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As fun as it might seem for WWE’s top babyfaces to receive support and adulation from fans, many Superstars have mentioned in out-of-character interviews that they prefer to play the role of a heel.
Steve Austin, for example, cemented his status as one of the best crowd-pleasing Superstars of all time during his run as “Stone Cold” in the Attitude Era, but the Hall of Famer has revealed since retiring that he liked working as a bad guy more than a good guy, hence why he pitched to turn heel at WrestleMania X-7.
Another retired Superstar, Paige, commented in 2014 that she was relieved when she was asked to become a heel, as she felt that her smile came across as false when she appeared in front of live crowds.
In this article, let’s count down five current WWE heels and take a look at what the people behind the characters really think about their villainous personas.
#5. Baron Corbin
Believe it or not, NXT fans actually cheered for Baron Corbin in the early days of his career with the brand.
Before he became the despised figure that he is nowadays on Raw, the former football player would defeat his opponents within 30 seconds in matches on NXT. At the same time, fans in the Full Sail crowd would count along to every second of his matches because they knew he was going to quickly destroy his opponent.
Over time, Corbin transitioned into one of the most hated Superstars in NXT in 2015-16, and he has gone on to become arguably the biggest heel on Raw since moving to the brand from SmackDown Live after WrestleMania 34.
Speaking to Booker T on Heated Conversations during the height of his authority run in 2018, Corbin revealed that he enjoyed having as much promo time as WWE’s top stars and he loved the challenge of getting fans to boo him.
“For the last four weeks I’ve been the first fifteen minutes of Raw, which is crazy — that’s a John Cena spot, that’s a Roman Reigns spot — and I’m doing it. It’s a great opportunity that I love the challenge. I want to be able to do that every single week and fill it. Right now people hate me for it and I love it. They despise that I’m on their TV six or seven times a night and that’s the best thing for me.”
#4. Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair immediately established herself as the main female babyface in WWE when she moved to Raw and SmackDown with Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks in the summer of 2015.
After winning the Divas Championship from Nikki Bella at Night of Champions, “The Queen” gradually began to adopt some heel characteristics that would go on to become synonymous with her WWE persona.
Flair mentioned in media interviews shortly after her 2015 heel turn that she never felt relatable to fans early on in her career, as her babyface gimmick was based on her being “genetically superior” to everybody else due to her father’s past success in the wrestling business.
Speaking after her second heel turn in 2018, the WrestleMania 35 main-eventer told Brian Campbell on In This Corner that she no longer felt the need to appease fans as a crowd-pleasing character.
“I got into Survivor Series [against Ronda Rousey], I said to myself, ‘You know what, I can no longer apologise for being that good’, because I am. It was one of those moments where it’s like go back to who you are and what your character is supposed to be and don’t care about the rest.”
#3. Randy Orton
Randy Orton told Edge and Christian on the E&C Pod of Awesomeness in 2017 that he wanted to turn heel because, after three years of being a good guy, he was “sick of this babyface thing”.
Looking even further back through Orton’s interview archives, one of his most interesting comments regarding his “Viper” persona came in 2009 when he told ESPN the exact definition of his gimmick and why he commits villainous acts in the way that he does.
"From bell to bell, from when my entrance plays and I step through that curtain, people have to wonder what's going on inside that guy's head. And my theme music, ‘Voices’, describes my character to a tee. When I walk to the ring, I hear voices telling me what to do and sometimes it's not the right thing, but it's definitely damn entertaining."
When all’s said and done, there are no doubts that Orton will go down as one of the best heels of his generation.
Some of the 13-time World Champion's most memorable heel moments came in the late 2000s, notably when he hit an RKO on Stephanie McMahon and a Punt Kick on Vince McMahon, while his 2018 screwdriver attack on Jeff Hardy will also live long in the memory.
#2. Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon has been a babyface at various stages throughout her 20+ years as a WWE character, but the majority of her on-screen work has come as a villainous authority figure.
In recent years, her heel actions have led to her competing in marquee matches at SummerSlam 2014 (vs. Brie Bella) and at WrestleMania 34 (Stephanie & Triple H vs. Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle), while she has also slapped some of the biggest names in WWE, including The Rock and Roman Reigns.
Speaking at a sports conference in Singapore in 2016, McMahon compared WWE to Greek mythology and explained why she prefers her heel role over her previous babyface persona.
"I guess, in WWE, I've grown up with multiple personalities. It's no different to Greek mythology, where really, everyone has a dual nature. I am a villain on television which is a lot of fun. I much prefer to play the villain than the hero. It's just so much more fun."
Interestingly, unlike some of the other WWE stars in this list, McMahon occasionally performs as a babyface when the opportunity arises.
For example, she did not portray her usual villainous character when she commentated on the first women's Royal Rumble match in 2018 or when she made the announcement about the all-women's Evolution pay-per-view.
#1, AJ Styles
AJ Styles began his second run as a heel in WWE when he realigned with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to form The OC in the summer of 2019.
Previously, “The Phenomenal One” had become so popular during his 2016-17 heel run that WWE’s decision-makers were left with little choice but to turn him into a babyface after his win over Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 33.
Following a year-long reign with the WWE Championship as a good guy, Styles lost momentum in the months that followed, leading to his return to the dark side with his fellow Club members.
Speaking to Sporting News in 2019, Styles had an interesting take on his role as a heel and mentioned how it is important for him to help elevate babyface Superstars.
“I think change is good. We have to build Superstars and that’s what we’re trying to do. The best way to build a Superstar is you have to have good heels to do it. I think Anderson and Gallows and myself are more than capable of helping build Superstars. I’m not saying that we’ll always be the bad guys, but for right now, that is what is needed.”
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