WWE: Michael Cole and 18 WWE Personalities Everyone Loves to Hate

When it comes to wrestling, much of it is about a battle between good and evil. Such is the case in WWE as faces like John Cena and Randy Orton are cheered, while heels like Michael Cole and The Miz are regularly booed.

Although there are many hated heels currently in the WWE, those who revile them get a certain amount of enjoyment out of seeing them perform as well. If it weren’t for heels, everybody’s favorite faces would have nobody to embarrass and defeat.

Without heels, there would be no conflict, and without conflict, wrestling would be incredibly boring. Despite the fact that heels are seemingly always out to get the heroes, they serve an important role that simply shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Here are the top 18 personalities that WWE fans love to hate.

18. Drew McIntyre

Over the past few months, Drew McIntyre’s momentum has slowed down considerably, especially since his move to RAW through the WWE Draft.

That doesn’t change the fact that there was a period last year where he may have been SmackDown’s biggest heel, though.

McIntyre was involved in a storyline in which he was dubbed “The Chosen One” by Vince McMahon.

He used his pull with the WWE Chairman to terrorize SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long for weeks on end, and even forced Long to return the Intercontinental Championship which had been previously stripped from him. McIntyre’s bullying of the defenseless Long garnered him instant heat with the fans.

As a native of Scotland, McIntyre plays the cocky, foreign heel role perfectly. Since he has been used sparingly on RAW, it’s easy to forget how over he was as a heel at one time.

McIntyre’s potential to become a top-tier villain in the WWE remains, however, meaning he should rise from obscurity in the near future.

17. David Otunga

As the boyfriend of singer Jennifer Hudson and former contestant on the reality show “I Love New York,” David Otunga was already known by many WWE fans prior to his debut on the first season of NXT.

Otunga finished second to Wade Barrett in the kayfabe competition, but that wasn’t the last the WWE Universe would hear from him.

Otunga was one of the founding members of Nexus, which took the WWE by storm last year following its shocking debut.

While Barrett was the clear leader of the group, Otunga was considered to be second in command, and was nearly as hated as Barrett.

While one of the main reasons for fans’ hatred of Otunga is his poor wrestling ability, his mic work has been criticized as well. Although he seems fairly comfortable cutting promos, he often overacts to the point that he becomes annoying.

As the only original Nexus member in the New Nexus, one might think that Otunga would still be getting massive heat. That isn’t the case, however, as the second version of the Nexus has grown stale and insignificant in the eyes of WWE fans.

The best thing for Otunga’s career may be to branch off as a singles wrestler and perhaps regain his spot as an up and coming heel.

16. Zack Ryder

It’s tough to remember a more polarizing figure, especially among lower mid-carders, in the recent history of the WWE than Zack Ryder.

When it comes to Ryder, most fans either love him or hate him, there isn’t much in between, which is quite a feat for somebody who is very rarely featured anywhere other than Superstars.

Despite getting basically no TV time, Long Island Iced Z has made a name for himself thanks to his hilarious YouTube series, “Z! True Long Island Story.”

These videos have made Ryder a cult hero among Internet wrestling fans, but not everyone is impressed.

Ryder’s character is believed to be derived from “Jersey Shore,” although Ryder actually adopted his gimmick before the debut of the show. Because of the parallels, Ryder tends to get on the nerves of some fans.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the disdain that some have for Ryder is that they can’t understand why so many others love him. Ryder is considered nothing more than a glorified jobber who doesn’t deserve increased TV time by many fans.

If Ryder’s supporters continue to drown out his detractors like they did on this past RAW in Ryder’s hometown, the WWE may have no choice but to start utilizing him.

15. Heath Slater

As another original member of Nexus, fans have had a strong dislike for Heath Slater since his debut on NXT.

Even though Slater played the role of a happy-go-lucky face on NXT, most fans still found his “One-Man Rock Band” gimmick a tad annoying.

The WWE Universe was finally given a true reason to boo him, however, when he became a full-fledged heel upon the formation of Nexus.

Although Slater hasn’t been granted much promo time due to being a supporting character to this point in his young career, he certainly hasn’t impressed anyone on the rare occasions that he has.

His heavy West Virginia accent coupled with his long red hair prevents him from being a believable, intimidating heel. Luckily for him, he and his tag team partner Justin Gabriel may be turning face soon.

With Wade Barrett effectively walking out on Slater and Gabriel on last week’s SmackDown, it looks as though The Corre is coming to an end.

While it may be difficult for Slater to get on the good side of fans regardless of the character he plays, his best bet may be to ride the coattails of Gabriel in a face tag team.

14. Dolph Ziggler

Much like Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler was a red-hot heel on SmackDown in 2010. After teaming up with Vickie Guerrero, Ziggler became one of the most hated men in the company.

He also had a very lengthy and successful Intercontinental Title reign before entering into a program with then World Heavyweight Champion Edge.

With Edge firmly set as SmackDown’s biggest face, Ziggler reached the pinnacle of his success during the feud.

Ziggler even scored an extremely brief, but recognized World Heavyweight Title reign when Edge illegally speared Ziggler in a match. The spear had been outlawed by Guerrero who was serving as the interim general manager.

While Guerrero had much to do with the reactions Ziggler got from the crowd, his arrogant attitude and insistence that he is perfection personified certainly helped.

Dolph has been lost in the shuffle since transitioning to RAW, but he should be back on the ascent thanks to a budding feud with Kofi Kingston over the United States Championship.

As long as the WWE keeps Ziggler and Guerrero together, Dolph’s character has plenty of staying power.

13. Hornswoggle

As the only “little person” in the WWE, Hornswoggle and his happy leprechaun gimmick is loved by many young fans.

Among serious, older fans, however, Hornswoggle is despised due to the perception that he is taking away from more deserving talent getting airtime whenever he appears on television.

He has been used pretty infrequently over the last year, though, so the hatred has cooled a bit.

When used in a purely comedic sense, Hornswoggle is actually pretty entertaining, but the WWE runs into problems when they allow him to actually wrestle and get involved in important storylines.

Making him a member of DX in 2009 was certainly ill-advised, and actually allowing him and John Cena to dominate this past Royal Rumble for a significant period of time was even worse.

Knowing full well that wrestling is fake, most WWE fans still want some sense of realism in the product.

When Hornswoggle continually gets the better of his much bigger counterparts, it simply isn’t believable.

As long as WWE continues to use Hornswoggle only occasionally, most fans should come to tolerate him.

12. Jack Swagger

The All-American American Jack Swagger practically came out of nowhere in 2010 to become one of WWE’s most hated heels.

While Swagger had a long reign as ECW Champion, he had been jobbing to inferior talents like Santino leading up to WrestleMania XXVI.

He then shockingly won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match and was World Heavyweight Champion within a week.

Many feel as though Swagger’s reign as champion was a joke, but that is mostly due to the creative team booking him to look weak. Some of his promos were gold, however, and got him a large amount of heat with the crowd.

One promo in particular that is quite memorable is when he stood in the ring with all the awards he had won over the course of his life. After Swagger taunted Big Show and the fans, Big Show tore apart the ring, eliciting a huge response from the crowd. This proved that Swagger had what it took to be a top heel.

Swagger slid back into obscurity after losing the belt, but his partnership with Michael Cole put him back in the spotlight. Swagger was Cole’s trainer for his match with Jerry Lawler at WrestleMania XXVII.

Although Swagger eventually turned on Cole, the two of them teamed up to beat down mid-card faces on a weekly basis, as well as Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross. Swagger may be in a lull currently, but he has all the tools to be a hated heel for many years.

11. Wade Barrett

Throughout a good portion of 2010, Wade Barrett was unequivocally the most over heel in the WWE thanks to Nexus’ feud with John Cena.

Barrett and his gang of fellow rookies handed out group beatings nearly every week on RAW. Cena, Jerry Lawler, Ricky Steamboat and Vince McMahon are just a few of legends who Barrett and Co. left unconscious in the middle of the ring.

Barrett reached the peak of his unpopularity after beating Cena in Hell in a Cell, thus forcing Cena to become a member of Nexus.

Barrett embarrassed Cena on a regular basis and even made him eliminate himself in a No. 1 contender battle royal, ensuring Barrett the victory.

Although Cena eventually forced his way out of Nexus throughout a ridiculous series of events, Barrett was Public Enemy No. 1 among Cena fans.

After being exiled from Nexus, Barrett moved to SmackDown and formed The Corre with Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater and Ezekiel Jackson.

While The Corre hasn’t made a significant impact, Barrett is the current Intercontinental Champion.

With The Corre seemingly on the verge of breaking up, Barrett will finally be able to spread his wings and once again become an elite heel in the WWE.

10. Cody Rhodes

While Cody Rhodes was perhaps the most unassuming member of Legacy alongside Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase, he has carved out a nice niche for himself as an upper mid-card heel on SmackDown.

The WWE Universe’s disdain for Rhodes started when he started the gimmick of “Dashing” Cody Rhodes.

“Dashing” Cody Rhodes was born from a poll given to the WWE Divas in which was voted the most handsome superstar. Rhodes became an extremely vain individual who cared more about the safety of his face than winning matches.

Another feature of his gimmick that made fans hate him was a weekly segment in which Rhodes offered beauty tips to the viewer that could help make them dashing, just like him.

Rhodes’ character took a 180-degree turn after his face was “destroyed” by a 619 from Rey Mysterio. Because of the severe facial damage he suffered, Rhodes has had to wear a protective mask.

This has made Rhodes into a much darker and more sinister individual, and he hasn’t lost any of the momentum he gained as “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, a true testament to his ability as a heel.

Rhodes’ latest method for getting heat from the crowd is passing out paper bags to put over their heads in order to hide their “hideous faces.”

9. Sheamus

The first Irish-born WWE Champion in the company’s history, Sheamus has all the makings of a universally hated heel. Not only does Sheamus have a powerful moveset and ruthless demeanor, but his heavy Irish accent alone garners him a great deal of heat.

Sheamus was the beneficiary of a massive push early in his WWE career, as he beat John Cena for the WWE Championship just two months after his RAW debut.

After losing the WWE Championship for the second time at Night of Champions, Sheamus’ career hit a few bumps. While he did win the King of the Ring tournament, he subsequently went on a significant losing streak.

Sheamus was still getting booed regularly, however, as his King Sheamus gimmick was effective in getting on the nerves of the crowd.

Sheamus got back on track by beating Daniel Bryan for the United States Championship in March, and while he eventually lost the title to Kofi Kingston, he reestablished himself as a force in the WWE.

Sheamus is currently in the World Heavyweight Championship picture on SmackDown and, along with Christian, is the show’s top heel.

8. Ricardo Rodriguez

As Alberto Del Rio’s personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez is capable of getting a bigger heel reaction than many actual wrestlers. This is an impressive feat for somebody who has essentially spoken no English during his time on WWE television.

Even though 99 percent of the audience has no idea what he’s saying when he introduces Del Rio in Spanish, they boo him anyways because he’s a heel who is different from the rest of us.

While I wouldn’t say that Rodriguez is more hated than Del Rio, it sometimes seems as though the crowd is more annoyed by Rodriguez.

He should also be given a great deal of credit for the amount of heat Del Rio receives. His introduction gets the crowd into a frenzy, which carries over to the point when Del Rio comes to the ring.

Rodriguez also often gets involved in Del Rio’s matches, giving him an unfair advantage. Whenever a face gets their hands on Ricardo and slaps him around a bit, the roar from the crowd is usually deafening, which is the hallmark of a good heel.

The partnership between Rodriguez and Del Rio is a perfect one as they are able to feed off each other. Hopefully, the WWE realizes the great chemistry they have and keeps them together for a long time.

7. R-Truth

Once a severely annoying, yet over face, R-Truth has reinvented himself as quite the entertaining and hated heel.

Truth simply couldn’t be taken seriously when he was dancing all around with his rapper gimmick. His current anti-establishment character suits him very well, however, and actually makes him a legitimate main-event threat.

Truth’s interactions with the crowd have been excellent since his heel turn, allowing him to get some big reactions.

His penchant for walking through the crowd and embarrassing fans (although they’re planted) has gotten him a lot of heat among WWE’s more gullible fans.

It also helps that he is currently in a feud with the WWE’s biggest face, John Cena. Truth has been made to look credible by getting the best of Cena over the past few weeks as well.

It’s unlikely that Truth will emerge victorious in his WWE Championship match against Cena at Capitol Punishment, but it seems as though he has cemented himself as one of the company’s top heels.

It’s truly impressive how he has turned his career around completely over a matter of a couple months. If he stays on this pace, he may very well end up as the biggest villain in the WWE.

6. Alberto Del Rio

It’s rare that a wrestler can realistically be considered hated before ever debuting, but such was the case with Alberto Del Rio.

Promos showing Del Rio as a Mexican aristocrat aired on SmackDown for two months before he finally made his on-screen debut. By that time, fans were already tired of Del Rio’s arrogant attitude.

Del Rio only gained more heat by beating Rey Mysterio in his debut match and injuring with his signature cross arm breaker the next week. Del Rio would run through most of SmackDown’s top faces, using heel tactics along the way.

It became apparent that Del Rio was to stay among the WWE’s top heels when he won the 2011 Royal Rumble and entered a program with the World Heavyweight Champion Edge.

Like many of the personalities on this list, Del Rio uses his foreign accent and bloodlines to enrage the fans. His entrance involves him driving out in a Rolls Royce (or some other expensive car), which furthers his wealthy and arrogant gimmick.

Del Rio also often criticizes Americans in his promos, a surefire way to get a negative reaction.

It’s obviously just a matter of time before Del Rio captures the WWE Championship. Until then, he will continue to establish himself as one of the company’s most hated competitors.

5. CM Punk

With a gimmick that supports a straight edge lifestyle absent of drinking and smoking, one might think that CM Punk would be a hero in the PG era. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as Punk is among the most hated men in the WWE.

Punk’s transformation into one of the company’s biggest began with the founding of the Straight Edge Society.

As the leader of the SES, Punk routinely pulled planted fans out of the crowd and made them vow sobriety before shaving their heads.

Punk also entered into a long feud with Rey Mysterio. While Punk had already won the World Heavyweight Championship multiple times before his rivalry with Mysterio, the promos he delivered during the feud put him on the map as a top-flight heel.

Punk is currently the leader of the New Nexus on RAW, and while the stable itself is quite boring, Punk is as entertaining as ever. He has feuded with all of the company’s top faces in recent months, including John Cena and Randy Orton.

While the odds are against it happening, Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin began teasing a feud on RAW and have carried it over to Twitter.

Those two gimmicks are made to clash, and if a match ever did happen between them, it would shoot Punk into a completely different stratosphere as far as heels go.

4. Vickie Guerrero

The lone woman on this list, Vickie Guerrero gets more heat with two simple words than most people can get with an entire promo.

When said in her screeching, almost unbearable voice, Vickie’s catchphrase “Excuse me,” is almost enough to incite a riot among the crowd.

In an era that is almost completely devoid of managers, Vickie is actually a bit of a throwback, which is refreshing to see in today’s product.

While Dolph Ziggler is fairly charismatic and a great in-ring performer, much of his success in 2010 is due to the impeccable mic work of Vickie.

With most heels, it’s understood that they have some sort of fan base, but with Vickie, you get the feeling that she’s legitimately hated by each and every fan.

Because of that, she can basically say anything and get a huge reaction from it.

There’s no doubt that Vickie can be annoying, but that simply means that she is performing her character perfectly.

A lot of people felt like she was handed a job in the company once her husband Eddie Guerrero died, but it’s tough to deny the fact that she has established herself as the premier mouthpiece in the company.

Some fans of Ziggler are clamoring for his relationship with Vickie to dissolved, but if Ziggler is ever to become an established main eventer, I firmly believe Vickie needs to be by his side.

3. John Cena

How can it be that the biggest face of his era is the third most hated personality in the WWE? Well, for as many women and children who love John Cena, there are nearly as many 18- to 35-year-old men who can’t stand him.

That much is clear every week on RAW when there are often dueling chants of “Let’s go Cena” and “Cena sucks.” This is a very interesting dynamic that hasn’t really been apparent in the past.

In the cases of Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, The Rock and other “faces of the company,” there was hardly ever a boo to be heard when they performed.

There was probably a lunatic fringe that that was against Hogan, Austin and/or Rock, but it never came across that way on TV.

As much as the WWE doesn’t like to acknowledge it, and try to hide it, there is no denying that the current face of the company is hated by many.

One of the biggest arguments from Cena haters is his penchant for no-selling is opponents’ attacks and his relative lack of wrestling acumen.

His no-selling was certainly on display against The Miz at Over The Limit when he endured a two-on-one beating for 30 minutes, only to miraculously recover and beat The Miz in seconds.

Also, his promos are far too corny and cartoonish for the liking of many. It’s clear that he’s trying to play to a younger crowd, but it wouldn’t hurt him to be a bit edgier like he has shown during his feud with The Rock.

It’s an interesting thought, but it’s possible that Cena could actually become more popular if he were to turn heel than he is as a face.

Because of Cena’s many years of face antics, it’s unlikely that his young fans would turn on him, and he would certainly gain a lot of fans in the male demographic to boot.

I doubt the WWE would ever pull the trigger, but it’s certainly something to think about.

2. The Miz

From a former contestant on “Tough Enough” and “The Real World” to one of the WWE’s most over heels, The Miz has certainly proven his many detractors wrong.

Although it’s arguable, nobody in the WWE works the mic better than The Miz. His ability to insult the company’s top faces, as well as the crowd, helps him garner more heat than perhaps any other superstar.

The Miz’s lengthy reign as United States Champion put him on the map as a possible main eventer, something that was cemented by his Money in the Bank victory.

The Miz officially entered the main event scene when he cashed his Money in the Bank contract in on an injured Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship. The Miz would go on to have a six-month title reign before losing it to John Cena.

Although The Miz was made to look cowardly throughout his time as champion, it plays perfectly to his character, which is a big talker who can’t back it up without bending the rules. This naturally allows The Miz get big heel reactions from the crowd.

Many fans may not have realized just how over The Miz is as a heel, but that was cemented when his former protégé Alex Riley turned on him recently.

Riley was nothing more than The Miz’s patsy over the course of his WWE career, but the moment he beat down The Miz, he started getting cheered.

This is a guy who had helped The Miz brutalize super face John Cena the night before. This just goes to show that many WWE fans love to hate The Miz.

1. Michael Cole

While The Miz may be the WWE’s biggest heel wrestler, announcer Michael Cole barely edges him out as the biggest overall heel.

Since officially becoming a heel over a year ago, Cole has been universally hated by the WWE Universe. Perhaps nothing has enhanced Cole’s heel turn more than the introduction of the anonymous RAW general manager.

At this point, I’m fully convinced that the anonymous GM angle was created as a way to create heat on Cole, and it’s worked to perfection.

His simple catchphrases of “Can I have your attention please” and “And I quote,” cause a chorus of boos to echo through arenas across the country.

His unnatural love for The Miz certainly helped get him over as well. What really put Cole over the top, though, was his feud with Jerry Lawler.

Sure having three matches was a bit excessive, and they were all terrible, but making Lawler’s life a living hell got Cole massive heel reactions on a weekly basis.

As is the case with The Miz, the best way of knowing if someone is over as a heel is if the fans want to see that person get beaten to a pulp. That’s exactly what the fans wanted to see with regard to Cole, and it’s exactly what happened at WrestleMania.

Although the feud ended when Lawler beat Cole at Over The Limit, Cole has continued to be his annoying and effective self. His commentary may be inaccurate and awful at times, but his character serves an important purpose.