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This is just this writer's opinion, but to me, the true sign of being a great performer in professional wrestling is the ability to be both a great heel and a great face. The word "performer" is the operative word, as it allows a WWE Superstar to tweak their act in order to fit with their current persona.
Heel or face turns are often done when a character has become stale or when there isn't a balance between the two sides with a given roster. But once again, the best stars and wrestlers are able to pull off both sides of the coin.
Some WWE Superstars are better suited to remain heels for the duration of their careers. People like King Corbin and Charlotte Flair are just natural heels due to size, genetics and ability. On the flip side, WWE Superstars like Chad Gable or Apollo Crews seems better suited for sticking as a face due to size (Gable) or natural likability (Crews). A lot of the ability to successfully pull off both roles is due to mic skills and/or character traits.
Most of the current WWE roster have jockeyed between heel and face over the last few years. Some, like Corbin, have been the usual heel, but the best performers in WWE have played both sides in their careers and done so wonderfully. Here are five WWE stars who can believably portray either a heel and face character.
#5. Sami Zayn
Throughout his time in NXT and his initial run on the main roster, Sami Zayn was the "Never Say Die" type of babyface. He'd stand up to anyone - including a heel Braun Strowman - and was a face that the WWE Universe could get behind.
Since that run as a good guy didn't lead him to any titles, Zayn turned heel to help out his old friend Kevin Owens in his feud against Shane McMahon and later Daniel Bryan. The turn helped showcase the Great Liberator's wit and strength as a mic worker. The best heels offer up some truth behind their words and Zayn did just that as he chastised faces and the fans. Some people would rather complain about their problems rather than fix them and Zayn would call fans out for that.
His work as the Great Liberator finally lead him to some main roster gold, although he was recently stripped of the Intercontinental Championship.. The former Underdog of the Underground has shown that he can brilliantly pull off either character, whether it's undying underdog or arrogant heel. That's the sign of a great performer.
#4. Drew McIntyre
This entry speaks more to his recent run with WWE opposed to his first tenure. While Drew McIntyre was a believable bad guy in the early stages of his career, it was mainly due to being pegged as a future world champion by none other than Mr. McMahon himself. Known originally as "the Chosen One" there were high expectations placed on the Scottish Psychopath during his first run in WWE.
Once he left the company and came back to the WWE, however, he was a totally different performer. The time away from the company allowed McIntyre to hone his skills as both a worker and a character. He did great work with ICW, Evolve, Impact Wrestling and other independent promotions across the world.
When he did return to the WWE, he was first a face in NXT, but immediately became a heel once he rejoined RAW. He was able to back up his menacing words since he's 6'5'', 260 pounds. A lot of heels just talk a big game but McIntyre was more than able to back it up. He beat up Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and many of the other faces during his heel run a couple of years ago.
His recent turn prior to the Royal Rumble was a welcome change as he was able to showcase more of his personality. The count down before a Claymore kick also involved the fans while giving them something to cheer along with. McIntyre has shown that he's quick-witted and likable which helps to endear him to fans. The moves might be the same, but the current WWE Champion is great on either side of the coin.
#3. Kevin Owens
Much like his best friend Sami Zayn, Owens is so good on the mic that he's easy to either root for or against in the ring. When he initially joined the WWE in NXT, he was an opportunistic heel that would turn on his own mother given the chance (he didn't actually do that). He even debuted as a face and then turned heel on the same night in NXT. Owens could easily back things up in the ring and his big debut on the main roster in WWE came against John Cena. For the majority of his run as Universal Champion, he was booked more like a cowardly heel.
Due to having superior mic skills, as well as a non-traditional look for a wrestler (not chiseled), it was also easy for the WWE Universe to get behind Owens. He's just as believable on the mic and his words rang true when he opposed Shane McMahon. How can you not root for someone that sticks up for their co-workers, and in his case the WWE roster, against the boss? The best heels are the ones that can bury people on the mic (like Owens and MJF) but the best performers do it masterfully on both sides of the aisle.
His current face run has been just as good, albeit without any title wins. Owens truly cares about the business and it shows. Just rewatch his WrestleMania 36 match with Rollins. How many people would jump 20 feet off of the sign onto the announce table? The one thing that stands out with Owens is that he is not only a student of the game, but one that truly cares about the craft. Since he's does, it's easy for him to be a great heel or a wonderful face.
#2. Asuka
Asuka is a different beast (so to speak) when it comes to the other WWE stars on this slide show. While the likes of Owens, Zayn and the next entry can talk circles around almost anyone, Asuka showcases her craft much differently. Her limited English is overshadowed by her amazing ring and character work. Instead of relying heavily on her promo ability, the Empress has leaned into the performance side of things as a member of the WWE roster.
Whenever she's involved in a non-wrestling segment, it's her dancing, yelling and overall antics that put her above a lot of the other performers in WWE, either male or female. Communicating non-verbally and without speaking a great deal is hard to do but Asuka has parlayed that into a successful run in WWE.
Her run in NXT was as a dangerous face because she was a legitimate threat in any match. The problem was that she was so darn good that it started to leave her without options. Asuka started to delve into heel territory towards the end of her historic NXT title run, but she left without losing the title.
Her debut on RAW was also as a face and it later led her to a SmackDown Women's Championship. The limited English didn't hurt her as much as it could another Superstar in her position. In fact, her yelling in Japanese was threatening in its own right. Her dancing as a face was fun-loving but when she turned heel last year, it worked just as well. It was more in jest and as a way to taunt her opponents. The green mist also helped her aura as a vile villain. Asuka's facial expressions are also among the best among the WWE women and her most recent run has seen her turn from heel to face thanks to her fantastic ability to adapt.
#1 Daniel Bryan
If you've read anything WWE-related that I've written regarding Bryan, then you know that he's one of my favorites. It all comes down to his in-ring ability, his believable work on the mic and his love of the craft. You can just tell that he cares immensely for the art and that it's his whole life. Making his WWE return from a life-threatening injury was also a very human moment for the WWE Universe to connect to.
It's also why it was so easy to root for him as an underdog on the way to his WWE Championship run. His rise was organic and that's why the crowd was so behind him. He's also like the fans because he's not a behemoth but he's a technical wizard and one who hasn't backed down from any challenge.
Another reason why he's so talented is that, whether through his own doing or that of karma, the fans immediately got behind him after his 18- second title loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28. His time as a heel was just as entertaining because he made it work, even so much so that he participated in a wrestling wedding. Any wrestling fan knows how well those always go. Whether you loved him or hated him, you respected him and what he was doing.
Even his recent run as the "Planet's Champion" was a testament to his work. Long loved by the WWE Universe due to his passion and ability, it was hard to boo him when he would lambast the audience for their excesses against the planet. His Championship run reminded everyone of his capability as a good guy or bad guy, and the fact that a lot of what he was saying was true speaks to his talent. He just makes you care about everything he does and that's hard to do in today's game.
