10 Ways WWE Can Fix Their Broken Face/Heel Alignment System

1. Heels Shouldn't Be So Relatable

Shane McMahon Kevin Owens
WWE.com

Just as WWE have made their babyfaces characters too detestable, they've taken their heels in the opposite direction. Part of the reason that guys like Kevin Owens are cheered so loudly is because they talk too much sense. Sure, KO will headbutt Vince McMahon or kill Sami Zayn with an apron powerbomb from time to time, but his microphone work does little to make fans want to boo him.

Take the build towards Money In The Bank. KO was initially excluded from the titular ladder match, for which Commissioner Shane McMahon had presumably drawn the participants' name out of a hat. Owens defeated AJ Styles two nights prior, yet AJ was in MITB, and KO was not. Owens therefore had a genuine right to feel aggrieved, yet the segment was clearly designed to put heat on him - where's the logic in that?

An unwavering belief that they are never anything less than 100% in the right, no matter how twisted their reasoning, is the hallmark of a great heel, but this falls apart when their arguments are actually logical. Their diatribes should make you think "no, that's wrong," not "hey, that guy makes a good point," and the disconnect has killed the performers' ability to make themselves hated.

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.