone in the era of scripted promos.
So what makes a great WWE heel in 2016? There are no hard and fast rules - some are scary, some are cowardly, and some are arrogant. Some can fly around the ring with ease, while others prefer no flips, just fists. The only thing they all have in common is an incredible all-around talent that allows them to rule the ring in villainous fashion.
Here are the 10 best heels in WWE today:
10. Rusev
Anti-American heels have been a staple of pro wrestling for more than 100 years, and they typically fall into one of two camps - the stars with the talent to take the gimmick past its one-dimensional roots, and the forgotten men and women who simply rely on cheap heat because they can't get any other reaction.
Rusev falls into the former camp. Though the star's ex-SSR background, massive size, and monster push led fans to compare him to Vladimir Kozlov, it soon became clear that Rusev was a much different wrestler - a great athlete who showed quick improvement in the ring.
Though Rusev's push started to fade after losing to John Cena at WrestleMania 31, his subsequent demotion actually made him more well-rounded as a performer. Over the past year-plus, he's been able to explore more aspects of his character, including English promos and even some comedic flourishes. Today, he may not get the respect he deserves, but he's one of WWE's most consistent midcarders.