WWE’s Greatest Heels: Ruthless Aggression Edition

WWE’s Greatest Heels of the Ruthless Aggression Era

Mr. McMahon

The boss was such a great heel that his work spans multiple eras in WWE. In the Attitude Era, he was the power-hungry owner, but when they entered into the Ruthless Aggression Era, everything about his character jumped to 11.

During the Ruthless Aggression Era, Vince McMahon not only abused every inch of power he had, but he also became a more depraved individual. Angels where he challenged God, discussed his private areas, and even faced his daughter in an “I Quit Match” are lowlights.

Mr. McMahon was already a detestable character, but it was this depravity that made him that much easier to hate. He has no issue taking things too far, and the audience loathed him for it.

Edge

Edge was a great mid-card heel during the Attitude Era, but it was his move to a main event heel that made him a cornerstone of Ruthless Aggression. No one personified their moniker more than Edge. He was the Ultimate Opportunist as he took advantage of every chance presented to him.

Edge would never take the high road, as he would use every underhanded tactic he could to win his matches. He cashed in Money in the Bank twice on a wounded baby face champion. His alliances were created solely to maintain his position atop the main event.

It was always about the Rated-R Superstar, and Edge didn’t care who he had to step on to get the victory. This made him one of the most hated men of the Ruthless Aggression Era, but also one of the era’s most effective heels.

Triple H

During the Ruthless Aggression Era, Triple H was the main event guy. He was the measuring stick, and the man all baby faces chased.

This makes a great heel champion, but one of the downsides to his reign was the fact that he always went over. Even when he didn’t, you knew darn well that he would get his win back at some point.

Triple H spent most of the Ruthless Aggression Era burying talent that could have been big main event stars. Wrestlers like Rob Van Dam, Booker T, and even Randy Orton were halted at the behest of Triple H.

His grip on the main event spot would cost main men years of development. On screen, his reign made him a great heel, but his actions behind the curtain made him hated even more.

Lita

Lita was such a beloved member of the WWE roster for years, until she did the unthinkable to make her one of the most hated women in WWE history. Her behind-the-scenes love affair with Edge made its way to the surface, and the fans couldn’t forgive her for breaking Matt Hardy’s heart.

WWE smartly leaned into this hatred and paired her with Edge on-screen. The boos were deafening when she made her way to the ring. A reaction that was larger than any other woman experienced during the time.

She played her role perfectly, dressing provocatively and rubbing everyone’s nose in her deception. There was no better female heel during Ruthless Aggression than Lita.

JBL

SmackDown was hurting for top heels during the Ruthless Aggression Era. Their top guys were nursing injuries, and a replacement was needed. That replacement just so happened to be the self-made millionaire, and uber heel, John Bradshaw Layfield.

JBL earned his fortune but was not shy about rubbing it in everyone’s faces and looking down his nose while doing so. He was the exact person we all love to hate, and he was given a huge push to the top of the card.

Winning the WWE Championship and embarking on a run of annoyance, JBL was everything a heel should be. We hated when he grabbed the stick; his matches always ended in some screwy finish to his advantage. He was the cowardly heel that was oh so needed in the main event.

Booker T and Queen Sharmell

This real-life husband and wife pair will get lumped together as their gimmick was essentially the same. They were the delusional couple that truly believed that they were royalty and were to be treated as such. Their arrogance and sense of entitlement were played to perfection, and boy oh boy did the crowd hate them for it.

Booker T and Queen Sharmell were torn on everyone’s side. Their entrance reminded us of nails on a chalkboard, and the world couldn’t wait for the end of “King Bookah!”. These two stepped up when given the opportunity.

Randy Orton

Randy Orton was a man dripping with potential. He had the look, but needed the character and attitude to turn himself into a WWE mainstay. That realization came when he joined with Evolution and became one of the most despicable heels in company history.

Orton’s arrogance was awful, but made worse by the fact that he could back up all that talk. He could go toe-to-toe with the best of the business and was everything he said he was. He blossomed into the Legend Killer, taking down our childhood favourites.

Which piled another level of heat onto the man. Randal Keith Orton transitioned from a young star into one of the most dangerous men to walk through the curtain. You could never trust The Viper, and there was no length he wouldn’t go to achieve his goal.

He was the personification of the wily heel.