What is Professional Wrestling?
Professional wrestling is a form of art that combines athletics and theatre. It is a physical form of entertainment involving performers with characters, styles, and storylines which play out in a mock-combat situation. Professional wrestling first emerged in the 19th century and has since become a wildly popular and highly competitive form of entertainment.
What Makes a Great Heel?
When it comes to professional wrestling, the term “heel” is used to refer to a character who is portrayed as a villain or antagonist. A great heel is one who can stir up emotion in the audience and be engaging and captivating to watch. Heels are the characters that drive the story forward and create tension and conflict with the babyfaces – or good guys. Great heels also need to be able to draw heat – the negative responses from the audience – and have an in-ring style that plays well off the good guys.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the five greatest heels in professional wrestling history and breaking down what made them so successful.
- “Nature Boy” Ric Flair
The Nature Boy Ric Flair is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, and he was certainly one of the greatest heels in the business too. Flair was a master of the art of being a heel. He had incredible showmanship, and his in-ring style was full of charisma and aggression. He was a master at drawing heat from the audience and demanding their respect. He was infamous for his promos or “ Flair Flops” that would infuriate the crowd and leave them wanting revenge. Flair was a master of the craft and is widely seen as one of the greatest professional heels of all time.
- “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper is another legendary name in professional wrestling and another one of the greatest heels of all time. Much like Ric Flair, Piper had an incredible ability to draw out heat from the audience and make them despise him. He was known for his trademark Scottish tartan kilt and his catchphrase “ Just when they think they have all the answers, I change the questions!”. He was a master trash-talker and had a very physical, aggressive in-ring style that always set him apart as a heel.
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi may not be as well-known as the other names on this list, but he is still one of the greatest heels in professional wrestling. Tanahashi has been a top star in the Japanese wrestling promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), since 2002. Tanahashi is a master at drawing heat from the audience and playing the role of a heel to perfection. His style is very aggressive and physical, which seems to always resonate with the crowd. He is also known for his “Tanahashi Bomb” finishing move, which has become a signature move for him and a sure-fire way of drawing heat from the crowd.
- “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Randy Savage, also known as the “Macho Man”, was one of the all-time greats in professional wrestling. Throughout his career, Savage was an incredible heel who knew how to draw out heat from the audience and engage them in the story. His in-ring style was very aggressive, and his promos were iconic. He was known for his catchphrase “Ooooooooh Yeah!” and his trademark glasses. Savage was a master at playing the role of a heel and was always a fan favorite wherever he went.
- Kevin Owens
Last but not least, we have Kevin Owens. Owens is one of the current top stars in the WWE and has been a heel since he debuted on the main roster in 2015. Owens is a master of the art of being a heel and his style and character has evolved over the years to become even more captivating to watch. He has an incredible presence that is hard to ignore and a unique style of trash-talking that always seems to draw out negative reactions from the audience. Owens is an incredible heel and a must-see every time he steps into the ring.
Professional wrestling is a physical form of entertainment that has a long and storied history. There have been many great heels over the years, each of them different and unique in their own way. The five names we have looked at in this article are some of the greatest heels in professional wrestling history and all of them have had an incredible impact on the business. They are each incredible professionals who knew how to draw out negative reactions from the audience and drive the story forward.
Each of these heels were masters of the craft in their own way and each had an incredible ability to captivate the audience and create memorable moments. Whether they were beloved or despised, these five greats have certainly left their marks in the annals of professional wrestling history.
