10 Wrestlers Who Drew The Wrong Kind Of Heel Heat

2. The Authority

James Ellsworth Carmella
WWE.com

The “evil boss” character type outlived its use a long time ago, but it’s one WWE keep clinging onto. Austin vs. McMahon was such a huge success that they can’t help but revisit it, but the angle loses more and more goodwill every time it’s rehashed, and it’s hard to think of a stable as tedious as The Authority.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon would regularly belittle, browbeat, and bury active babyface competitors with next to no comeuppance, particularly for Steph. Them and their revolving door of wrestlers (Kane, Big Show, Randy Orton, etc.) dominated WWE programming, and while their loathed presence was accidentally beneficial to Daniel Bryan’s incredible rise, they routinely dragged the product down.

‘The Game’s’ needless win over Sting at WrestleMania 31 was the last straw for much of the fanbase. The stable's three-year run finally came to an end when Vince McMahon disbanded the group in June 2016, but Stephanie has largely retained her role, and still has fans reaching for the remote whenever she’s onscreen. She remains WWE's foremost momentum-throttler, particularly when it comes to the Women's Revolution, whose tremendous progress she's never shy of taking complete credit for.

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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.