What sets a wrestler apart? Is it the ability to win over fans so much that they become your hero/heroine? Or is it the ability to make you hate them so much that they start detesting everything about you? Then there are wrestlers who have perfected the art of doing both.
They can go from the guy who fans would give up their lives for to the guy who they’d even kill given the chance. Here’s 7 wrestlers who’ve perfected the art of playing both face and heel.
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Honorable mention- Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon
When we’re talking about wrestlers who’ve perfectly played both heels and faces, how can we not mention one of the most diabolical bosses we’ve ever seen, who in the words of Jim Ross would “ no doubt overthrow the devil and take over hell once he gets there” and the boss who wouldn’t back down when his family’s is on the line or when someone tries to mess with his daughter.
Mr. McMahon was brilliant as a heel in his feud against the face of the company during the Attitude Era, Stone Cold Steve Austin. Who didn’t hate him when he tried to screw over the Texan Rattle Snake. Who didn’t love it everytime Degeneration-X got the better of Vince McMahon both in their early days and after their reunion in 2006. Even as the patriarch of the Corporation and the Ministry, one could say he wrote the textbook for all aspiring heels.
Triple H
Here’s someone who’s earned the nickname “The Game.”
His heel run from 1999-2001 was one of the best periods he’s enjoyed in the WWE. His promos, his matches, his persona, everything was top notch, He played the perfect heel in the Attitude Era, feuding with all the top guys Jericho, The Rock, Stone Cold, The Undertaker and proved to be one of the best heels of all time. He was also the leader of the notorious sophomoric faction D-X, who’ve had their share of face and heel runs.
As face, he feuded against The Nation, the McMahons with Shawn Michaels and made us all laugh and Mr.McMahon mad with their antics and even Randy Orton, when he threatened his family and consequently faced the wrath the father, the son and the son-in-law, and when the Viper joined forces with Edge to form Rated-RKO. Who said Triple H can play a good face? But remember- every time you cheered for him, it made him want to puke.
Shawn Michaels
”The Heart Break Kid” deserves to be in almost every “top wrestlers.....” list ever. Is there anything that he can’t do? He’s in a league of his own. He perfected he art of winning fans over and also getting viewers to detest him.
From being one of worst betrayers in history by turning his back on longtime co-Rocker Marty Jannety, which was one of the most iconic heel turns in history to making every person in the arena tear up by announcing his retirement, it just goes to show that they don’t really call him the “Show-Stopper” for nothing. He’s had amazing heel and face runs as co-leader of the D-X before he turned his back on them again, only to re-join them later in their initial runs.
He re-kindled the fans’ hatred for him when he sold out and became Commissioner of the WWE by joining the evil patriarch Mr.McMahon.
Kurt Angle
Not only is the Olympic gold medalist one of the greatest wrestlers ever to have set foot in the squared circle, Kurt Angle perfectly played both face and heel in his unique, goofy style. How many wrestlers have made us laugh both as faces and heels? Kurt Angle is right up there. But make no mistake, this man has Angle-Slammed the 500 pound monster of a man, the Big Show.
Oh and Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle wants you to know that you’re a boy in a man’s world and he loves to play with boys.
PS. He doesn’t suck.
Eddie Guerrero
Not only was his death tragic and but also unfortunate, his career was reaching its peak. Who didn’t like “the Latino Heat.” He lied, cheated and stole his way into the hearts of the WWE fans. Not only was he one of the best heels we’ve ever seen, we also loved him as he courted Chyna and later in his career defeated Brock Lesnar to become the WWE Champion and had a stellar run with the title.
He shocked one and all by turning on Rey Mysterio. No wrestling fan who saw him wrestle is going forget about him.
CM Punk
It is safe to say that CM Punk is the best in ring, with the microphone and on commentary. To top it all off, he’s perhaps the best in the world at playing both heel and face. As the leader of the notorious stables Straight Edge Society and The Nexus, CM Punk established himself as one of the top guys in the WWE by preaching his ideals and beating up wresters left and right.
Even as face, he cut amazing promos in his feuds and dropped the best pipe bomb we’d seen in years.
The Rock
Just the fact that this man has been both “The People’s Champion” and “The Corporate Champion” says it all. His meteoric rise to become “The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment” began when he turned heel and joined the Nation. In the WWE, he is best known for his face run against the Corporation. He won fans over with his charisma, one-liners and ability to light up any arena. He, however, shocked everyone by selling out and joining forces with Vince McMahon only to become The Corporate Champion.
Hulk Hogan
How do you go from having millions of Hulkamaniacs rally behind you to some of them even threatening to kill you? To get the answer, look no further.
Hulk Hogan was the face of the company for a long, long time. He was the biggest name in the business from 1984-1992., par none. That period, even today, is known as the Hulkamania Era. Although he has been marred by controversies lately, there are few who would disagree when I say that the Mt. Rushmore of wrestling would be incomplete without The Hulkster. In 1996, Bash at the Beach, Razor Ramone and Kevin Nash had entered the main event without their third member against Randy Savage and Sting. In the middle of the match, Hulk Hogan makes his entry, making everybody wonder which side he’s on. The leg drop on Savage clears everybody’s doubt and leads to the most infamous heel turn in wrestling history and the formation of one of the greatest faction ever, the nWo.
