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The WWE roster is currently divided between some of the best babyfaces in the industry and exceptional heels. However, there have been occasions when a heel excels over a babyface and quickly becomes a fan-favorite among the WWE Universe.
Over the years, WWE has been home to some of the most memorable villains in the business. And whenever a Superstar surpasses a babyface in terms of popularity, the WWE Universe mostly decides to cheer for the heel.
It's no secret to the fact that WWE also tends to push a heel Superstar and often likes to capitalize on the momentum gained by him/her. That has often led to the WWE Universe being far more interested in bad guys or girls over a good ones, especially in recent years.
With that being said, here are 5 instances where the WWE Universe has cheered a heel Superstar over a babyface.
#5. Edge got massive cheers from the WWE Universe at WrestleMania 37
At WWE WrestleMania 37, Edge competed in his first WrestleMania in front of a live crowd for the first time since returning to in-ring action. The Rated-R Superstar competed in a huge Triple Threat Match that headlined Night 2 of 'Mania 37.
In the lead-up to the title match between Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, and Edge, the former multi-time WWE World Champion was viewed as the fan favorite in a feud that mostly involved him and Reigns. However, following the inclusion of Bryan into the mix, Edge made his intentions clear by attacking both Bryan and Reigns in the lead-up to WrestleMania 37.
Edge's actions building up to WrestleMania pretty much established his place as another bad guy in a story that already revolved around The Tribal Chief being portrayed as the antagonist. However, the decision clearly didn't go down too well with the WWE Universe.
As expected, Edge received massive cheers when he made his grand entrance at WrestleMania 37. Members of the WWE Universe also made it known on social media that they would've liked to see Edge win the WWE Universal Championship at The Grandest Stage of Them All. The Rated-R Superstar has pretty much been a fan-favorite since returning.
#4. Braun Strowman was cheered by the WWE Universe throughout his feud against Roman Reigns in 2017
During Braun Strowman's feud against Roman Reigns in 2017, the WWE Universe mostly cheered for The Monster Among Men throughout an intense rivalry between the two.
Despite being the heel, Strowman received all the praise from the WWE Universe, mostly due to the fact that the fans weren't too pleased with the idea of Reigns being a babyface. Especially after Reigns' monumental victory over The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33, The Big Dog met with a reception of huge boos from the WWE Universe the night after.
At the same time, Strowman was on an absolute tear in WWE. Quite possibly on the hottest stage of his WWE career, The Monster Among Men wreaked havoc on the WWE roster and showcased his brutal strength by making an example out of Reigns.
Strowman's sheer showcase of power led to him flipping ambulances and production trucks and it is safe to say that the WWE Universe loved every bit of it.
#3. AJ Styles was a fan favorite for the WWE Universe in his feud against John Cena
AJ Styles' heel turn in WWE was absolutely perfect. WWE totally nailed it in terms of creative direction when they turned The Phenomenal One into a bad guy for the first time since his arrival in the company.
Upon John Cena's return to the WWE, he made his intentions clear and claimed that the "new generation" would have to go through him. Up stepped AJ Styles and what initially felt like a babyface vs. babyface feud, quickly saw the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion hit Cena with a clothesline and establish himself as a heel.
With both Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson by his side, Styles quickly became an anti-hero in the eyes of the WWE Universe. During his matches against Cena at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam, Styles was cheered on by the WWE Universe despite being the heel.
It's no secret how the WWE Universe has always reacted towards Cena, but to have them cheer for a Superstar who was still quite fresh in the company against someone of Cena's magnitude was a big statement.
#2. Becky Lynch's heel turn at WWE SummerSlam 2018 established her as a fan favorite
At WWE SummerSlam in 2018, Becky Lynch finally had enough of Charlotte Flair and turned her back on her best friend. Heading into the pay-per-view, Carmella was the SmackDown Women's Champion and found herself in a Triple Threat Match against Charlotte and Lynch.
Initially, Lynch earned herself a shot against Carmella by beating the champion in a non-title match. However, Charlotte was inserted into the match after saving Lynch from an attack against Carmella and also after beating the then-champion in a match.
During the match, it did seem WWE would finally pull the trigger on Lynch, who had locked in the Dis-Arm-Her on Carmella. But a last-minute swerve saw Flair hit her best friend with Natural Selection. Eventually, Flair pinned Becky to win the SmackDown Women's Championship. This led to the Irishwoman turning her back on Charlotte.
Not only was Lynch's heel turn met with an insane amount of cheers from the WWE Universe, but she also started calling herself 'The Man' and gave a new definition to women's wrestling in WWE.
#1. Seth Rollins' cash-in at WWE WrestleMania 31 was one of the biggest receptions of all time
Seth Rollins is arguably one of the biggest WWE Superstars of the modern generation. The former WWE Universal Champion has had his fair share of runs as a babyface and as a heel.
However, if one was to argue about Rollins' best run in WWE so far, then look no further than his stint with The Authority in 2014-15. After turning his back on The Shield, Rollins instantly became one of the most hated Superstars in WWE history.
Throughout his run as The Authority's golden boy, Rollins' heel work was phenomenal and he gathered a ton of heel heat on himself on the back of a huge betrayal of Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.
But heading into WrestleMania 31, the WWE Universe had voiced their opinion against the main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. Therefore, WWE decided to pull off one of the biggest swerves of all time by having Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase in the main event of WrestleMania 31.
Rollins' cash-in is billed as the "Heist of the Century", for obvious reasons. During the cash-in and the match itself, Levi's Stadium erupted after Rollins pinned Reigns to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
In doing so, the former Architect of The Shield became the first man to cash in the Money in the Bank contract at a WWE WrestleMania main event and from a hated heel instantly became a fan-favorite in the eyes of the WWE Universe.
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