It’s not easy being a good heel in the WWE. Not only do people have to innately hate the WWE superstar, but the man or woman must have instincts that are synonymous with hated people. Looking at some of the best heels in the WWE, they all have one thing in common: Nobody liked them, especially the core audience. That’s the WWE’s main demographic because the hardcore viewers will watch no matter what. A regular viewer may turn off at any random moment.
The Rock, the Undertaker, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Edge, Nikki Bella, and Kevin Owens are only a few of the bigger names the WWE has ever seen. They weren’t just heels, but rather monster heels who knew how to get under people’s skin. Chris Jericho is another great example. During his run in the late-2000s, WWE fans truly hated Jericho, who would portray his on-screen character in public. He once turned down an autograph from a child due to his heel persona.
It’s much easier to be a babyface than it is a heel, even though a heel’s wrestling style is easier on the body. As a heel, they don’t have to do as much. For a while, Owens cemented the term “headlock city” because he would consistently put his opponents in rest holds. To most of the WWE audience, they think rest holds are boring — because they are. There’s that kind of heat due to the character on television. Then, there are wrestlers like X-Pac and Eva Marie.
Marie is the best heel the WWE has going at the moment. Less than 10 percent of WWE fans root for her, and 5 percent of those do it in sarcasm. Her wrestling is sub-par, but the WWE has a use for her on Smackdown Live , and it works to perfection. Unfortunately, a 30-day suspension is keeping Marie off WWE television at the moment. She even missed SummerSlam .
Daily Wrestling News has an update on Eva Marie and her return to the WWE.
“While Eva Marie is currently serving a 30-day suspension for violating the WWE Wellness Policy, she is in the Bahamas with Maryse and others for Total Divas filming. PWInsider reports that she’s able to film for Total Divas as WWE talents on the show are contracted to the E! network while filming, not WWE itself.”
On Smackdown Live , they found the proper gimmick that fits her character. She has an outrageous entrance with a custom in-ring announcer and a new story each week as to why she’s off television. Before the suspension , Marie couldn’t compete due to an injury, a wardrobe malfunction, and another ailment that she endured. It was the perfect way to garner even more heat until her in-ring debut. To cap it all off, the in-ring announcer said at SummerSlam that she took a vacation due to exhaustion.
It will undoubtedly continue when she returns. More than likely, she’ll come back at Backlash and ruin a babyface’s chances to win the Smackdown women’s championship. Even though Marie was rumored to have a new look, All Red Everything will carry on. It goes to show that anyone can get over in the WWE with the proper writing and booking. Without that, the story can’t persist.
Eva Marie’s story is only just beginning. If it wasn’t for the suspension, she would’ve had a chance to become the first WWE SmackDown women’s champion. Nikki Bella could be the one to take that spot, but she’s a babyface right now. That means Marie, Natalya, and Carmella are the heel women on the blue brand. When Marie makes her triumphant return, that will make it three, and the WWE is lucky to have her.
[Image via WWE]
