3 WWE heels fans refused to hate, and 3 faces they refused to cheer

WWE is storytelling, and like all great stories, relies on great characters.

Over the years, there have been plenty of heroes for fans to rally behind, from Hulk Hogan in the 80s, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin in the 90s and stars like Seth Rollins in the modern-day.

And conversely, there have been plenty of heels to despise, with perhaps the greatest of all time being the evil Mr. McMahon.

But though the company clearly wants fans to go one way in cheering some Superstars and booing others, things are rarely that easy.

Here are three dastardly heels in WWE that fans couldn't help but love, as well as 3 babyfaces they refused to cheer.

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#6 Heel fans refused to hate: Braun Strowman (2017)

Fans often cheered the heel antics of Braun Strowman.

Though he may be one of the most popular faces on Monday Night RAW, it wasn't too long ago that Braun Strowman was classified as a heel. The Monster Among Men certainly did plenty of heelish antics that should have had the fans against him, but Strowman instead was quickly adored by the WWE Universe.

One thing that probably influenced this, was Strowman's feud with Roman Reigns in 2017, as the controversial Big Dog often bested Strowman, in what many thought was an unnecessary win for the former WWE World Champion. Eventually, Strowman's popularity proved to be too much for WWE, who treated the Monster as the face he was meant to be since then.

In late 2018, Strowman was turned heel again, aligning himself with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre, though this only lasted a few weeks, as it's clear that the WWE Universe is firmly behind the Monster Among Men.

#5 Face fans refused to cheer: Charlotte Flair (2018)

Flair's SummerSlam 2018 win would mark a change in her career.

Much like her legendary father, Charlotte Flair's best work in WWE has come when she's been a dastardly heel. As a heel, Flair would become the first WWE RAW Women's Champion, and would also have similar success in NXT as the alpha female of the brand.

When she was moved to SmackDown Live in 2017 though, Flair was booked as a face, though not everyone was a fan. A series of strong pushes and the asterisk of being Ric Flair's daughter have always caused some fans to be resentful of the Queen of all Eras, regardless of whether she is playing up to the crowd.

Perhaps the most obvious sign of this came at SummerSlam last year when Flair was added to the title match between SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella and Becky Lynch. After winning the title, Flair was attacked by her longtime friend Lynch, and though this was supposed to be the start of a heel turn, Becky was met with a huge ovation.

Since then, Lynch has become The Man, as it's clear there will always be some who boo the Queen.

#4 Heel fans refused to boo: Daniel Bryan (2012)

Bryan's entertaining moments with Kane made him a heel fans wanted to cheer.

From the moment Daniel Bryan won the World Heavyweight Championship at TLC 2011, something changed in the vegan champion.

Quickly becoming an arrogant champion, Bryan would celebrate his matches with great enthusiasm, eventually turning on the crowd and becoming a heel.

Losing the title in 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28, Bryan would continue his heel ways, despite a legion of fans.

Much of this persona was a response to fans cheering Bryan’s catchphrase “Yes!” to him, and his responses to them.

Despite this heel gimmick being a direct response to fans of his face run, Bryan maintained popularity and added depth to his character through this period. What he failed to do was lose the adoration of fans.

No matter what, Bryan's technical skill in the ring was impossible to ignore, and his entertaining heel antics constantly made him a must-see Superstar.

Turning face the following year, Bryan would turn heel in November last year to capture the WWE Championship and somehow was able to get fans to boo him in his lengthy battle with the New Day's Kofi Kingston.

#3 Face fans refused to cheer: Roman Reigns (2015-2018)

Reigns has become one of the most controversial WWE Superstars ever.

One of the most controversial stars in recent history, Roman Reigns has done a lot on his seven years on the main roster.

A three-time WWE Champion, Reigns has a Universal title reign under his belt, as well as stints as the US, Intercontinental and Tag Champions, plus the 2015 Royal Rumble.

Headlining four of the past five WrestleMania's, it's clear that WWE are big on the Big Dog, though this strong push has turned many fans away.

Despite all his in-ring success, fans have never gotten behind Reigns. Most will cite the ferocity with which he is pushed as their main reason for opposition.

Having a moveset regarded by many as limited compared to others on the roster, Roman is unlikely to reach the same status with fans as he has in the eyes of the writing staff.

In fact, it would take a genuine battle with leukemia for fans to start to see Reigns for the talent he is, and the Big Dog's reception since returning has been much favorable, as staying out of the title picture has clearly helped.

#2 Heel fans refused to boo: CM Punk (2012)

Punk's talent couldn't be ignored in 2012.

Always a fan favorite before his departure, CM Punk portrayed a sort of anti-hero character which resonated with fans throughout his career.

Whether he was challenging the authority in WWE, breaking the fourth wall to criticize faces pushed on fans against their wishes such as Cena, or leading the Straight Edge Society to challenge lifestyles, fans flocked to the charismatic competitor.

In 2011, Punk would become the hottest star of the year thanks to his Summer of Punk storyline, which would see him leave the company at Money in the Bank, with the WWE Championship.

During his second reign with the title, Punk would turn heel on the 1,000th edition of RAW, though not every hated on the Chicago Made star.

Despite being a heel, Punk's fans remained loyal, as the Champion made some good points about not being seen as the top star despite holding the gold.

To this day, some fans will still bust out a CM Punk chant.

There could be no truer testament to his character than the fan following he amassed despite spending most of his tenure with WWE locked into heel angles.

#1 Face fans refused to cheer: John Cena (2005-2014)

WWE's ultimate good guy has often been booed by fans.

John Cena is a Superstar unlike any other.

Debuting in 2002, Cena would ironically become a beloved heel on SmackDown, thanks to his rapper gimmick, which eventually turned into a face turn for the Doctor of Thuganomics.

Capturing the first of his 16 World Championships at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, Cena would become the face of a new era of WWE, though it wasn't long before fans turned on him. At it's worst, Cena would get booed out of the building at many events, though never turned heel during this time.

Many reasons are often cited for this reaction. Chief among these is Cena’s limited moveset, his clean-cut hero demeanor, and his penchant for getting beat down in matches just to overcome the odds. Despite crowd reactions, Cena has only briefly shown shades of his original “Dr. of Thuganomics” persona (such as his performance at WrestleMania 35 earlier this year), avoiding a heel run altogether.

The crowd has slightly warmed up to him lately since his absence from television and leaving the World title picture, as well as his 2015 US Open Challenge, that gave the 16-time World Champion a chance to showcase his skills and win over many of his critics.