Last Updated on April 16, 2024 by Avik Das
Every story has a villain, and without a bad guy, it remains incomplete. Professional wrestling is the art of storytelling through the squared circle. It consists of bad guys, who are referred to as heels. A feud becomes intense, personal, and exhilarating when a heel gets the best out of a babyface. A top-tier heel leaves no stone unturned to win the mind game, taking psychological advantage over an opponent. They could be deceptive and often take evil ways to get the job done.
Many legendary heels have stepped foot in the ring of WWE, with their bad guy persona making them household names. Even today, the company has several incredible bad guys, who are doing exceptionally well to generate nuclear heat and engaging storylines. This article takes a look at the incredible heels in WWE today, and how they are gradually creating their legacies as antagonists.
#6 Bayley
At one point in his career, Bayley was the most lovable and amiable babyface of the women’s roster with a hugger gimmick. He was the lodestar for young girls who aspired to stand up against injustice. With a ponytail and a big smile on his face, no one could fathom that she could also work as a heel. But it all changed with a heel turn in 2019. The Hugger transformed herself into a ruthless assassin, who enjoyed inflicting pain on his opponents. She also chopped her signature ponytail and ditched her Bayley buddies to suit her evil persona. Four years following that character change, she is still doing great as a hated heel, placing her among the best heels in WWE today. She was the leader of the successful heel faction, Damage CTRL, whose member, Iyo Sky, has won the women’s Money in the Bank contract as well as the WWE Women’s Championship.
#5 Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley’s imposing physique makes him look like a monster, and it is a reason he does better as a heel than a babyface. While he can wreck opponents physically, his unorthodox tactics and the ability to dirty games can do a lot of damage to rivals mentally. With The Hurt Business, Bobby Lashley had a stupendous run as the WWE Champion, and it was a heel run. Even without MVP and The Hurt Business, The Almighty is similarly effective on his own. Now, as the mentor of The Street Profits, Lashley is doing well.
#4 Gunther
Walter became Gunther upon the main roster debut, but his aura, captivating arrogance, and dexterity in the ring make him one of the best talents in WWE now, especially as a heel. The Imperium leader can extricate his rivals with loud chops on the chest. His psychological manipulation and arrow of words on the microphone give him the upper hand over his opponents, making him an intimidating bad guy. His devious work and calculated approaches create nuclear heel heat. It’s a reason for his record-breaking dominant run as the WWE Intercontinental Champion.
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#3 Rhea Ripley
Although she was initially a babyface, Rhea Ripley’s transformation into a heel has been phenomenal, giving a new and required edge to her character. After one of the best heel turns in WWE, Rhea Ripley joined The Judgement Day. She unveiled her dark side with a dark look and rip-roaring demeanor. Mami’s excellent villainous work has not only improved her character work but also taken her microphone skill to another level. With a stupendous reign as the Women’s World Champion, the Aussie Superstar has made herself among the notable villains at the moment.
#2 Dirty Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Mysterio was just a regular name and the son of the legendary Rey Mysterio until he joined the Judgement Day, revealing his cunning personality and dirty ways of doing things as a heel. He has added a new flare to Judgement Day, and his association with Rhea Ripley, who calls him Dom Dom, has been the talking point on RAW for a while. Due to his dirty tactics, he has a new nickname called ‘dirty Dom’. The chemistry between Rhea Ripley and Dirty Dom has made them one of the power couples in WWE. Since Dominik unveiled the bad side,, he has turned around his career as a formidable force, winning the NXT North American Championship. His natural villainous demeanor improved in-ring prowess, and ability to create heel heat suggest that the youngster has a bright future ahead and that he is a future world champion.
#1 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is undeniably the number one among bad guy in WWE today. His transformation from the babyface fan favorite to the devious Tribal Chief has been incredible. Not only his mic skills have improved significantly since turning into The Head of the Table, but his unerring facial expression and increased charisma also make him a total package, owing to the ‘wise man’ Paul Heyman. Roman Reigns’ ability as the leader of Bloodline and his unshakable confidence is the embodiment of a real villain. Hence, he has been awarded the longest world title reign in the modern era, surpassing over an astonishing 1000 days. With Tribal Chief at the helm, he is irreplaceable in terms of the best hellish work in WWE.
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Avik Das is the founder of Sportsheed. He is a sports lover with broad knowledge of Professional Wrestling, MMA, Football, and Cricket. He has an English major and has previously written articles for various sports and entertainment websites
