Hello Shenanifans!
I know this has been a while coming, but I promised it and here it is…Shenanigans 17.5!
This is a sampling of the feedback I got for Shenanigans #16, “Cool Heels and Wimpy Heroes.” There was an overwhelming response, and no way I could have included all of your feedback. However, I’d like to thank everyone who wrote in. I read every single email and enjoyed all of your comments.
Here’s the feedback. I’ll return later in the week with the all-new Shenanigans #18!
Fans on Edge (and Mysterio)
âGuys like Edge make up for all the monster heels we have in the WWE, like Umaga, Khali, Mark Henry, and Big Booby V. Monster heels take little to no effort to get heat because all they have to do is destroy a babyface to get it. Heels like Orton, Kennedy, and Edge have to be cunning smart***es to get it, therefore, making them more fun to watch. So to answer your question, I think Edge is the best heel in the business today, cause he can effortlessly get heat anytime he wants it.â
-Dalton M
âAlso I think you’re totally right about Edge, the guy is just cool. His promos are funny but not in the way that would make you cheer him, just make you laugh. He is brilliant at being a heel and i think the smarter fans of this generation that know the business better just appreciate how well he is playing his part, not necessarily the part itself, kind of like you would appreciate Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Jack Sparrow despite the character himself having little-to-no redeeming qualities.â
-Matt
âNow macking on Eddie’s wife. When I saw that, I got pissed at Edge, but an Edgehead is always an Edgehead, and I came back. An Edgehead as loyal as me is not easy to betray, and he betrayed me. I think it was disgusting and I wanted to turn off my TV, then I realized I was being played, but that split second of emotion, THAT’S what I want to see. I need that emotion, the product has become so watered down.â
-Christopher
âI too used to dislike Mysterio and think he was a one-dimensional babyface, and he IS. But then I saw him in a different light, this mean he is doing his job incredibly well, and to the less knowledgeable fans they cheer him like crazy. Where as at ppv, (where the “smarter” usually older fans attend) he gets a fair share of booing.â
-Jack, Sydney, Australia
Your Favorite Heels
âGOLDUST!! Before they made a mockery of the character, he was a vicious manical heel. He had great vignettes, he could interview, but best of all, you didn’t know what the hell he would do next.
Owen Hart could have opened a clinic on how to play a heel. See the Survivor Series where he begged and pleaded with his mother to throw in the towel.â
-Eric
âI think that heel/face is outdated. I mean, WWF(yes F) use to make mass
money on “cool heels” (see Rock, SCSA) Why would WWE change a formula
that worked so well?â
-Michael
âVery interesting column. I am also from the same old school philosophy. I agree Ted Dibiase was a great heel.
Another great set of heels was the New Razor Ramon and Kane excuse me Isaac Yankem no wait I mean New Diesel. Every one hated them. There was no love. Except me, for the fact everyone hated them made me love them even more until the disappeared. And Kane later emerged. Please put New Razor And Diesel in your next column to remind the people who forgot or who wanted to wash their brain out and forget.â
-David
â#1 Ravishing Rick Rude
Personally, one of my favorite wrestlers of all times. But that was because I thought he was the biggest heel of all time. This guy had it all: Arrogance, the 70âs porn mustache, a great interview, a raspy voice, a cut body, Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, and last but not least, the Rude Awakening. Who didnât want to be this guy picking girls out from the crowd and giving them a kiss, and then laying them down on the mat and shaking his hips over them? Who can forget the Super Pose Down against the Ultimate Warrior? Or when he was feuding with Jack the Snake Roberts and he came to the ring with a picture of Jakeâs wife on the front of his tights. The girls loved him, which alone made every guy jealous and hate him.â
-Jeremy Hrubes
âI would have said Vader was the greatest Heel of all time – but he did have an embarrassing face run in his later days of the WWF, which I guess kinda blacklists him. However, he was a huge bully with a great look and looked stiff as hell in the ring – total Dude!
Someone whoâs got to be a true contender for the crown is the Late Rick Rude – I don’t ever recall him having a face run, and lets face it, anyone who cuts a promo before his opponent hits the ring, running down every man in attendance, while trying to mack on their women, has gotta be well up there! Plus, who can forget the Clash tag match, when he whipped Steamboat like a dog!? TOTAL HEEL! What sort of response would he have gotten if his career hadnât been cut short, or if he’d have debuted 10 years later?
RIP RICK RUDE, he was the man!
Greatest Heel of all time IMO!â
-Graham B
âThe greatest Heel of all time is Vince McMahon. Heâs always hated, especially now because of silly storylines and what not. People blame him for the s****y product right now, but more then that he will never be cool. Ever. Heâs a great heel, you always hate him.â
-The Mike Factor
âWhat makes Vince a great heel is that time after time fans would pay their
good hard earned money to see Vince get his a** kicked! Because everyone loves
seeing Mr. McMahon get screwed, just to see bad things happen to the boss!
That shows the Mr. McMahon character is such a successful heel!â
-Ron
âI loved this one I totally agree with Ted Dibiase being the best heel
of all time. I think that D-X is one of those cool Heels, because they
could get unbelievable heat and still be cool! Like the christmas
episode when Shawn gave the title to HHH during their match.â
-âWrestlefanâ Nic
âIt’s really hard to pinpoint the greatest heel of all time for me. Two of the guys I hate in wrestling the most were super popular, Ric Flair who is a jerk in person and Hulk Hogan..
I think Kevin Sullivan could be near the top of the list. He played that evil guy character well and I can’t remember a time when he was ever popular. During the feuds with Benoit (which I’m told that never happened) and Dave Sullivan/Evad whatever and Hulk Hogan he was very hated.
Didn’t Sgt Slaughter receive death threats during his time as a heel? No I don’t think he is the greatest heel ever because he had his popular time but that is really playing your character well.â
-Luke Neuhaus
âJust wanted to tell you, though, cheering for the cool heel goes a lot farther back than the nWo, or the Attitude era of the WWF/E. Surely you don’t really believe that. You pointed it out later on in your column, but all you have to do is go rent some tapes from the 1980s — there were people everywhere rooting for Flair and the Horsemen. In 1980s Continental in Alabama, lots of us loved to cheer for comic heavy heels Robert Fuller, Jimmy Golden and Dutch Mantell. “Superstar” Billy Graham had a big, vocal group of fans in the 70s, and in the mid 80’s, Randy Savage had a TON of ’em. I’m not sure how old you are, but people ages 31, 30 down to about 25, 26 tend to give late 1990s wrestling WAAAAY too much credit.â
-Mitch Lucas, Kilgore, TX
Closing Thoughts
âI personally think that this is an era that will not end anywhere in the near future. I believe the next step will be where there is no heels or faces……. simply just conflict between two superstars and fans cheering for whom they feel has the most talent, not because we are or are not supposed to cheer the person.â
-Ryan B
