WWE: Lack of good heels in pro wrestling

Sometime ago, I had a discussion with a friend who is also a fan of old school wrestling. While discussing about today’s scene in the industry, we were stuck with a question. We wondered why there were no Roddy Pipers or Jake Roberts’ in wrestling today.

Looking back, perhaps the last true heel was Mohammad Hassan, someone you could hate with a passion. When we look at today’s crop of wrestlers, maybe Dean Ambrose comes close to being a natural heel. While we tried to search for the answers, we came up with quite a few reasons.

They say that the art of professional wrestling is dying, and for a good reason. Whether you blame it on the internet or the explosion of backstage rumours and the inside scoop, the true essence of wrestling is all but non-existent. There was a time when the heels (bad guys) had to be escorted out of a city, fearing attacks from the fans as they despised the villains. People like Slaughter and JBL had to be driven out of the city, and that was when professional wrestling successfully transcended the “entertainment” aspect and became “real”.

There was also a time when performers such as Curt Hennig and Roddy Piper could make the crowd hate them just by mocking them or even through a single gesture! The Rick Rudes and the Jake Roberts understood the mentality of the fans, and their characters were such that the fans loved to hate them. When you talk about Jake Roberts, his one of a kind dark persona led to him being one of the greatest villains in the history of the industry! From his eerie promos to his dark, sinister mannerisms, Jake Roberts was the picture perfect heel. But why aren’t there any more such heels in professional wrestling? Let’s take a detailed look.

Lack of depth in the characters

The biggest problem with today’s heels is the lack of depth in their character. WWE has been taking the easy route, with the “Boo him because he is bad” routine. There was a time when a character used to be developed, polished and even had a background story for the fans to relate with. Today, you have someone like Ryback bullying people backstage, and that is the only reason people are supposed to dislike him! With WWE catering to the younger audience, they have thrown out the rule book about developing a gimmick, and have undertaken an approach which can be understood by a 5 year old. Sadly, that has killed any interest the older fans have about gimmicks in the WWE.

Lack of psychology

Lot of performers who jump to the main roster do not understand the psychology of the business. There is a pattern to everything; how you behave in the ring, how you connect with the crowd and how you manipulate them to get the kind of response you desire. Sadly, with more emphasis given to the entertainment aspect, most of today’s performers have very less understanding of the psychological aspect of the business. There used to be a time when the masters of the trade manipulated the fans and brought out the kind of reaction they wanted. With today’s performers having the “catch – as – catch – can” mentality, there is no way they can learn the nuances of professional wrestling. The only heel that I’ve seen who exhibits the aforementioned qualities is Dean Ambrose.

Diminishing creativity

To make a good heel, the management has to be creative. Whether it is the management’s problem or the superstar’s fault, there is lack of creativity in the WWE. Gone are the days when Piper smashed a coconut on the head of Snuka, and Roberts brought his pet snake Damien into the ring. This is where the Wyatt Family gimmick has to click. The Wyatt Family is something that has been taken from a cult, and can lead to some amazing storylines if booked right. Bray Wyatt has all the tools to be the next big heel in the WWE, but it all depends on how the management and the writers book the faction.