WWE Drama: The Heel Challenger Vs. the Baby Face Champion

It’s a good day to be a heel in WWE.

Following Zack Ryder’s United States title win and Daniel Bryan’s World title win at WWE’s TLC on Sunday, the baby face wrestlers have officially come to power in the company.

CM Punk as WWE Champion and Air Boom as WWE Tag Team Champions round out the group, and now the only heels left with gold are Cody Rhodes as the Intercontinental Champion, and Beth Phoenix as the Divas Champion.

So, if the good guys have all the bling, then how exactly is it a good day for the heels?  Because now, the real drama can begin.

When a heel is champion, he or she can cheat like crazy to keep the belt.  This means winning by outside interference, by use of a foreign object, using the ropes for leverage, or by simply moving into the referee’s blind spot.

The drama for the fans is in the protagonist doing all they can to overcome the odds, and laboring through the mind games that heels can play in order to gain the top prize.  

It’s an interesting dynamic, as the fan favorite always seems to be this close to championship status, and at the last possible minute, the rug is pulled out from under his feet.  The strap is just out of reach, and fans can’t wait to tune in next week to see if their hero can persevere and finally achieve his goals.

But with the baby face as champion?  Time to turn up the heat.

The chase changes completely, as now the heel is the one on the offensive, plotting and planning in an attempt to take what they covet the most.  The antagonist will do anything it takes, break every rule and abandon every alliance to walk away with the gold.

And yes, the baby faces may end up doing the same.

There are no friends when it comes to championships.  The guy who was your best buddy 10 minutes ago, the one who’s had your back for years, will cut your throat and leave you for dead if it means they can get their hands on what you have.

So, the protagonist is the one with the target on his back, the man that everyone else is gunning for, and they will be tested in so many different ways, in the most challenging of situations.

Now that’s drama.

Now, though the heels in WWE seem to be without, the fact is the door is wide open for a variety of scenarios to take place.

Zack Ryder’s first singles championship win is a big deal.  Forget for a moment about the stupid catchphrase, the ridiculous hair and the goofy ring gear.  This guy has worked hard to get where he is.  He sat still for a good while with nothing, while other workers moved up around him.

But Ryder stuck to his guns, and decided to just have fun with it all.  His YouTube show took off, and he essentially created his own push.  Now, he is the United States Champion.  But he’s not safe.

Dolph Ziggler is still in the picture, despite all of the buzz about a potential main event run in his future. He and Zack have just begun in this feud, and it’s likely not over yet.

Ziggler’s partner Jack Swagger is also a possible challenger, and let’s not forget the other guy that has been a factor in this storyline, Mason Ryan.

Ryan may be a face right now, but again, when it comes to championship gold, anything goes. Ryder’s title run will be tested, and fans will finally get to see what the Long Island Iced Z is made of.

Fans will be watching, hoping against hope that his win was not just a fluke, done to appease his fans for a short time.  They want to believe he’s in for the long haul, and they will tune in to see what happens.

Daniel Bryan, World Heavyweight Champion.  Unreal.

Bryan’s time has finally come, and while it’s great to see him at the top of the SmackDown heap, the truth is he already has a line of challengers at his front door.

Big Show, Mark Henry, Wade Barrett, Sheamus, Randy Orton, and the list goes on.  Bryan’s ability to carry the load as World Champion will be the focus of the program, as many fans are still of the mindset that he is not strong enough to be the man on SmackDown.  Was his WWE career legitimized by his win on Sunday, or will he be a one-and-done champion?

Air Boom do not exactly have a roster of teams to compete against, but at any time WWE could decide to form a new faction to challenge them, as they did with Awesome Truth.  

Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston are young and likable, two guys that fans love to watch.  Fans want to see these guys succeed, and from the moment they began working together, a notion that new life would be breathed into the tag team division was born.  

Epico and Primo are the newest challengers, and with any luck a nice rivalry will form between the two teams.

CM Punk literally became the catalyst for change that he desired to be, as independent stars have now conquered the upper echelon of WWE.  

Punk’s sense of humor, his laid back and witty delivery on the mic and his exceptional ring work make him an automatic favorite of fans all over the world.  

Punk’s ascension to the top is very similar to Daniel Bryans’ inasmuch as fans are still wondering how long it will last.  

How long until WWE perhaps comes to its senses and reinstalls John Cena as the top face of the company?  How long before Punk’s brand of technical ability is traded in for another Superstar whose repertoire consists of power moves and clotheslines, which any kid in his first match can do?

You can be sure that many fans are watching Raw for those reasons alone.  The drama of Punk’s well-deserved place as WWE Champion being threatened by a return to the status quo is good stuff, and enough to keep fans tuning in.

It’s a new day in WWE, and I for one could not be happier about it.  So, while the heels line up to lie, cheat and steal their way to the top, I say bring it on.

Vince McMahon’s company is fun and entertaining again, and more importantly, it’s a great place to work if you’re a professional wrestler.

Who would have thought?