Great Heel Gimmicks from WWE and TNA
Welcome, Creatures. This is my first article and so, I thought I'd get my time here with started with a small glimpse into my view of professional wrestling.
With that said, let us begin.
In the world of pro wrestling, we have many characters. Some are heroes, but others are villains. Some of these villains are actually kind of likable.
Some times it may be because they are funny. Sometimes, it's the person they're feuding with you hate, so you cheer them. Whatever the reason, the gimmick is a big part of that.
This slide show is dedicated to some of the best heel gimmicks out of TNA and WWE.
They are in no particular order. Let me know what you think. Any and all constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks to all for reading.
Number 10: Chris Jericho "The Best in the World at What He Does"
1 of 11In June of 2008 during his second run with WWE, Chris Jericho's character took a dark turn. No longer was he the fun-loving Y2J. Chris Jericho had been a self-obsessed, self-righteous, businessman. No longer would he make us laugh when he had a microphone in his hand, but instead, he would make us jeer him, as he constantly berated and belittled the fans, often using the word "hypocrite."
With all that said, you can't argue with the success Jericho attained in this new state of mind. During his run with the company, "The Best in the World at What He Does" won The Intercontinental Title, a Slammy for Superstar of The Year, Unified Tag Team Titles with Edge/Big Show and three World Heavyweight Titles.
Add to that, the man Chris Jericho mentored; Wade Barrett, as a "Pro" on WWE NXT, would go on to form the dominant stable "The Nexus."
This character is on this list for his unique ability to put on great matches and tell a story like few else in Sports Entertainment have the ability to do. Chris recently released a book and is currently away from the WWE, but no matter if he does it as "Y2J" or "The Best in The World at What He Does," Chris Jericho will always have a place in WWE.
Number 9: CM Punk: "The Straight-Edge Savior"
2 of 11After cashing in his Money in The Bank contract on Jeff Hardy at the Extreme Rules in 2009 on then-champion Jeff Hardy, the seeds were sown for CM Punk's first heel turn in WWE.
Those seeds would bring forth a more arrogant side of CM Punk. He would sing the praises of being straight-edge while talking down the everyman. This CM Punk would become a far more wicked individual as he began to "convert," many would join him in what would be known as The Straight-Edge Society.
Under the persona of the Straight-Edge Savior, CM Punk not only cemented his place as a main-eventer, but also created a group with far more potential than it was able to live up to. The group had no real success, save for CM Punk having some impressive feuds with the likes of Jeff Hardy, DX and Rey Mysterio.
CM Punk's "S.E.S" gimmick has stuck to me for several reasons.
It was Punk's first heel turn and he accomplished two impressive feats: eliminating Jeff Hardy from the WWE and beating The Undertaker in a Submission Match. Punk carried himself as if he truly was a Savior. While some might not agree with the life style, I for one agree with its execution.
Number 8: "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero
3 of 11The man who would go on to become "The Pope" got his start in WWE.
It was here he was known by his given name: Elijah Burke. Elijah was one of the top stars on WWEs' ECW Brand, though it seems as if he always had to take a back seat to the man on the previous slide; CM Punk.
Elijah had a lot of promise, but sadly, The Silver-Tongued Pugilist was let go in 2008. Fast forward to 2009, Elijah is no longer the Silver-Tongued Pugilist. Now, he's a street-preacher from Harlem, going by the name "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero, usually shortened to just "Pope," wrestling for TNA.
As of now, Burke/Dinero has yet to win a title of any kind, though he is the winner of TNAs' fight 8 Card Stud Tournament, which won him a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match, though he failed to win the title. Pope is currently in the midst of a feud with TNAs' Samoan Submission Machine, Samoa Joe, though expect Pope to have his eyes set on gold soon.
The Pope brings an air of confidence with him to TNA. Something, that while visible in WWE, was amplified when Pope stepped through the doors to Dixie Land. The Gimmick of "The Pope" has given Burke a way to connect with the fans and allows him to explore different avenues to garnering hatred and admiration. I expect Pope to remain a big star in TNA for years to come.
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Number 7: "Dashing" Cody Rhodes
4 of 11Last year in the WWEs' Draft, Cody Rhodes was sent to Smackdown. It was here, he'd undergo the transformation that would really launch his singles career.
Cody Rhodes became... Dashing.
Cody Rhodes was voted the most handsome WWE Superstar by the WWE Divas. With this, success soon followed. Cody was given his own segment where he could give tips to those who wished to be dashing, got more air-time and higher profile matches.
Cody Rhodes entered the WWE in a losing mini-feud with Randy Orton, though after which, he would find a place in the WWE tag team division on RAW, (back when it meant something) winning The World Tag Team Titles with Hardcore Holly. He would turn heel not long after, forming a tag team and taking his half of the tag team titles with him as Ted won Hollys'.
Rhodes and Dibiase held the titles twice more, making Rhodes a 3-Time-Tag Team Champion.
Rhodes later won the WWE Tag Titles with a new partner, Drew McIntyre, though the team didn't last long.
Though out for a while, Cody is set to feud with Rey Mysterio; a feud many say Mysterio will be putting Rhodes over in. The future is looking bright for "The Dashing One."
Cody Rhodes brings a uniqueness to his overdone gimmick.
While he still thinks he's the best looking male on the planet, he adds a few subtle additions to the gimmick, like always trying to protect his face and his decidedly metro grooming tips. Needless to say, for a kid who many thought was going to flounder, he's proven everyone wrong. Not only has he been able to stay relevent, but also surpass his former tag team partner Ted Dibiase, and I'll go on the record to say, I never doubted it for a second.
Number 6: Fortune
5 of 11Ric Flair came to TNA in January of 2010, and from there went on to form an alliance with TNA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles, thus turning The Phenomenal One heel.
Flair would go on to recruit Beer Money Inc. Desmond Wolfe and Sting would round out Team Flair at TNAs' Lethal Lockdown Event.
It was around this time that A.J. had a series of mistakes and this prompted Flair to take interest in returning Kazarian. Eventually after earning their spots, (along with A.J. winning and renaming the TNA TV Title,) and ousting Wolfe, Beer Money Inc, Kazarian, and A.J. were officially a Fortune. The four members of Fortune soon began to imitate the Nature Boy; wearing suits and also referencing and taking direction from The Original Horseman, (they'd also take opportunities to ice the old man, from time to time.) The group later added and lost Matt Morgan and Douglas Williams, (who at the time was TNA X-Division Champion.)
Fortune has lived up to it's name if you look at the success of the group. That success coming in the form of 2 X-Division Titles from Douglas and Kazarian, who is still reigning, Styles as TV Champion, and Beer Money as the current Tag Team Champions. It should also be noted that A.J. seems to have The TNA World Champion on his mind, and perhaps after a certain legend drops the belt, A.J. will have his shot.
The idea behind Fortune, if Flair's promo is to be believed, was to recreate The Four Horseman. I don't know if that's possible.
That aside, Fortune's lineup could be legendary in it's own right. Four of TNAs' best superstars in a stable together. It just sounds impressive. Add to that the recent Face turn of the group and perhaps A.J. back in action and you've got an impressive formula.
Number 5: "The Guru of Greatness" John Morrison
6 of 11In 2007 Johnny Nitro replaced Chris Benoit (R.I.P) in a match against CM Punk for the ECW Championship at Night of Champions.
It was a match Nitro went on to win, claiming his first World Title. A few weeks later, Johnny changed his name and became "The Guru of Greatness," John Morrison. With a new look, new theme and new finisher, Morrison began to dominate ECW, even gaining a slow-motion entrance. A further evolution came in the form of Morrison's attitude. He began to take on a more psychedelic vocabulary and made claims to be "Beyond good and evil," and being a "Portal to the Infinite."
While Morrison has had success as Nitro, much of his success has been as Morrison.
For example, take the ECW Championship. After his world title and name change, Morrison went on to form another tag team, this time with The Miz, winning The World Tag Team Titles and WWE Tag Team Titles, as well as The Slammys for Tag Team of the Year with Miz and Best WWE.com Exclusive.
After being drafted in 2009 to Smackdown, Morrison went on to hold the Intercontinental Title for the third time, though this being his first as Morrison. You can't deny the guys' success, and rest assured there will be more to come.
Morrison currently is a face now, and has long since dropped his psychedelic gimmick. Since then, it seems his mic skills have declined but a new aspect, his parkour, has been emphasized. While I do like seeing Morrison's moves, I believe it didn't need to come with Morrison losing his "Guru" gimmick. That being said, I believe WWE will give Morrison the World Title one day. It's only a matter of time.
Number 4: "It's All About" Generation Me
7 of 11Generation Me debuted in TNA January of 2010. Many made comparisons to The Hardys and The Motor City Machine Guns, but I think GenMe made a statement all their own on two occasions.
The first being the night they tried to take out Alex Shelly after a Tag Team Title match. The other being the promo they cut in the next Impact.
GenMe explained it very clearly. "It was all about what WE want, and we have no intention of waiting." Max said it best himself, "We're not here to pay any dues." These guys made an impact, (no pun intended,) and I believe that one day soon, these two will be TNA World Tag Team Champions.
GenMe have yet to hold any gold on a televised promotion but don't discount them just because of that. Generation Me has a very impressive Indy Circuit resume. Add that to the impressive in-ring offense that Max and Jeremy Buck bring to the table and you've got something special on your hands when it comes to this team.
GenMe is currently MIA since they were unable to make it to Against All Odds PPV. Before that, The Brothers seemed to be on one heck of a roll, as both qualified for a TNA X-Division #1 Contenders match, and this is coming from being TNAs' resident jobber team. I think TNA has some plans for GenMe, and I can't wait to see what those plans are.
Number 3: LayCool
8 of 11Layla and Michelle McCool became the group known as LayCool at the end of 2009 after teaming up through the summer. This group got rolling it's "Mean Girls" gimmick down as McCool and Layla feuded with Mickie James, often criticizing her weight and threatening to make her miserable if she didn't leave Smackdown. The Divas continued to battle, eventually bringing Beth Phoenix into the fray and James winning the Woman's Title from Michelle.
Eventually, the rivalry ended with Mickie leaving the company, as Vickie Guerrero began to assist LayCool and having the title brought back to the group with Michelle taking the belt from Mickie. The duo of Layla and Michelle would continue on together, having rivalries with Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Kelly Kelly, and several other Divas.
LayCool, for a Diva Tag Team, has done surprisingly well for themselves, considering WWE has no Diva Tag Title. McCool brings the bulk of the gold, as a 2-Time Women's Champion with the group as well as a 2-Time Divas Champion. Layla, though, holds the title of the final WWE Women's Champion. Both girls also share a Slammy Award for Knucklehead Moment of the Year in losing to Mae Young.
Needless to say, I enjoy LayCool. They bring interest into the WWE Diva division. The group itself also helped both girls with shortcomings they had: McCool had no real personality and Layla need something to make her relevent. While it looks as if the end might be near for LayCool, I'll say it was good while it lasted, and they will be missed.
Number 2: Wade Barrett
9 of 11Wade Barrett burst on to TV screens on NXT as the Rookie for World Heavyweight Champion: Chris Jericho, in 2010. From then on, he dominated many of his NXT opponents, coming out as the first winner of NXT Season One, in which he won a Title match at a PPV of his choice. Barrett later appeared on RAW along with the other NXT Season One Rookies and destroyed everything in sight. This group was later named "The Nexus." The Nexus would go on to cause havoc throughout WWE for all of 2010, taking delight in messing with John Cena, especially. Wade even beat Cena in a match, to force him to join Nexus for a time, though Cena was clear a few months later. Things changed however, when CM Punk took control of Nexus, causing Barrett to seek shelter on Smackdown. Though seemingly on his own, he was quickly joined by Ezekiel Jackson, and former Nexus members Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel. Together, these men formed The Corre: A refined Nexus. This group has a bright future as no member is apparently greater than the others, and with WrestleMania looming, thing will only continue to improve.
Wade Barret's claim to fame at this point, is currently on his success on winning NXT Season One, though he has led groups to becoming tag team champions, as Slater and Gabriel are Three-Time Tag Team champions. Also under his direction, David Otunga and John Cena even won the tag titles. If that's not an impressive feat, what is?
Wade Barrett may have been the best star FCW had to offer and I'm glad to see him on the main roster. Since leaving Nexus and forming The Corre, I see nothing but big things in Wade Barrett's future. I'd prefer he work his way up first and start with the I.C. Title, but WWE is high on the guy, so it wouldn't shock me to see him winning the World Title first. That said, I for one, have no objections to that.
Number 1: "The Anti-Christ of Professional Wrestling" Jeff Hardy
10 of 11Jeff Hardy was exiled from WWE by CM Punk, and in early 2010, returned to TNA. At first, while popular, Jeff had little real direction in his character except for when it came to fighting Abyss and getting revenge for RVD who had been forced to give up his World Title.
Jeff Hardy was later entered into a tournament to crown a new TNA World Heavyweight Champion at Bound for Glory: The same day a group known only as "They" would take over. Hardy made it to the finals of the tournament and on that night, he was revealed to be one of "They," joining Jeff Jarret, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Abyss.
On that night, Hardy captured the TNA World Heavyweight Title for the first time, turning his back on all, except those aligned with "They," which would go on to be dubbed Immortal. Over the next few weeks, the darkest parts of Jeff's psyche were explored as he explained about Immortal and how he was the "anti-Christ of Professional Wrestling."
Hardy, as the anti-Christ, has proven he's no slouch in the ring. Hardy is a Two-Time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and if he can manage to stay out of trouble, I wouldn't think it so far fetched to believe that Hardy could very well add more to that list of titles. As popular as he is, and as much as TNA need the ratings, it only makes sense to keep Jeff as champion/have him as champ for a long time.
What can you say about Jeff's anti-Christ gimmick that has yet to be said. He cuts killer promos, he's exciting in the ring, and he puts people in seats. Everything Hogan and Bischoff want from a World Champion, Jeff, with this gimmick can be all that and then some. I'll say it: I'm a fan of the gimmick. Legal problems aside, the gimmick is trouble free, I say.
Honorable Mentions and End
11 of 11Honorable Mentions to:
Ric Flair
JBL
Randy Orton (Legend Killer)
King Booker
Main Event Mafia
Deuce and Domino (w/Cherry,)
The Brian Kendrick
Edge
Christian Cage
Thanks for reading, all.
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