10 of the most polarizing wrestlers of all time

Polarize: verb (used with object), po·lar·ized, po·lar·iz·ing.

to cause polarization in.

2. to divide into sharply opposing factions, political groups, etc.:

The controversy has polarized voters into proabortion and antiabortion groups.

3. to give polarity to.

It is the second definition of polarizing that we are interested in with regards to sports entertainment. The root of the term comes from the magnetic poles, where charges are diametrically opposed to each other. This perfectly explains the reactions that some superstar wrestlers get from the capacity crowds they perform in front of.

Some wrestlers just have a certain appeal that only applies to a specific aspect of the audience. Perhaps their persona best suits children or older veteran fans. Another possibility is that the wrestler used to be a heel or face and changed roles, and not all of the fandom has accepted the change. Yet another factor in the polarizing crowd reactions might be if the wrestler is a heel, but is still deeply respected by the fandom.

For whatever the reason, polarizing wrestlers are the ones who people just can't stop talking about. The philosophy in pro wrestling has always been that as long as the crowd is making noise, it's a good thing. Anything is better than silence to the eyes and ears of the wrestling promoters.

Here are ten wrestlers past and present who have generated polarizing reactions from the crowd.

1.Goldust

You will never forget the name of....inhale...GOLDUST

Real Name: Dustin Runnels

Years in the sport: 30

Finishing move: The Shattered Dreams (neckbreaker/suplex)

Dustin Runnels is the elder son of the dearly departed wrestling legend The American Dream Dusty Rhodes. In order to avoid being in his father's shadow, he and Vince McMahon developed the Goldust character.

From the start, the character generated controversy. Goldust's outrageous antics and flirting with his opponents drew a lot of criticism for stoking the fires of homophobia. While many in the crowd disliked Goldust because his sexuality made them uncomfortable and therefore booed him, there were others who were thrilled at his performance, resulting in a polarizing reaction from the crowd. These days Goldust no longer makes sexuality a part of his act, and mostly just looks strange. He, therefore, gets heavily cheered.

2. Shawn Michaels

The Heart Break Kid himself, Shawn Michaels

Real name: Michael Hickenbottom

Years in the sport: 34 (retired--mostly.)

Finishing Move: Sweet Chin Music (superkick.)

He thinks he's cute, he knows he's sexy, and he's got the looks that drive the girls wild. He's Shawn Michaels, the Heart Break Kid and a grand slam WWE champion (not counting the brand split titles for Raw and Smackdown.)

Shawn Michaels began his WWE career as part of the Rockers, a Rock n Roll Express rip off team who had great success in the AWA as the Midnight Rockers. They never actually won the WWE tag team titles, except for a fluke match where the ring ropes broke and the decision was reversed.

HBK became a much bigger star on his own, making it all the way to the main event. The reason Michaels is polarizing is that he transitioned from the New Generation Era to the Attitude Era. While his fresh-faced, good-looking heartthrob character got cheers from all the fans in the New Generation era, it earned boos from the male fans and cheers from women and children during the much darker Attitude Era. These days HBK gets universally cheered due to his legend status, but he was once a very polarizing figure.

3. The Fabulous Freebirds

The Fabulous Freebirds: Jimmy "Jam" Garvin, Michael "PS" Hayes, and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy. Also in the group but not pictured is Buddy Jack Roberts.

Real Names: James Williams (Garvin,) Michael Seitz (Hayes,) Terry Gordy (Gordy,) and Dale Hey (Buddy Roberts.)

Years in the sport as a group: 20

Finishing Move: DDT (Hayes and Garvin,) Gordbuster (Gordy,) Spinning Elbow Drop (Roberts.)

The Fabulous Freebirds were a legendary trio of wrestlers from the deep south. They are the progenitors of the much ballyhooed in recent years "Freebird Rule" whereby any of the three men can defend the tag team titles. This, of course, provided an advantage, since opponents never knew which line up they would be facing.

Michael Hayes is credited with developing the gimmick based on their real-life personas. The reason the Freebirds were polarizing had to do with where they were from, and where they performed.

In the deep south promotions, the Freebirds were usually greeted with cheers. In other promotions, like the Texas territories, they were full on heels and were booed viciously. In fact, fans used to rush the ring to attack the hated Freebirds. It usually fell to Terry Gordy, a mammoth of a man, to knock the would be attackers down and hold them until security arrived.

The Freebirds are still somewhat polarizing today, with fans arguing over whether they deserve their legendary status.

4. Seth Rollins

Real Name: Colby Daniel Lopez

Years in the sport: 13

Finishing Move: The Falcon Arrow (nee curb stomp.)

Seth Rollins, the CrossFit Jesus himself, is no stranger to polarizing the fanbase. Early on in his Ring of Honor days, he was a pure villain, part of the Age of the Fall stable along with Goth Princess Jimmy Jacobs and Necro Butcher. They attacked the Briscoes and hung Mark from the rafters ala the Undertaker.

Then he gradually became a solo act and wound up being ROH world champion. He also collected every other belt the promotion had to offer along the way. As Tyler Black, he turned a lot of heads in the industry, including the WWE.

Seth was brought into the developmental brand and groomed for the main roster. He made his debut as part of the heel group the Shield. Of course, the Shield was polarizing in and of themselves. They were ostensibly the bad guys, but there intensity and skill made a lot of fans cheer for them.

Of course, Seth was the first to betray the group and wound up on his own. He became a full-on heel for a time, but again his intensity and skill made a lot of fans cheer for him. These days Seth is universally cheered....for now.

5. Rowdy Roddy Piper

Real Name: Roderick George Toombs

Years in the sport: 35 (Deceased.)

Finishing Move: The sleeper hold.

Roderick George Toombs seemed destined for controversy from an early age. He ran away from home at the age of fifteen and swept floors at a gym to pay for his wrestling training. Because of his Scottish ancestry, and the fact that he could play the bagpipes, he donned a kilt and became Rowdy Roddy Piper, the surly Scot.

In his early career, Piper was primarily a babyface known for getting wild and crazy in pursuit of victory. Sometimes, it seemed like Piper was more concerned with causing a scene and hurting people than actually winning matches, which confused his fan reactions.

Piper wound up in the WWE at a perfect time, feuding with Hulk Hogan and launching the Rock and Wrestling Connection. While fans definitely booed Piper when he fought Hogan, his Piper's Pit segments and unpredictable behaviour earned him cheers in at least equal measure the rest of the time. Piper passed away recently but has left a legacy that cannot be equalled.

6. Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Real Name: James George Janos, though he has legally changed it to Jesse Ventura.

Years in the sport: 20 as an in-ring performer, plus fifteen as an announcer (retired from both.)

Finishing Move: The Wham Bam Body Slam (aeroplane spin into a powerslam.)

Jesse Ventura grew up a huge fan of pro wrestling, especially men like Superstar Billy Graham, upon whom he would base his own persona. After a stint in the military's legendary Seals, he embarked upon a pro wrestling career.

Jesse wasn't the best technical wrestler, but he had a great look and could work a crowd with the best of them. He is the originator of the phrase "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!"

When Ventura's in-ring career ended, he became an announcer and on-air personality. He was one of the first announcers to denigrate the babyfaces like Hulk Hogan while praising the heels. If a face broke a rule, he would call them out as a cheater. But if a heel broke the exact same rule, he was 'brilliant.'

Ventura was so entertaining in this role that the fans cheered for him even though he was no longer an active wrestler. His by play with Vince McMahon is a hallmark of WWE's classic era.

7. Flying Brian/The Loose Cannon Pillman

Real name: Brian Pillman

Years in the sport: 11 (deceased.)

Finishing Move: As Flying Brian: Air Pillman (springboard clothesline.) As Loose Cannon: Hangman's neckbreaker.

Flying Brian Pillman was born into adversity. Afflicted with a childhood illness that, among other issues, stunted his growth and caused polyps to form in his throat (resulting in his signature gravelly voice) he decided he wanted to fight instead of just be disabled.

Trained as a boxer, Pillman earned his golden gloves and also competed in football and amateur wrestling. He played briefly for the Cincinnati Bengals before making the switch to pro wrestling.

Brian was one of the early cruiserweight stars in the United States, garnering a lot of praise and cheered as a babyface. He also worked heel when he was with the Hollywood Blondes with Steve Austin.

Pillman ended up having a bad accident and his ankle was fused. Unable to be Flying Brian any longer, he became the Loose Cannon. While technically a heel, Pillman's manic antics and larger than life persona made many fans cheer him, especially during the Attitude Era. Pillman was involved in a highly controversial angle where he 'won' Goldust's wife Marlena (Terri Runnels) right before his death, which ended the angle.

8. Tommaso Ciampa

Real name: Tommaso Whitney

Years in the sport: 13

Finishing Move: Project Ciampa (powerbomb onto raised knees.)

Tommaso Ciampa was an independent circuit standout who wound up on the radar of Ring of Honor. Highly impressed with the skilled young man, they soon put their Television title around his waist, and he enjoyed a lengthy unbeaten streak. His feud with Jay Lethal catapulted him into superstar status, and he also had a five star no DQ match--A Fight without Honor in ROH--with Cedric Alexander.

Ciampa made his debut for the WWE as part of the NXT brand. He and Johnny Gargano formed the team DIY, and even managed to capture the titles. So far so good, but then Ciampa turned on his partner.

For a time he was hated and booed, but now his intense promos and unbelievable work ethic garner at least as many cheers. Ciampa is a bad guy wrestler who might just be too entertaining to be booed by the audience as a whole.

9. Roman Reigns

Real Name: Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoaʻi

Years in the sport: 10

Finishing Move: Superman Punch

Roman Reigns is a part of the legendary Anoa'i family. His relatives are people like Nia Jax, Meng, and Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson.

Reigns had a brief pro football career before he joined the family business, as it were. He was placed in Florida Championship Wrestling, the developmental entity which would eventually evolve into NXT. Roman used the Leakee gimmick for a time before making his main roster debut alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose as the Shield.

When the Shield split, Roman was set up as the top babyface in the company. However, his Royal Rumble victory was met with more boos than cheers, and he has had an even split in fan reactions ever since. With his recent diagnoses of Leukemia, however, we can only imagine the fans will be ecstatic when he returns.

10. John Cena

Real name: John Felix Anthony Cena, Jr.

Years in the sport: 20

Finishing Move: The Attitude Adjustment (Fireman's carry slam.)

John Cena originally was going to be a bodybuilder but made the switch to pro wrestling in 1999. He quickly came onto the radar of WWE and wound up in Ohio Valley Wrestling, which WWE was using as a developmental territory.

He wrestled as the Prototype, a robotic character a far cry from his later personas. He made his debut on Smackdown as simply John Cena, but failed to resonate with the fans until he adopted a white rapper gimmick, the Doctor of Thuganomics. His rap album was heavily downloaded on Itunes, and Cena worked his way up to the main event.

As a heelish rapper, Cena was supposed to be booed but still garnered many cheers, especially from teenage male fans. Over time, he evolved from the white rapper to a more conventional good guy gimmick. While the women and children cheered for Cena, males 18-36 seemed to boo him an awful lot. Cena is perhaps the most famous example of a polarizing figure in sports entertainment.

These days Cena seems to be winning his haters over, probably in part due to his long tenure in the sport. Whatever the case, Cena remains a polarizing figure in pro wrestling.

There you have it; Ten of the most polarizing figures in sports entertainment. Questions or comments? Please leave them below the article and thanks for reading!

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Edited by Nishant Jayaram