5 best babyfaces of the PG era

In modern day wrestling, being a babyface is one of the toughest chores. He needs to get a positive reception from the crowd, sell a lot of merchandise and represent the company on various fronts. He needs to maintain his good guy persona in the ring, as well as out of the ring.

WWE has a poor routine of booking babyfaces, making them either bland or predictable. Roman Reigns is a perfect example of such a booking. Without a proper booking, even The Rock or Stone Cold would look bland. However, there are some guys who actually managed to overcome this. In this list, we are taking a look at the 5 best babyfaces of the PG era.

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#5 Rey Mysterio

The ultimate underdog Rey Mysterio is all set to return to a WWE ring soon. The reception Rey got during his special appearances at the Royal Rumble 2018 and the Greatest Royal Rumble at Saudi Arabia was massively overwhelming. The video of his return is one of the most watched videos recently in WWE youtube channel.

His last phase of the run with the WWE was underwhelming. After leaving WWE, Rey has been kicking it on the independent circuit and was in the main event of the super Indie show ALL IN.

His runs in the late 2000s were positively received and thus, Rey Mysterio makes a cut into this list.

#4 Finn Balor

The first ever Universal champion is one of the most positively received superstars in modern WWE. WWE's move to give the former Bullet Club leader the new Universal Championship back in SummerSlam 2016 was heavily lauded by fans and critics. Unfortunately, he had to relinquish his title the very next due to a shoulder injury.

Ever since he came back after Wrestlemania 33, WWE has put him in pointless feuds without any progression. But still, his fans are firmly behind him as continues to garner one of the biggest reactions on Monday Night Raw. His alter ego is even more popular among the fans.

After putting stunning matches and having the crowd support, why Finn Balor is not even an Intercontinental Champion is beyond the cognizance of WWE fans.

#3 AJ Styles

It has been more than 2 years since AJ Styles made his long-awaited WWE return. In his first year, he flickered between face and heel. But once he properly turned babyface after Wrestlemania 33, there was no going back.

One of the most cheered characters in SmackDown, AJ Styles ticks all the boxes for a proper babyface. He has phenomenal in-ring skills, great connection with the WWE universe and is a top-tier merchandise seller. Even though he is given a mid-card treatment as the WWE champion, he delivers every single time. The crowd reaction when he defeated Jinder Mahal says all the story.

#2 John Cena

John Cena is the poster boy of the PG era. His rise to the top of the company was complemented by the shift of WWE's focus from an edgy product to a family-friendly product. Kids and parents love him. He is the most requested for celebrity in Make a Wish charity.

Even though John Cena receives mild criticism once in a while, the overall positive impact he imparts on the younger demographic of WWE is too big to turn a blind eye on. The very high merchandise sales even after turning part-time for more than 2 years is the biggest example of this.

The longevity of his successful face run is the icing on the cake.

#1 Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton and Batista at Wrestlemania 30.

There was no question about it. Daniel Bryan has the most emotional connection with the WWE universe. Even after 2 years of hiatus from wrestling, his fan base did not die out. In 2013-14, he produced many stone cold level pops. He was so popular among the WWE universe that an adamant Vince McMahon had to change the main event of Wrestlemania 30. The reaction when he defeated John Cena at Summerslam 2013 was surreal.

The biggest reason for his success is his organic connection with the crowd. The support from the WWE universe lifted him from being a jobber to one of the most important guys in the roster.