10 Things That Have Lost All Meaning In WWE

5. Traditional Face & Heel Alignments

WWE Universal Title
WWE.com

Wrestling’s old face/heel alignment scale is broken.

Good guys are no longer good guys, and bad guys are no longer bad guys. Both sides frequently flirt with shades of grey, and as a result, traditional “white meat” babyfaces like Bayley and Sami Zayn come off corny, and WWE’s villains are often those drawing the largest cheers of the night.

When Braun Strowman sends Roman Reigns (the most reviled “face” in WWE history) to the hospital, he’s met with chants of “thank you Braun,” not choruses of boos. The paradigm has shifted, and fans are going to cheer for the people they like, not those the company have presented as “face” or “heel.”

This isn’t even necessarily a problem, and probably has more to do with evolution among the fanbase than anything else, but alignments have never been as unimportant as they are today. WWE have admitted themselves that they don’t care whether the likes of Reigns are cheered or booed, so long as they’re provoking a reaction.

They've either forgotten how to book convincing heroes and villains, or moved on from old fashioned face/heel character archetypes, and while they unquestionably want you to root for and against certain wrestlers, the lines have been irreparably blurred.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.