While most developing wrestlers and big time babyfaces are looking to gain as much pop as they can possibly get from the wrestling fans, the heels are looking for a different kind of reaction. When a heel does something so wicked and cruel that the fans can't help but boo that wrestler out of the building, that's called creating heat. The heat is the average fan's disdain and hatred for a particular wrestler who commits an act of villainy. Sometimes the heel gets insulted, has trash thrown at their direction, and even receive death threats from some of the more passionate fans. The more heat a heel gets, the better it is for the character, but the more dangerous it can be for the man or woman portraying the character. One example of a wrestler who got a ton of heat back in the day was Sgt Slaughter when he betrayed American and defected to Iraq during the time of the Gulf War. Slaughter often talks about how he got so many death threats to him and his family and at one point had to wear a bullet-proof vest into the ring just to be on the safe side. Genuine hatred for a bad guy will sell just as many tickets as, if not more than, love for a good guy. So while it's great to have a healthy amount of pop, it's especially important that the heel is able to build up some heat that solidifies his status as being one of the bad guys the fans want to see the hero deal swift justice towards.
My name is Tom, i'm 27 years old, and I was born and raised in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Ever since High School I have had a passion for writing, and my long term goal is to have a successful career as a writer. I also love having discussions, so feel free to comment or get in contact with me if you agree or disagree with any of my articles.
