In wrestling terminology, a heel is a villain, a ‘bad person’, a character that is supposed to be loathed in every sense of the word. Over the years it has become more and more difficult to have a character that makes the audience completely despise them. In an age where ambiguous characters are the status quo it is quite difficult to really have a textbook babyface or heel.
The Women's Division have had its share of trailblazing, amazing performers who were successful in making the audience loathe every sense of their being. Be it being a femme fatal or an authoritarian figure, they have made for some compelling characters.
Here’s a list of five of the greatest female villains of all time-
#5 Fabulous Moolah
No list of the greatest women performers in WWE is complete without Fabulous Moolah and her historic reign but many quite simply forget that she was one of the most original dirtiest player in the game. She won the Women’s Championship is 1956 and held it for 28 years.
You don’t go 28 years with a title without its share of controversies.
The historic accomplishment has a very fair share of unfair tactics used throughout that make Moolah one of the greatest heels that ever lived. She was also part of the most interesting storyline of the 80s called the ‘Rock N Wrestling Connection’. Moolah played the heel and made life hell for Wendi Richter. Richter’s eventual victory over Moolah was hence that much sweet.
#4 Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus is one performer who has been great at playing a babyface and a heel. And has been quite impactful at that. She began her career as being a valet for Test and Albert but was quite green as a wrestler and over the years she developed so well as a wrestler that WWE kept going a great deal to find a second version of her.
While she began as a heel, her most breakthrough moments were during the feud between herself, Christian and Chris Jericho. She spectacularly embraced the dark side at WrestleMania in a match with a ridiculous stipulation where Jericho and Christian were fighting to win her. She slapped the wits out of Jericho to assist Christian to gain the win. She then traumatized Lita for a great part of the year until the Queen of Extreme won the Women’s Championship from her in the main event of Raw in December 2004.
#3 Sensational Sherri
As far as being a villain is concerned, Sensational Sherri Martel learned from the best. She was trained by The Fabulous Moolah and despite being a Women’s Champion, some of the greatest accomplishments for her character has been her managerial skills.
She managed Macho Man Randy Savage and HBK and was extremely influential in making these characters jeered by the audience. Not one to shy away from trash talking or intimidating the men facing her partners, her aura, her presence was enough to magnetize a lot of jeers, making her one of the best female heels in the company’s history.
#2 Lita
While Trish Stratus has been great at playing both heel and face, there is no female performer in the history of the company who’s been as loved and conversely as hated as Lita. When she first arrived, she made head turns by performing moves the WWE audience had never seen a woman do. Then she aligned with The Hardy Boyz and her popularity just skyrocketed.
Her real relationship with Matt Hardy will later be turned into a storyline. So when news broke that she had an affair with Edge while she was dating Hardy, made the audience instantly sympathize with Hardy and vilify her. She was booed relentlessly till the day she retired.
#1 Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon has been the perfect successor to Vince McMahon’s dictatorial, atrocious, evil character. She has really stepped up as being the apt successor to her father in terms of the gimmick. The fact that she has been effective in getting the audience to boo her till date, where characters are becoming more and more ambiguous, is something to stand back and watch.
Be it her unrelenting promos or her brutal slaps, she has been the best heel in the promotion whenever she is playing a heel, that is. She made the audience cheer Vickie Guerrero. If that isn’t testament to her impact as a heel then what is?
