10 Seriously Overlooked WWE Heels
Trish Stratus was superb as a conniving villain...
Standing at ringside for the mid card team of Test and Albert, Trish Stratus was originally employed to act as little more than eye candy. Over time, she would become one of the most cherished female acts of all time, something that was impossible to predict when she was pouting and acting as a sex symbol valet in 2000.
It's rare that a talent can work as both babyface and heel effectively. Stratus had that ability, although her work as a villain has often been sorely under-rated when compared to the gushing praise her babyface role garnered. Trish is not an isolated case.
Others are listed here, the sole aim being to recognise those who have worked wonders under the heel banner without much fanfare. It's difficult to stomach when supreme performances aren't given the credit they deserve, especially when realising just how challenging it is to draw genuine heat in the modern era.
All of the men and women in this article did exactly that, raising the ire of fans brilliantly. Sadly, they've been overlooked. Let's look at why that needs to be put right...
10. Wade Barrett
Long before he was reduced to playing the death knell that is the 'King' character, Wade Barrett was actually pretty handy as a heel. Nobody has been able to make the royal gimmick work since Booker T, and Barrett's 2015 King Of The Ring win was actually more akin to a noose around his neck than a new dawn.
The cartoon-like persona did little to sell what the Englishman is actually good at. His first few months on WWE television should have given the company a clue, Barrett is proficient in cutting promos. Speaking clearly, he was excellent as the head of The Nexus from June, 2010 until the end of that year.
Smug and unlikeable, Barrett was routinely moved away from that sort of delivery as the years rolled on. Another false dawn occurred in 2013 when he was recast as Bad News Barrett. Again excelling, Wade frustratingly wasn't given the keys to the main event kingdom.
Undermined by WWE's creative team time and time again, Barrett inevitably grew disenfranchised and quit the promotion earlier this year. As a heel, he had serious potential.