10 Basic Qualities All WWE Heels Should Possess

WWE doesn't always make it easy to distinguish the bad guy from the good guy, and going back to the basics might help...

What makes a sports-entertainer a villain or hero, a good guy or a bad guy, a babyface or heel? How do the crowds know whether the character they are watching should be cheered or booed? It may sound like a silly question but, especially today, the lines have become extremely blurred as far as what characters portray which role. Pro-wrestling fans should be able to easily identify the heel within seconds of seeing them appear, even without speaking the same language as the wrestler. It's an art and it's slowly dying. WWE used to have a reputation for building great heels and for the longest time the company was considered a "heel factory" because of the sheer amount of villains they would create in order to feed to their top babyface stars. Unlike in the Attitude Era, where heels and babyfaces weren't always so well-defined, the uncertainty of the current programming is not due to carefully-crafted character development by the writing team. It's actually a result of the complete opposite. Too many characters straddle the fence between good and evil or, worse, are miscast and demonstrate tactics that they shouldn't be demonstrating. In a world where things aren't always black and white, it is understandable that many characters will exemplify qualities of both, but too often in WWE today, heels don't display anything that's considered "bad". There should still be a distinguishable difference so that fans are able to pick a side. Villainous characteristics need to be exemplified more and, frankly, the company may need to go back to the basics in this regard...
 
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A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.