Lack of Balance Between Babyfaces and Heels Is Destroying WWE

Sheamus is the new WWE world heavyweight champion, and he's also the latest heel to climb the ladder of the company.  The fact that he's WWE's best man for the job doesn't make many fans very happy, and the fact that he's endorsed by The Authority isn't helping matters much at all.

The truth is, fans have seen this move before, specifically with Seth Rollins' ascension as Triple H's right-hand man.  But this is less about repetition than it is WWE's lack of balance between its heels and babyfaces.

The scenario makes perfect sense on paper, as the company had a hole to fill from Rollins' departure. Filling it with a heel seemed to be the right move, and though Sheamus is arguably not the heat-seeking heel Rollins was, someone had to take the spot.

But the way in which the spot was taken has left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans.

Why go this route again? Why repeat the same storyline that led Rollins to the championship at WrestleMania 31 and also led Randy Orton to the championship at SummerSlam in 2013? Daniel Bryan was the man left for dead that year, as his title dreams were stolen from him thanks to Triple H's master plan.

credit: wwe.com

That night marked the birth of The Authority, and two years later, that entity is still going strong.

Therein lies the issue for many fans in terms of overall balance. The advantage always seems to be in the heels' corner. Despite how much the protagonists fight for what's right, they never seem to make any headway.

Bryan eventually overcame the tremendous obstacles thrown at him en route to his WrestleMania 30 win for the title.  He not only defeated Orton and Triple H's longtime friend Batista, he also beat The Game himself in the middle of the ring.

The Raw after that Mania should have been a celebration for Bryan—the likes of which the company had not seen in a long time. Battling back The Authority should have toppled that organization, destroying it from the inside out.

But that did not happen.

Sting himself even took a shot at The Authority.  The industry legend debuted at Survivor Series in 2014, costing The Authority a massive victory while also giving John Cena's team the win.  That storyline led to Sting's match with Triple H at WrestleMania 31, in which The Cerebral Assassin won.

credit: wwe.com

The months of mind games and vengeance Sting handed out was not enough; in the end it meant nothing. Not only did Triple H win the match at Mania, he even came out later that night during a spot with Stephanie McMahon, The Rock and Ronda Rousey.

Hunter's match with Sting had already become barely a footnote in WrestleMania history.

The Authority's current storyline with Roman Reigns is following the same road that nearly every one that's been run has taken so far.  The hero challenges the evil corporate leadership, he fights valiantly, but though he wins some battles, he cannot win the war.

The Authority comes back stronger than ever, constantly in full control of the company and everyone in it.  It happens every time.

While heels do traditionally drive the storylines, it's not traditional that they never lose. The story of the hero on the ropes fighting overwhelming odds is an intriguing one and will likely always be told.  It makes for interesting drama and lifts the protagonists up, drawing fans in and making for a big payoff.

But when that payoff leads to more of the same, what's the point?

WWE wants a heel on top and wants heels in control.  From Mr. McMahon working alongside The Rock down to Vickie Guerrero working with Edge, the same formula has been used for years.  Whether it's Stone Cold fighting back or John Cena wearing the S on his chest, the top babyface always plays his part while the company continues to reuse and recycle.

However, the same routine has taken its toll.  As it's not realistic to see babyfaces always in full control with no problems, it's also not realistic to see heels continuously bounce back despite what's done to them.

There is no balance between the two sides, and it's gotten so bad that the lines distinguishing them have become so blurry, they've all but disappeared.

Bray Wyatt is supposed to be a heel, but he's showcased in his entrance as if he's a babyface.  Many fans want to see him turn, but WWE curiously seems to be against it.  King Barrett has played up to the crowd, Cesaro did the same when he was heel and even the Divas are not exempt—which side is The Bella Twins on this week?

Fans need heroes to cheer for and villains to hate.  Every time the sides are crossed and every time the typical heel agenda plays itself out with little to no resistance, interest is lost.  

Good versus evil and right versus wrong are professional wrestling concepts and have worked for years. Switching sides with no explanation while the leadership structure is not fan friendly and is seemingly bent on world domination are WWE concepts, and they're not working at all.  

WWE is still a pro wrestling company despite the sports entertainment presentation, and when concepts that fans want are not used, everything falls apart.  Until the company decides to get back to basics, things may never be completely right again.

Tom's work can regularly be found on Bleacher Report and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Windows Phone, Amazon Android and online here