10 Genius Ways WWE Wrestlers Survived “Go Away” Heat

As a heel, it's your job to be booed, and some of the best bad guys will find new and creative ways to draw hate from audiences both in attendance and sat at home. From simple burials of a local sports team to heinous acts of storyline villainy, being a great heel isn't easy but at least there's lots of things to try to make yourself hated.

For some wrestlers, they barely have to try, and worse yet is when fans are booing you despite the fact that you're meant to be the hero.

The term "go away heat" refers to a special kind of crowd reaction where fans aren't jeering you because you're a bad guy but rather because they are sick of the sight of you. Whether you've overstayed your welcome, or are being positioned in a spot that the fans generally disagree with, it can be hard to come back from the mob mentality.

Many have crumbled under the whims of wrestling audiences but some have come back with a vengeance and turned their careers and public opinion around. This list takes a look at those who have been booed simply for being on TV and yet managed to get past the dreaded "go away heat".

In 2012, Brock Lesnar returned to the WWE after an eight-year hiatus and ended The Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak, destroyed John Cena and became the ultimate Final Boss of the company’s roster.

However, over the next eight years, Lesnar’s ‘The Beast’ gimmick truly ran its course. It wasn’t helped by the fact that he found himself repeatedly doing the same things. When Brock wasn’t clashing with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, SummerSlam and The Greatest Royal Rumble then he was taking the WWE Title back off of members of The New Day who had fought valiantly for the opportunity.

Going out and putting over Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36 was a worthy endpoint and Lesnar has since admitted that at that moment he had planned to retire.

In his absence, Brock’s right hand man Paul Heyman aligned himself with Roman which allowed the Beast to surprisingly shift to a babyface. In August 2021, Lesnar returned with a beard, ponytail and cowboy hat to shock, confusion and amusement.

The once straight-laced, no BS monster was suddenly a smirking farm boy. As 'The Beast', Brock was a selfish titan who threw his weight around. As ‘Cowboy Brock’, there grew an element of wicked fun.

Brock was yet again clashing with Reigns on his return (twice) which could’ve very easily sunk like a stone, and yet the totally surprising gimmick changes for both worked wonders for re-investing audiences and refreshing the rivalry.