Alberto Del Rio Is a Better Fit as a Heel in WWE

Alberto Del Rio turned heel at WWE Payback in a surprising move that came just six months after he turned babyface for the first time.

Looking to fill the void left by an injured Rey Mysterio, the WWE turned to Del Rio to try to create its next top Hispanic babyface. At least initially, it seemed to work, too.

Del Rio quickly emerged as a fan favorite after seamlessly transitioning into that role last December, and his new position as a top good guy led to him winning the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

At least on paper, that looks fantastic. But in reality, Del Rio is a much better fit as a heel in the WWE.

Despite Del Rio initially getting some favorable crowd reactions after he turned face, those cheers quickly faded away. He wasn’t getting booed as a face. No, it was even worse—he was generating virtually no reaction at all. 

It’s always been said that the worst thing a wrestler can hear from the crowd is crickets, and crickets are what we got from Del Rio. That was despite the WWE pairing him in a feud against his perfect opponent in the anti-immigration Jack Swagger and putting him in a World title match at WrestleMania 29. 

The creative team tried like hell to get Del Rio over with the crowd, but ultimately, it was Ricardo Rodriguez who outshined him as a babyface. On many occasions, though, even the charismatic Rodriguez couldn’t get the fans behind Del Rio much despite the fact that he tried like hell to do so during Del Rio’s matches.

Although ADR delivered some memorable in-ring performances as a babyface—his Last Man Standing Matches against Big Show and multiple bouts against Dolph Ziggler—what his face run will be remembered most for are the tepid reactions he received on a consistent basis.

It was a shame to see that happen to ADR because he was actually pretty charming and likeable as a babyface, but the WWE fans that were so accustomed to watching him perform as a heel just couldn’t get used to him as a face.

Perhaps that’s because Del Rio is, quite simply, better as a heel. 

Some wrestlers are just able to naturally perform better in a specific role. For example, Justin Gabriel was born to be a babyface while someone like Wade Barrett was meant to be a heel.

Like Barrett, Del Rio is a more natural heel, in large part because he’s a foreign-born star. 

In the world of pro wrestling, the vast majority of pro wrestlers who aren’t born in the United States (or Canada) perform as heels because the WWE is based in the U.S., and thus, it’s easier for a foreigner to get over as a heel than as a face. 

That’s why Wade Barrett and Antonio Cesaro are heels, and it’s why guys like Sheamus started off their careers as heels. It’s also why Del Rio was brought into the WWE as a heel, too. 

Something as simple as him not being from the U.S. was an easy way to get Del Rio heat right out of the gate, but really, that wouldn’t have mattered if he hadn’t been able to perform so well in that role. 

And perform well he did.

Del Rio created a huge buzz with his debut in 2010 because he instantly seemed like a credible top guy and a potential star in the making. He only helped his case by quickly evolving into just that.

He had already feuded with the likes of Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and John Cena barely a year into his run with the WWE, and he developed into one of the WWE’s best heels along the way. 

Everything about ADR—from his scarf to his fancy cars to his sly smile—screamed top heel, and that’s what he became as he preached about his “destiny” and told us that “you, you already know that.” 

He was easily able to get under the skin of the fans, which, of course, is the mark of a great heel. 

Granted, the creative team was never ADR’s best friend when he was a heel. Those guys screwed up both of his WWE Championship reigns in 2011 and his World title feud with Sheamus in 2012.

But you can’t blame Del Rio for that. He performed well in the ring and on the mic whenever he was called upon, and despite some atrocious booking, he still managed to remain a top guy as a heel.

ADR would go on to have a lot of success as a face as well, but his face run never felt as natural as his heel one did. In fact, it often felt phony and forced as ADR tried to be a fan favorite despite the fans not reacting to him like one.

Now, Del Rio is back to his heel roots, and that’s a wise decision on the part of the creative team.

If you managed an MLB team and one of your best players was a natural shortstop, you wouldn’t try to make him a pitcher, right?

The same applies to Del Rio: He’s a natural heel. It’s best that the WWE doesn’t try to make him something he’s not—a babyface.

Drake Oz is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter!